Most valuable XI in the world

Footballers are transferred for ridiculously high amounts of money these days. Whether it be Paul Pogba’s record-breaking transfer to Manchester United or Gonzalo Higuain’s stunning move to Juventus, football clubs are forking out huge amounts of money to get the player they want.

France Football (The same magazine which decided the Ballon d’Or winner) has crunched the numbers (along with CIES observatory) and come up with the most valuable players list. La Liga sides as expected are well represented in the XI. What is more surprising is the fact that 3 Premier League players and 2 Ligue 1 players also make the XI.

While Ronaldo, Messi, Griezmann and Suarez might have finished as the top 4 in the Ballon d'Or votes, only 2 of them make the XI in this list. Also, neither Messi nor Ronaldo is the most valuable player in the world.

Without much ado, let us take a look at the most valuable XI in football currently.

Formation: 4-3-3

David de Gea (Manchester United) – Goalkeeper: £49 million

Manchester United have struggled ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club. However, David De Gea has been consistently performing at high levels and has singlehandedly rescued points for the Red Devils on many occasions.

De Gea sometimes has put even Superman to shame with some stunning saves which seem to defy time and gravity. One of the best goalkeepers in the world (if not the best), De Gea has time and again proven his value to this Manchester United squad.

De Gea’s presence in the team makes a huge difference for Manchester United and he has given some of his best performances against big teams and rivals like Liverpool and Chelsea. Still only 26 and already at the peak of his game, it is no surprise that he is the most valuable goalkeeper in the world.

Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain) – Right-back: £40 million

Marquinhos is considered to be one of the best young defenders in the game. Although primarily a centre-back, Marquinhos has shown the ability to play in the right-back position, putting in good performances number of times for Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Continually linked with Barcelona, the young Brazilian has come into his own after David Luiz’s departure to Chelsea. The 22-year-old has been calm and consistent throughout and has also cemented his place in the Brazil national team.

Big, powerful and versatile, Marquinhos is known for his good positioning and pace. Known as the mini Thiago Silva, Marquinhos is already among the best defenders in the world and his value is only set to increase in the future.

Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus) – Centre-back: £42 million

One of the best centre-backs in the world at the moment, Leonardo Bonucci has had a year to remember with Serie A side Juventus and national team Italy. A ball playing centre-back, Bonucci is primarily known for his technique, passing range and ability to launch attacks with his accurate long passes.

Currently 29, Bonucci is at the peak of his career and his ability to read play has been applauded by his managers Allegri and Conte. It is no surprise that the Italian defender has been linked with all the top clubs in the club with Chelsea and Conte particularly interested in signing the defender.

In 2016, his defensive attributes, as well as his skill on the ball, vision, and accurate passing, moved La Repubblica to dub him as “Beckenbonucci”, as a reference to former German star Franz Beckenbauer.

At 29, Bonucci is at the peak of his game and is one of the most valuable defenders in the world.

Raphael Varane (Real Madrid) – Centre-back: £42 million

A slightly surprising inclusion on this list, Raphael Varane, has finally started finding some regular playing time at Madrid. When Varane first burst onto the scene, he was tipped to become the best defender in the world in the future.

Although Varane has not lived upto these high expectations, he is still only 23, and there have been enough glimpses of class and talent in his game to show that he can grow to become one of the most valuable players in the world.

Former France defender Frank Leboeuf believes that Varane has the potential to be better than Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro, saying to reporters, "Many compare him to Hierro due to his technique, but on the physical level he is stronger and he is much faster."

With Pepe’s contract coming to an end at Real Madrid, Varane might end up playing a crucial role at Real Madrid in the future. His high market value is due to the fact that he plays for Real Madrid and is still only 23.

David Alaba (Bayern Munich) – Left-back: £44 million

David Alaba has been in Bayern Munich since 2008 and in that period, he has evolved to become one of the most complete footballers in the world. Primarily a left-back, Alaba has played in a variety of positions including centre-back, midfield, and even the left wing.

Quick, strong and an eye for a wonderful pass are the qualities which have made Alaba an indispensable part of the Bayern Munich team. Alaba is also a wonderful free-kick taker having scored some stunning goals through free-kicks.

Although the Austrian did not have the best of years for Bayern Munich and Austria in 2016, there is no denying the talent he possesses and he is undoubtedly the most valuable left-back in the world.

Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain) – Central Midfielder: £62 million

Marco Verratti is one of the most talented central midfielders in the world right now and his performances have seen him continuously linked to La Liga giants Real Madrid. A quick, creative and agile midfielder, Verratti is known for his dribbling skills, close control and excellent positioning skills.

Due to his attributes and playing style, Verratti has often been compared to compatriot Andrea Pirlo. Initially regarded as one of the most talented young players of his generation, Verratti quickly developed into one of the best playmaking midfielders in the world. In addition to his playmaking skills, he is also known for his aggression and defensive ability, despite his small physique and stature.

Still only 24, Verratti has managed to earn the praise of many of his peers with Barcelona legend Xavi particularly impressed with his abilities. Xavi said:

"He's one of the best midfielders in the world, and plays a little bit in the same way as I tried to do with Barcelona and the national team. He likes having the ball. He also has perfect mastery over long and short passing, he can play the final ball, and he doesn't lose the ball that easily. He's really a very high-class player."

Paul Pogba (Manchester United) – Central Midfielder: £106 million

The world’s most expensive player, Paul Pogba, is widely tipped to be a future Ballon d’Or winner by many of his peers and it is easy to see why there is so much hype about the talented 23-year-old midfielder.

Pogba has been described by his club Manchester United as a "powerful, skilful, and creative" player who has "an eye for goal and a penchant for the spectacular." Equally comfortable in both a defensive and attacking midfield role, Pogba has also been praised for his ability, leadership and work rate.

Although he initially struggled to live upto his huge transfer fee at Manchester United, in recent matches, the mercurial Frenchman has rediscovered his best form and is already one of the best players in the Premier League.

With time, Pogba might end up becoming one of the best players in the world.

Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) – Central Attacking Midfielder: £63 million

Liverpool’s Brazilian magician Phillipe Coutinho has long been linked with a move to Barcelona and it is easy to see why they are interested in securing his services. Coutinho’s dribbling skills, vision and passing have made him a firm fan favourite at Anfield.

The little Brazilian has been absolutely brilliant for Liverpool since 2014 and he has set up many goals and scored some stunning long-range goals. His form led to Ronaldinho calling on his old club to sign up Coutinho.

He opined, “After all those years at the club Xavi has left and Iniesta is now in his 30s – they will need to address that. That is why I think Barcelona and Coutinho would be the perfect fit.”

Coutinho signed a long-term deal with Liverpool last season and the Catalan club would need to part with a lot of money if they want to convince the Premier League club to allow one of the most valuable young players in the world to follow the move made by Uruguayan striker Suarez and defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano.

Still only 24, Coutinho is expected to kick on and become one of the best attacking midfielders of this generation.

Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) – Striker: £115 million

The France and Atletico Madrid forward has had a bittersweet year. Undoubtedly Atletico’s star man, Griezmann narrowly missed out on the La Liga, Champions League and the Euros.

Although he missed out narrowly on all the major trophies, Griezmann captured the imagination of football fans all over the world with his wonderful performances for both Atletico Madrid and France.

Winner of the Golden Boot award in the Euros, Griezmann has been compared with some of France’s best players such as Thierry Henry and Michel Platini. Griezmann’s stats in the 2015/16 season for Atletico Madrid were absolutely stunning.

Griezmann was Atletico’s talisman in the La Liga scoring 22 goals and getting 5 assists. He also had the best defensive contribution among Ronaldo, Messi and Suarez having made an astonishing 42 successful tackles 24 more than his closest rival Luis Suarez.

Still only 25, France’s Antoine Griezmann makes the valuable XI ahead of accomplished strikers like Luis Suarez and Robert Lewandowski.

Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – Right Winger: £161 million

The only footballer ever to win the Ballon d’Or five times, Lionel Messi is an absolute phenomenon. The diminutive Argentine has been Barcelona’s main man since 2008 and has put in some spell bounding performances in La Liga and the Champions League.

His pace and technical ability enable him to undertake individual dribbling runs towards goal, often leading to spectacular solo goals. Tactically, Messi plays in a free attacking role; a versatile player, he is capable of attacking on either wing or through the centre of the pitch.

Messi has started off the 2016/17 season with a bang and while the Argentine maestro is undoubtedly one of the best (if not the best) player of our generation, his value of £161 million as calculated by the CIES observatory and France Football sees him as the second most valuable football player in the world.

Neymar (Barcelona) – Left Winger: £213 million

Considered as a future Ballon d’Or winner and a long-term heir to Lionel Messi, Neymar is the most valuable footballer in the world. The Brazilian superstar has been one of the best players in La Liga and across the world ever since he made the move to Barcelona, playing a key role in Barcelona’s stunning treble season in 2014/15 season and their double in 2015/16 season scoring crucial goals and forming a devastating partnership with Suarez and Messi.

Neymar's dribbling skills, tricks and playmaking ability are reminiscent of compatriot Ronaldinho. His common traits are his creativity, passing, finishing, dribbling, feints and technique, being described as both "electric" and "explosive".Although naturally right-footed, he is capable of scoring with both feet, as well as with his head, and is an accurate free-kick and penalty taker.

All these attributes coupled with the fact that he is only 24-years-old still make him the most valuable footballer in the world with a whopping market value of £213 million.

While the 11 is now over, many fans might be surprised by the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo missed out on the team. However, Ronaldo was ranked as the fourth most valuable player in the world and it is only because of the fact that Neymar, Messi and Griezmann are top 3, does the Portuguese superstar miss out.

In the next slide, we take a look at the 10 most valuable footballers in the world along with their market values.

List of top 10 valuable footballers

While Real Madrid and Ronaldo fans might be fuming at the fact that the Portuguese superstar misses out on the XI, he is still among the most valuable players in the world and is ranked at number 4.

The Real Madrid forward might be the best player in the world at the moment, but the fact that he is 31 sees his market value drop slightly. His team-mate Gareth Bale is also slightly unlucky to miss out on the team as he is 7^th on the list, but his market value is considerably lower than that of Lionel Messi.

Other notable names who are in the top 10, but not in the valuable XI are Luis Suarez, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Thomas Muller. While there is no denying the fact that Luis Suarez is probably the best number 9 in the world at the moment, Antoine Griezmann’s age once again gives him an edge over the experienced Uruguayan in terms of market value.

Here is the list of the 10 most valuable players in world football at the moment:

Rank	Player	Club	Value (in million £)
1	Neymar Jr.	Barcelona	213
2	Lionel Messi	Barcelona	161
3	Antoine Griezmann	Atletico Madrid	115
4	Cristiano Ronaldo	Real Madrid	110
5	Paul Pogba	Manchester United	106
6	Gareth Bale	Real Madrid	93
7	Luis Suarez	Barcelona	80
8	Sergio Aguero	Manchester City	74
9	Gonzalo Higuain	Juventus	72
10	Thomas Muller	Bayern Munich	69