Join us as we take a look at the legendary names that make up the stars of the UEFA Champions League. We’ve done the research, enjoy our list of the most valuable eleven the world of football has to offer!
- The most expensive goalkeeper
- The most expensive defenders
- The most expensive midfielders
- The most expensive attackers
- The most expensive coach
- Bet on the world’s most valuable player at LV BET
The UEFA Champions League is often considered the pinnacle of players’ careers, second only to the FIFA World Cup. As a result, players will be looking to polish their shoes and get their act together before performing on this spectacular stage of football. Find out who the most valuable players are and bet on their upcoming UEFA Champions League season at LV BET.
WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE XI IN THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?
Utilising a classic 4-4-2 as the premise of this study, what can truly be considered the most expensive XI? And to a more intriguing extent, which teams contribute the most to this talent-laden formation?
The answer to both questions will undoubtedly baffle the most knowledgeable football pundits in circulation. Let’s begin unpacking the pillars of this army of superstars.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE GOALKEEPER
The goalkeeper can make or break a team. He can be the most valuable player on the pitch, or he can be the cause of a team’s downfall. Loris Karius’ atrocious performance in the 2017/18 Champions League final remains the best example of the latter.
THIBAUT COURTOIS (REAL MADRID)
Valued at £54.00m, the Belgian two-meter giant was elected MVP of the Champions League final of 2021/22 against Liverpool for having repelled all of the Reds’ efforts at equalising the game.
As it happens, the former Chelsea man had a market value of £67.50m just a year ago, but being 30 years of age meant that his value was to dip to £54.00m — still a far cry from Real Madrid’s transfer fee of £31.50m back in 2018. In any case, age didn’t seem to be a factor in his heroic display against Liverpool to win his side La Decimocuarta.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE DEFENDERS
Combining pace on the sides of the pitch and strength in the middle, defenders are the foundation of every successful team out there. Age is a factor that determines every player’s worth, but it can prove to be more unforgiving to defenders, who tend to lose their agility as the years roll by. A good example of this is former AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini, whose younger years saw him dominate the left-back position before adopting the role of a centre-back as his age seeped his agility away.
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD (LIVERPOOL)
This agile right-back is a Liverpool youth academy product who made his professional debut in October 2016 in a 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur. Valued at £72.00m, Trent Alexander-Arnold has won the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, Premier League, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup — not too shabby for a 23-year-old.
With a total of 17 caps so far with the Three Lions, Alexander-Arnold is an England star who will be looking to provide his fair share of trademark crosses with the hopes of seeing his country progress in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
ALPHONSO DAVIES (BAYERN MUNICH)
Alphonso Davies has quite a peculiar background. Born in Ghana to Liberian parents, Davies emigrated to Canada and eventually became the youngest player to sign a USL contract with Vancouver Whitecaps at the age of 15. He grew to become a very well-rounded left-back — enough to pique the interest of many European clubs.
A £9.00m move to Bayern Munich saw Davies win a trove of silverware, including the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, four Bundesliga titles and several other German trophies. His current value stands at £63.00m, but if his young age of 21 is to be any hint, this is bound to increase in the future.
MATTHIJS DE LIGT (JUVENTUS)
The 22-year-old Dutch centre-back was one of Ajax’s wonder boys who made it to the semi-final of the Champions League in the 2018/2019 season before losing to Tottenham Hotspur. After a £76.95m deal to Italian giants Juventus materialised, de Ligt started collecting Italian silverware — including the Serie A title, the Coppa Italia and the Super Cup.
In 2021, fellow Dutchmen Marco van Basten criticised de Ligt for his lack of growth as a defender and leader, claiming that his move to Italy stalled his learning curve. Matthijs de Ligt’s value currently stands at £63.00m.
RUBEN DIAS (MANCHESTER CITY)
The Manchester City centre-back is one of the talents cultivated by Benfica — along with the likes of João Félix, Darwin Núñez and Ederson. At the age of 25, Dias is one of the most talented centre-backs in the Premier League who has, so far, won the Premier League twice and the English League Cup. Whether Dias will manage to help Guardiola win the Champions League in the coming years remains to be seen. The Portuguese defender is valued at £67.50m.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE MIDFIELDERS
The midfield position has two big responsibilities: sheltering the defence from oncoming attacks and supplying the attackers. So far, we have explained how age can be extremely cumbersome on a player and their market value, but this is not necessarily the case when it comes to midfielders. A good example is Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modrić who, at the ripe old age of 36, still excels in his role as a central midfielder.
MOHAMED SALAH (LIVERPOOL)
Currently playing as a right winger for Liverpool, Mohamed Salah is valued at £81.00m — not too far off from the total transfer fees of £72.90 his employers have racked up over the years. The 30-year-old winger is one of the best players to occupy that position, and he evidenced as much during his time at Fiorentina and Roma, before moving to Liverpool.
Despite the rumours that Salah was not going to extend his contract with Liverpool, he eventually ended up doing so — tying him to the club until 2025.
VINICIUS JUNIOR (REAL MADRID)
Currently at the highest market value of his career (£90.00m) is none other than Real Madrid prodigy Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian has been pulling off one scintillating performance after the other on the left wing for Real Madrid, who paid a significant £40.50m in a deal with Brazilian side Flamengo for Vinicius’ services. Still 22 years of age, the youngster is a force to be reckoned with, as seen in every competition he has played in. Often referred to simply as ‘Vinicius’, the Brazilian talent was instrumental in his team’s triumph of the 2021/22 Champions League campaign, which saw Real Madrid clinch a 1-0 victory.
PHIL FODEN (MANCHESTER CITY)
Also, 22 years of age is Phil Foden — a product of Manchester City’s youth academy who is currently valued at £81.00m. The Englishman is considered one of the world’s most talented central midfielders, and backing that up is an already full trophy cabinet of four Premier League titles and several other English trophies. With so many years left in his career, there’s no telling the extent of Foden’s growth in world football.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE (MANCHESTER CITY)
Along the three other Manchester City players in this list is Kevin De Bruyne, whose market value stands at £76.50m. The Belgian is an extremely talented attacking midfielder who previously played for his boyhood club KRC Genk, Chelsea and VFL Wolfsburg, before transferring to Manchester City for a price tag of £68.40m in the summer of 2015. De Bruyne — whose highest market value was £135.00m — signed a new contract with the Manchester club in 2019, extending his stay for another four years.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE ATTACKERS
“Football’s not just about scoring goals — it’s about winning.” So are the words of the former Southampton centre-forward Alan Shearer. Having said that, saying that scoring goals helps win games infers no falsehood, and who else can a coach entrust with the task of scoring goals than attackers?
ERLING HAALAND (MANCHESTER CITY)
The ex-Borussia Dortmund striker is one of the world’s most expensive centre-forwards in circulation — valued at £135.00m. Erling Haaland is the son of Alfie, who also wore the Manchester City colours when in his prime. The Manchester club struck a £54.00m deal with Borussia Dortmund to transfer the Norwegian prodigy, who has already amassed a good 134 goals in 182 appearances. Whether he will continue his goal-scoring record in English football remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that Haaland is one of football’s hottest talents at this time.
KYLIAN MPABBE (PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN)
In the top spot is no other than Kylian Mbappé. The French forward holds a market value of £144.00m, which nevertheless is not higher than the £162.00m Paris Saint-Germain payed to Monaco in the summer of 2018. With already 202 goals in all competitions at the age of 23, Mbappé is considered one of the best players of his generation. The Frenchman is always sought by his teammates when it comes to scoring goals in crucial moments, even though his efforts haven’t yet secured Paris Saint-Germain the elusive Champions League title. Nevertheless, Mbappé is one of the most highly rated footballers in world football, and there was simply no way of omitting him from the most valuable XI.
WHAT ABOUT THE MOST EXPENSIVE COACH?
Who better to guide this formation of superstars than the highest-paid coach in Europe? If we were to follow the format of this incredible team, Diego Simeone would be the tactician of choice. After all, 4-4-2 is his preferred formation.
Diego Simeone earns a monthly wage of €3.33m at Atletico Madrid — putting his annual earnings at around €40m. Appointed in 2011, the Argentinian has won the Europa League twice and the La Liga twice, among other Spanish titles.
In his still-ongoing tenure at the club, Simeone’s side has locked horns with several big teams within European football: including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, among many others.
BET ON THE WORLD’S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AT LV BET
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