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€550m total value
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The Champions League returned this week but some notable players won’t be participating in the competition this season. The Champions League is comfortably the most prestigious club competition in the world and it’s viewed as the pinnacle for elite footballers. The majority of the biggest clubs in the world will be aiming to lift the famous trophy in Budapest in May.
Nine of the top ten most valuable clubs in the world will participate in the Champions League this season with Manchester United the only exception. Ruben Amorim’s squad is valued at €723 million but they missed out on European football altogether this season after a humiliating 15th place finish in the Premier League. Using Transfermarkt’s market values, we’ve compiled the most valuable XI of players missing out on Champions League football this season.
The most valuable XI missing out on Champions League football
Unsurprisingly given the overall value of their squad, five Manchester United players feature in the combined XI with a total value of €550 million. Benjamin Sesko has the highest market value of any player missing out on Champions League football this season at €70m and he’s the only player in the top 50 most valuable in the world not to be participating - Sesko ranks 49th. As the graphic below illustrates, Matheus Cunha, Kobbie Mainoo, Diogo Dalot and Leny Yoro are the other Man Untied players to feature.
Nine of the players are contracted to Premier League clubs, which again is no great surprise given the Premier League is comfortably the most valuable in the world. Aston Villa duo Amadou Onana and Morgan Rogers feature with Fulham’s Antonee Robinson at left-back and Nottingham Forest’s Murillo at centre-back. Samu Aghehowa and Diogo Costa are the only two players outside of the Premier League and the duo will represent Porto in the Europa League.
