Premier League: Most Valuable XI, 2018/19 Season

Ah, the Premier League. The self-proclaimed "best league in the world". While that tag is certainly up for debate, there is no doubt that it is one of the most entertaining leagues in the world.

The primary reason for such high-quality entertainment is the league's financial success. The model of the equal distribution of broadcast and central income has allowed every club in the league to invest in players - be it heavily or wisely.

It is what allows a bottom-feeder to compete with a champion - at least for 90 minutes if not an entire season. As the level of competitiveness in the transfer market was raised, so too were player transfer fees.

The inflation of the transfer market can be attributed to the Premier League's spending power. Sure, there are outliers such as PSG who can afford to splurge, but it is the English clubs that have a distinct advantage in the market. And the league's reach and excitement are what attracts top professionals from around the world.

But a player's transfer fee is not always the same as his market valuation. Other factors such as contract length and the buying/selling club decide that.

With that in mind, what is the most valuable XI in the Premier League this season?

Note: Players picked according to a 4-3-3 formation. All market values taken from TransferMarkt.

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Goalkeeper: David De Gea (Manchester United)

David De Gea - Manchester United's wall at the back

Signed for: £18.9m in 2011

Current Market Value: £63m

“I think when a goalkeeper is a player of the season, it's because something is wrong." - Jose Mourinho

The Manchester United manager is not wrong but he isn't taking a potshot at De Gea either. It is a fair reflection of the current squad. The Spanish shot-stopper has won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award four times - including the last three years - since he joined the club.

For a traditionally attacking side such as the Red Devils, which has seen the most number of Golden Boot winners in the Premier League era, it is a matter of concern.

But take nothing away from De Gea who has slowly cemented his place at the very top. When he arrived in England, he was a youngster that was easily overpowered physically in the box.

Now, he is a commanding presence between the sticks and his reflex saves have become the stuff of legend.

Right-Back: Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Kyle Walker won the Premier League in his debut season with City

Signed for: £53m (including add-ons) in 2017

Current Market Value: £45m

After spending eight seasons at Tottenham Hotspur and winning nothing, Walker had had enough. When Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola announced his intention to sign the English international, he jumped ship.

City had struggled in Guardiola's first season and the major weakness in their squad was the full-back position. The Catalan manager released three full-backs in one summer and Walker was one of the replacements.

Of course, leaving Tottenham is no easy task when you are a valuable asset. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is an incredibly hard man to negotiate with and City had to eventually pay top money that made Walker the most expensive defender in the world at the time.

Walker turned out to be a good fit for Guardiola's side. He could play as a right-back in a back-four or a right-centre-back in a back-three. And in his first season, he won the Premier League and the League Cup before helping England to the World Cup semi-finals this summer.

Left-Back: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)

Marcos Alonso is a goalscoring defender

Signed for: £24m in 2016

Current Market Value: £36m

Not many will remember that this Chelsea is actually Alonso's third club in the Premier League. A product of the Real Madrid youth academy, Alonso played for Bolton Wanderers and also had a loan spell at Sunderland when he was contracted to Fiorentina.

But when the Blues came calling with a £24m bid, he decided to return to England. Since then, he became an integral part of Antonio Conte's system as a wing-back and became the best in his position in the league.

Six goals in his first season in the league, followed by seven last season, there was no better goalscoring defender. Now, under Maurizio Sarri, he has moved to left-back but continues to score and create opportunities.

Although there are deficiencies in his defending, he is still the most valuable left-back in the Premier League at the moment.

Centre-Back: John Stones (Manchester City)

John Stones has learned quickly under Guardiola to become England's first-choice defender

Signed for: £47.5m in 2016

Current Market Value: £49.5m

A transfer saga that took ages to come to fruition, John Stones sealed his dream move to Manchester City from Everton when Pep Guardiola was appointed City boss.

A target for Jose Mourinho during his time at Chelsea, Everton had fought tooth and nail to keep him in 2015 but relented in 2016. A sell-on clause meant that even Barnsley received about £8m.

Stones has been on a steep learning curve since his transfer. Aged only 24, he has made his fair share of mistakes but he has put in sublime performances too.

When rumours circulated that he could leave City over the summer, Guardiola put an end to them all.

"I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us!" - Pep Guardiola

Centre-Back: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Virgil van Dijk - the most expensive defender in the world

Signed for: £75m in 2018

Current Market Value: £45m

Signed as soon as the winter transfer window was open in January 2018, Liverpool paid a world-record fee of £75m to secure Virgil van Dijk from Southampton.

The Dutch defender was also a target for City who walked away when they were told about his price tag but Liverpool had no qualms about paying such a big fee for him after having made a £134m profit on the transfer of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.

"I can’t do anything about the price – nobody can. It’s only the market." - Virgol van Dijk

He is right. Southampton took advantage of the sudden increase in cash in Liverpool's pocket and played hardball. He had been angling for a move away from the Saints since the summer and it took five months of waiting to finally materialise.

Van Dijk has since become the bedrock of Liverpool's defence and is a key reason behind their unbelievable defensive record at home.

Defensive Midfielder: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)

N'Golo Kante won consecutive league titles with Leicester City and Chelsea

Signed for: £30m in 2016

Current Market Value: £72m

It's not often that a player in the defensive half wins Player of the Year in the Premier League. but N'Golo Kante did. The last player to do so was John Terry in 2004/05. Since then it has always gone to a forward or goalscoring midfielder until Kante won it in 2016/17.

The French midfielder is very shy off the pitch (he needed a teammate to request players to hand him the World Cup trophy, for crying out loud) but, on the pitch, he is the exact opposite.

After helping Leicester City win the league in what was supposed to be an outdated 4-4-2 formation where midfielders were always outnumbered, Kante did it again with Chelsea in a different system.

If a club were to try and sign him, especially with Chelsea ready to offer him £290,000 a week in a new deal, expect a price tag of over £90m.

Central Midfielder: Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

Paul Pogba - Manchester United's next captain?

Signed for: £89.5m in 2016

Current Market Value: £81m

Before PSG changed the transfer market for good, Paul Pogba was the most expensive player after Manchester United paid Juventus £89.5m to bring him back to Old Trafford.

The French midfielder was given a contract worth an eye-watering £290,000 per week and had a good first season, helping United achieve their first goal - returning to the Champions League.

But reported friction between the World Cup winner and manager Jose Mourinho has seen some inconsistent displays from the midfielder in recent months. A trophyless 2017/18 campaign only made the criticism worse.

This season, with club captain Antonio Valencia injured, many have questioned whether Pogba is mature enough to be given the armband. He led United out of a pickle a few times last season, but questions remain whether he will be the first to leave or Mourinho.

Attacking Midfielder: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

Kevin De Bruyne nearly won Player of the Year in 2017/18

Signed for: £55m in 2015

Current Market Value: £135m

If Jose Mourinho had not benched Kevin De Bruyne at Chelsea for games on end, Manchester City may never have won the Premier League title with a record 100 points last season.

Such was De Bruyne's determination to prove him wrong that he first left Stamford Bridge for the Bundesliga where he won Player of the Year before returning to England to sign for City in a then-club record £55m.

Under Pep Guardiola, the Belgian found another gear and he absorbed everything his manager asked him to do to build a successful midfield partnership with David Silva despite both players being technical no.10s.

Under Guardiola, he has 14 goals and 34 assists in the league. If not for a certain Egyptian's record-breaking form at Anfield, De Bruyne was a shoo-in for Player of the Year last year.

Left Winger: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Eden Hazard is Chelsea's best player in the squad

Signed for: £35.3m in 2012

Current Market Value: £108m

When Eden Hazard signed for Chelsea, they had just won the Champions League. With a number of clubs chasing his signature, Hazard took his time to make a decision and eventually settled on the European champions.

It hasn't been plain sailing since, though. Although he has experienced the highs of winning the Premier League twice, he has also suffered the lows of finishing 10th as defending champions and missing out on qualifying for the Champions League.

However, the Belgian forward remains Chelsea's biggest star and has forever been linked with a move to Real Madrid. The winner of the Player of the Year and even Young Player of the Year awards, he is closing in on 100 goals for the Blues and he could even cross the landmark this season.

Right Winger: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Mohamed Salah was a revelation in the Premier League last season

Signed for: £34m in 2017

Current Market Value: £135m

Yet another player who did not fit into Mourinho's plans at Chelsea was Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian was rarely given a start and the Portuguese manager had no use for him in a squad filled with talent.

Salah moved to the Italian Serie A where he slowly made a name for himself at AS Roma and that is when Liverpool decided to bring him back to England. Critics predicted that he wouldn't succeed but he shut them up for good by the end of the season.

Salah had the best season of his career, winning the Premier League Golden Boot with a record-breaking 32 goals in a season. He scored 44 goals in all as he led the Reds to the Champions League final.

A lot more is expected of the Egyptian this season and a league title will be their goal after the club invested heavily in the transfer market.

Striker: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)

Harry Kane is Tottenham's biggest asset

Signed for: N/A (Academy product)

Current Market Value: £135m

They called him a 'One Season Wonder' when he scored 21 league goals in 2014/15. He has scored 25, 29, and 30 goals in every campaign since.

The four-time one season wonder scored 41 goals in 2017/18 in all competitions - his best return ever. And he now poses a veritable threat to Alan Shearer's seemingly unbreakable record of 260 Premier League goals. The 25-year-old is currently on 109.

Spurs did not spend a penny on incoming transfers this summer - the only club to not sign a player in 2018. But their biggest achievement was retaining Kane who recently signed a six-year contract with many clubs circling.

The two-time Golden Boot winner will be looking to get back his crown from Salah this season. And he has already made a good start after finally scoring a goal in August (a period when he has struggled to find the back of the net in previous campaigns).

All stats as of 20 August 2018.