Al-Hilal and Al-Ahly compete with Europe in the list of the 100 most expensive global talents

The Saudi Al-Hilal and Al-Ahly clubs entered the list of clubs with the highest transfer value for young talent in the world, after 4 players from their ranks appeared on the list of the 100 most expensive players under 20 years old outside the clubs belonging to the five major European leagues. They are led by Al-Hilal striker Kader Mete, who ranked sixth in the world with an estimated value of 33.5 million euros, in a ranking topped by Polish Oscar Pitoszewski, the Portuguese player for Porto, with a value of 56.3 million euros.

According to the weekly report No. 556 issued by the Football Observatory of the International Center for Sports Studies (CIES), which adopted the data of October 1, 2026, the classification included 100 players under the age of 20, whose contracts are not owned by the five major league clubs in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France, with their transfer values ​​calculated according to a statistical model based on a set of variables related to the players and their contracts.

Polish Oscar Petuszewski, the 18.3-year-old Porto Portuguese winger, came at the top of the rankings with a value of 56.3 million euros, despite his recent injury, ahead of the Belgian Jorthy Mocchio, the Dutch Ajax midfielder, whose value was 52.9 million euros, while Matthews Mane, the English Wolverhampton winger, ranked third with a value of 46.1 million euros, knowing that his club is active in the English second division according to classification data.

The Portuguese Joao Simões, the Sporting Lisbon midfielder, came fourth with a value of 43.2 million euros, followed by Alvaro Montoro, the Brazilian Botafogo winger, in fifth with a value of 39.3 million euros, before the name of Kader Mete, the 18.9-year-old Al Hilal striker, appeared in sixth place with a value of 33.5 million euros, becoming the highest-valued player among the talents in Saudi clubs on the list.

Luca Meireles, the Ukrainian Shakhtar Donetsk striker, came seventh with a value of 32 million euros, then Aaron Baumann, the Dutch Ajax defender, was eighth with a value of 30.4 million euros, while Mihailo Cvetkovic, the Belgian Anderlecht striker, ranked ninth with a value of 28.8 million euros, and Isaki Silva, the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder, completed the top 10 list with a value of 27.9 million euros.

The Saudi presence was not limited to Mete, as the list included 3 other players from Al Hilal and Al Ahly, an indication of the presence of investments in young talents who have high transfer values ​​according to international statistical estimates.

The financial Ibrahim Diaby, the 19.5-year-old Al-Ahly midfielder, came with an estimated value of 12.7 million euros, while the value of Sabri Dahl, the 18.5-year-old Al-Hilal winger, amounted to about 12.3 million euros, becoming the second Al-Hilal player on the list, and the third player belonging to Saudi clubs in terms of value.

Al-Ahly recorded a second presence through Gambian defender Abu Bakr Sidi Kente, who is 19.8 years old, and whose estimated value reached 8 million euros, while his contract with the club extends until June 2031, according to the data published in the classification.

Thus, the combined transfer value of the four players belonging to Al-Hilal and Al-Ahly amounted to 66.5 million euros, of which 45.8 million euros were for Al-Hilal players Mete and Dahl, compared to 20.7 million euros for Al-Ahly players Diaby and Kente. These are statistical estimated values ​​and not amounts paid or official transfer offers.

The distribution of the four players reflects a diversity of positions, as Mete occupies the position of outright striker, Dahl plays on the wing, while Diaby is active in the midfield, and Kente occupies the position of central defence, and 3 of the 4 names are linked to contracts extending until June 2031, compared to the expiration of Mete’s contract in June 2029.

At the level of the Arab presence, the list included Tunisian Rayan Al-Aloumi, the Canadian Vancouver Whitecaps striker participating in the American League, with an estimated transfer value of 11.3 million euros, and a contract extending until December 2030, making him one of the most prominent Arab names appearing in the classification.

The list also highlights the geographical spread of high-value young talents, as the 100 names were distributed among 24 leagues around the world, led by the American Football League, which acquired 13 players, in a presence that reflects the expansion of markets for developing young players outside the major European clubs.

The list also shows that the high transfer value of talent is no longer limited to the traditional clubs that produce players in Europe and South America, with the presence of clubs from Saudi Arabia, the United States, Ukraine, Belgium, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, and others, in competition to own the contracts of players whose values ​​are expected to rise in the future.

In preparing its estimates, the Football Observatory relies on a completely statistical methodology, which allows calculating the current value of players and building scenarios for their development during the coming years, in a way that serves clubs in transfer negotiations, renewing contracts and loans, and determining penalty terms, in addition to financial applications related to the evaluation of sports assets and the sale and acquisition of clubs.

The numbers are particularly important for Saudi clubs, as the presence of 4 players from Al Hilal and Al Ahly on a global list of under-20 talents gives a numerical indication of the value of some young player contracts in the Saudi League, while the estimated market value remains different from the actual prices that may be determined by negotiations between the clubs.