Full rank revealed 

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Whilst new big-money signings understandably offer huge excitement for fans across the globe, not much can beat a homegrown player progressing through the youth ranks to turn out for the first-team. “He’s one of our own” rings from the terraces. The relatability with the fans is always higher with a player who has come through at the club itself. But which of this season’s Champions League clubs have done best at developing stars through their own youth ranks? Here at Transfermarkt, we have calculated the teams in this season’s competition who have the most valuable collection of former academy players.

Which Champions League club have most valuable academy players?

Leading the way, perhaps unsurprisingly, are LaLiga giants Barcelona. Their La Masia academy is world renowned and there are currently as many as 10 former academy graduates in their squad. Those players combine for a €585 million market value, with Lamine Yamal (€200m), Pau Cubarsí (€80m), Fermín López (€70m), Dani Olmo (€70m) and Alejandro Balde (€60m) the most valuable. In second place come Arsenal, with five former Hale End academy stars in their current squad worth a combined €295m. The most valuable of which is Bukayo Saka (€130m).

In third on the list are German giants Bayern Munich, with seven academy graduates joining forces for a total of €293m in market value. The most valuable star is the until recently injured Jamal Musiala (€130m). In fourth place are the unique Spanish side Athletic Club. Their Basque-only policy means that as many as 20 of their squad are former academy players – these stars combined for a €267m market value. Chelsea are fifth with €271m of market value from six academy graduates, with Manchester City sixth with €206m of value from former academy players.

Sporting (€145m from six players), Real Madrid (€128m from six players), Paris Saint-Germain (€123m from five players) and Atlético Madrid (€107m from three players) complete the top 10. The full list of the number of former academy players, their market values and who they are, for each of the 36 teams, can be identified on the link below. At the other end of the scale, Union SG (€100k), Bayer Leverkusen (€1.25m) and Tottenham (€2.5m) have the lowest amount of market value in their squads from former academy stars.