Saka, Reyna or Greenwood: Which 2021 Kopa Trophy nominee is worth the most?
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 23 May 2023 08:54 CDT
- 3 min read
The nominees for the 2021 Kopa Trophy have been named, with the award set to go to the brightest young footballer under the age of 21.
It is an award that has previously only been presented on two occasions, with Kylian Mbappe the first winner of the prize in 2018 followed by Matthijs de Ligt in 2019.
READ MORE: Every football star's transfer value
There was no winner in 2020 as France Football, which organises the award, elected not to hold it because of the Covid-19 crisis.
Nevertheless, there are some huge talents up for the gong, including England international trio Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Mason Greenwood.
Competition for the prize is fierce, though, with the likes of Barcelona star Pedri and Borussia Dortmund ace Gio Reyna also among the nominees.
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Of these players, it is Pedri who is worth the most, according to FootballTransfers’ algorithm.
This might come as something of a surprise given that he is not based in the Premier League, but the Barca star, who played so much football in 2020/21 for both club and country, has a projected value of €71.7m.
Ranked second in this regard is Bukayo Saka of Arsenal, coming in with a value of €57.8m.
The most valuable Kopa Trophy nominees
| Name | Club | Estimated value |
|---|---|---|
| Pedri | Barcelona | €71.7m |
| Bukayo Saka | Arsenal | €57.8m |
| Florian Wirtz | Bayer Leverkusen | €53.2m |
| Gio Reyna | Dortmund | €53.1m |
| Mason Greenwood | Man Utd | €48.3m |
| Jude Bellingham | Dortmund | €45.8m |
| Jeremy Doku | Rennes | €39.8m |
| Ryan Gravenberch | Ajax | €33.4m |
| Jamal Musiala | Bayern Munich | €31.5m |
| Nuno Mendes | PSG | €21m |
And completing the top three highest valued Kopa Trophy nominees if Bayer Leverkusen sensation Florian Wirtz, who has exploded onto the scene this season with some sensational performances for the Bundesliga club. His estimated value is €53.2m, marginally ahead of Dortmund’s Reyna.
The only player to be nominated for the award who does not come into the bracket of FootballTransfers’ leading 25 players under the age of 21 is Nuno Mendes, a left-back who plays with Paris Saint-Germain on loan from Sporting CP. His value is €21m, although he is an outsider for the prize.
Pedri’s exceptional start to life in the professional game, meanwhile, means that the Barcelona midfielder is rightly favourite for the Kopa Trophy.
