The sale of academy graduates has become a hot topic in recent months, with Premier League teams offloading fringe players in a bid to raise funds for first-team investment. The increasing importance of staying with profitability and sustainability rules has forced even the richest to work smarter.
The benefit of selling academy players is that they essentially cost nothing and so any fee brought in is seen as pure profit when it comes to club accounts. And as tedious as that may sound, it is why the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have been able to spend big in recent months.
Liverpool have raised plenty of money through such sales in recent years, moving on the likes of Harry Wilson, Rhian Brewster and Neco Williams. But how do they rank among Europe's most productive and profitable academies? Take a look below.
21. Dinamo Zagreb - £165m
The Croatian side got around £32m from RB Leipzig for Josko Gvardiol back in 2020. | Getty Images
22. Barcelona - £161m
The La Liga side got £21m for Pedro back in 2015 and also made good money on the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Bojan and Thiago Alcantara. | AFP via Getty Images
23. Arsenal - £155m
The Gunners got £35m for Monaco-bound Folarin Balogun last summer. | Getty Images
24. Atletico Madrid - £154m
Fernando Torres is among a number of well-known academy graduates, signing in a £20m for Liverpool back in 2007. | Getty Images