See whose enormous transfer fees have earned them a place in this Starting XI.
Usually rich football clubs will save the most money for the glamour striker that will score them lots of goals and sell plenty of shirts.
Yet which players would make it into the most expensive football team of all time, if it had to be a fully functioning side of eleven players?
Fanatix finds out which transfers have found their way onto the list:
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon – Parma to Juventus, 2001, £38million.
Italian ‘keeper Buffon is still far and away the most expensive shot-stopper of all time. When Juventus decided to buy the Italy No.1 from Parma in was the first time that the world of football had seen a “superstar” goalkeeper.
Right-back: Dani Alves – Sevilla to Barcelona, 2008, £28million.
Full-back Dani Alves is one of the few players in the all-conquering Barca side of recent times that is not Spanish. The Brazilian defender became the second most expensive defender in 2008 when he joined the Catalan giants.
Left-back: Fabio Coentrao – Benfica to Real Madrid, 2011, £26.4million.
During the second phase of Real Madrid’s “galatico” programme they brought in Portuguese versatile defender Coentrao. The 25-year-old has also filled in at left-wing and central midfield for Jose Mourinho’s side.
Central defence: Rio Ferdinand – Leeds Utd to Manchester Utd, 2002, £30million.
England star Ferdinand has the unusual record of being the world’s most expensive defender twice. In 2000 Leeds signed him from West Ham for £18million – a British transfer record at the time – but that fee was more than beaten when he went to Old Trafford two years later.
Thiago Silva – AC Milan to PSG, 2012, £33million.
Brazilian defender Thiago Silva became the most expensive defender in transfer history when he joined newly rich Paris Saint Germain in 2012. The 28-year-old joined a host of other high profile stars in the French capital, as his new side aim to become a real European force.
Central midfield: Cesc Fabregas – Arsenal to Barcelona, 2011, £35million.
Fabregas was acquired by Arsenal from Barcelona’s youth system when the midfielder was just 15. However, nine years after leaving Spain for North London Fabregas’ former club came knocking with an offer the Gunners could simply not refuse.
Javier Pastore – Palermo to PSG, 2011, £36.6million.
Argentinian midfielder Pastore came to PSG from Italy in the first wave of big money transfers to Paris. Now in his second season at the French club the 23-year-old has helped his side get to the last-eight of the Champion’s League, as well as to the top of Ligue 1.
Right-midfield: Kaka – AC Milan to Real Madrid, 2009, £56million.
Brazil midfielder Kaka was briefly the most expensive footballer ever before a certain Portuguese star moved to the Spanish capital. The former AC Milan man has struggled since coming to the Santiago Bernabeu but as Ballon D’Or winner in 2007 there is no doubting Kaka’s quality.
Left-midfield: Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester Utd to Real Madrid, 2009, £80million.
In 2009 Real Madrid stunned the football world by putting in a colossal £80million bid for Ronaldo. The fee accepted by Manchester United is more than many Premier League clubs are worth as a whole, but Ronaldo’s return of 196 goals in 198 games for Madrid is going some way to paying that price off.
Attacking-midfield: Zinedine Zidane – Juventus to Real Madrid, 2001, £47million.
Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Zidane arrived at Real Madrid as both a World Cup and European Championship winner. His awards cabinet is missing no medals as the Frenchman won all he could in his career – including scoring the winning goal in the 2002 Champion’s League Final.
Striker: Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Inter Milan to Barcelona, 2009, £59million.
The well traveled Swede has played for two more major European sides since his two seasons at Barcelona. As it turned out the fit between the Catalans and Ibrahimovic wasn’t right, but they rated him highly enough at the time to offer a deal – which included two-time Champion’s League winner Samuel Eto’o – worth £59million.
Combined cost: £469million.
See how they might line up as the world’s most expensive team below.
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