Manchester City lead the way with their starting line-ups costing over €600m on average this season. In a study done by the CIES Football Observatory, it found that Man City’s most expensive line-up of the season cost €726m.
The study includes every team from Europe’s top-five leagues. Premier League sides make up five of the top six for average value of their starting XIs, with only Paris Saint-Germain able to break past the dominance from the English clubs.
Leeds sit ahead of a number of Europe’s big clubs with an average starting line-up worth €189m this campaign. Just behind them is Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund while three Premier League clubs sit directly above them.
The study also found that the average cost of a Premier League starting line-up was €233m, with Serie A the next priciest at €83m while the cheapest league to assemble a team in is Ligue 1 at €65m, which is reduced to just €41m when PSG are not taken into account.
Below is the top 22 most expensive starting line-ups, on average, from across Europe’s top-five leagues this season. The likes of Inter Milan (€147m) and AC Milan (€143m) sit outside the top 22 while there are just seven clubs from the Premier League who miss out.
1. Man City
The reigning Premier League champions have an average starting line-up worth €605m in transfer fees so far this season. Photo: Shaun Botterill
2. Paris Saint-Germain
The French champions have an average starting XI which costs €510m. Photo: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT
3. Manchester United
After spending over £200m in the summer, the average cost of Man United's starting XI this season has been €480m. Photo: Michael Regan
4. Liverpool
The Reds have the fourth-most expensive starting line-up this season, with an average cost of €409m. Photo: Andrew Powell