The Most Expensive World Footballer XI Of All Time

Like everything in life, football has changed a lot over the course of its history, and the biggest cause of this is the money pumped into the game. Smaller market leagues like the Chinese Super League and the MLS have been able to lure big name players with ridiculous contracts, wages in general have gone through the roof, and teams are looking to win leagues and titles with the most expensive players in the world rather than working with that they have.

One of the greatest examples of this is Manchester City. In the 2007/08 season, City finished 9th and lost 8-1 to Middlesbrough on the final day of the season. Fast forward ten years and they are one of the biggest and best clubs in world football, and are perennial favourites for every single competition they enter. This is all because of the investment they received from owner Sheikh Mansour.

Obviously, City aren't the only team to invest heavily in their team. Other giants of the game are the same, as Barcelona and Manchester United have recently proved by splashing mega money on Antoine Griezmann and Harry Maguire respectively. But does spending a lot of money on players automatically give you a great team? Would a first 11 made up of the most expensive players at their respective positions be able to challenge for the top trophies?

When long time Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtious left Stamford Bridge for pastures new in the summer of 2018, the Blues had some big gloves to fill. Then manager, Maurizio Sarri, looked to La Liga for his new goalkeeper, signing Athletic Bilbao's Kepa Arrizabalga for £71.6 million.

With this fee £4.8 million more than the £66.8 million Liverpool paid for Alisson Becker just 20 days earlier, Chelsea's new no. 1 became the most expensive goalkeeper in the history of the game. The biggest question following this transfer then was, would he play like it?

While he has had a solid first season in the Chelsea colours, his most famous moment came, not because of quality goalkeeping or a game winning save, but from a very public disagreement with the manager. In extra time of the 2019 Carabao Cup final, Kepa refused to be substituted after struggling with cramp, openly defying his manager in front of 90, 000 fans in Wembley, and millions watching at home.

Chelsea ultimately lost the final on penalties, but who knows what would have happened if Kepa had been replaced by Caballero for the shoot out, with the former having saved three penalties in the 2016 final against Liverpool.