5 most valued U23 players with expiring contracts | OneFootball

With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kevin de Bruyne leaving Liverpool and Manchester City respectively, Get Football looks at the highest valued U23 players with expiring contracts this summer using Transfermarkt.

CJ Egan-Riley (22) – Burnley

Promoted as runners-up of the Championship on level points with Leeds United, Burnley return to the Premier League. CJ Egan-Riley was a mainstay in central-defence, creating a formidable partnership with Frenchman Maxime Estève. Playing 41 of 46 league games under Scott Parker this season, Egan-Riley made up a four-man defence that conceded just 16 goals this campaign.

Egan-Riley made his Championship debut for Burnley in the 2022/23 season before making a loan move to Hibernian, and then PSV last season where he only featured for the second team. Returning to Burnley last summer, the 22-year-old has seen his market value rise from €1.5m in December 2024 to his current value of €14m.

Roony Bardghji (19) – Copenhagen

Roony Bardghji was regarded as one of Europe’s top talents, but a cruciate ligament tear in April 2024 saw the Swede miss 48 games for Copenhagen across all competitions, returning in March 2025. The 19-year-old missed all the standard league format but featured in five of the seven championship rounds. Starting in successive wins against Aarhus GF, Bardghji is slowly regaining fitness.

Whether Bardghji remains in Copenhagen to continue his development or makes a move to one of Europe’s top five leagues remains to be seen. Both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have shown an interest in the Swedish attacker, who has a market value of €9m – the highest in his career.

Thiago Fernández (21) – Velez Sarsfield

Much like the Bardghji, Thiago Fernández also sustained a cruciate ligament injury. The Argentine has missed the last 25 games for Velez Sarsfield and remains sidelined, but showcased promise in the games before. The 21-year-old scored five and created six from wide areas in 25 league games for Velez.

The Argentine was second in Goal-Creating Actions (12) in 2024, averaging 0.57 per 90, according to FBRef. Fernández also ranks high for Carries into the Penalty Area (26, 3rd) and Progressive Passes Received (110, 2nd). Since June 2024, his market value has more than tripled from €1.8m to €7m.

Nicolò Bertola (22) – Spezia

As Spezia sit third in Serie B with two games remaining, a standout player for the Italian side has been Nicolò Bertola. The 22-year-old central-defender has featured in 27 of Spezia’s 34 league games, starting 22 and is a part of the team with the best defensive record. FootballItalia report that Juventus tried to sign Bertola in January with the option of the defender remaining on loan at Spezia until the end of the season. A move for the Italian didn’t materialise but the Bianconeri could yet make another move for the right-footed centre-back.

With six Italy U21 caps, Bertola is expected to make the next step in his career, and holds a market value of €6.5m, a significant rise from his €1.7m value in Oct 2024.

Obed Vargas (19) – Seattle

Obed Vargas has started in nine of Seattle’s 11 MLS games this season, averaging a 7.53 rating. With two goal contributions (one goal and one assist) already this season, Vargas is already attracting interest from the Netherlands and his native Mexico, per Goal.

Of Mexican descent, Vargas is yet to make his full debut for the national team but born in Alaska, there’s a chance that the 19-year-old could represent the US. If he continues to rapid rise, expect Vargas’ market value to rise more than the current €6m.

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