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Who’d make your team?
The Premier League transfer activity is already heating up so expect to hear plenty of lies, mistruths and agents’ claims in between the occasional signing over the next three months.
Things have kicked off and some of the English clubs are already trying to spend silly money on players. And Ed Woodward still hasn’t stepped into the breach with his chequebook and a limited grasp of mathematics.
Multilotto.ie lets you enter the PowerBall lottery in the US, which has a rollover jackpot of €388 million this Sunday. That got us thinking about what sort of a Premier League team you could assemble if you won the money and fancied pumping it into your very own first 11. We gave ourselves €400 million, as everyone likes a round number, and scraped in just below the target.
The transfer fees below were calculated using a complex formula that factored in market value, demand for similar players, figures quoted in the press and a healthy dose of guesstimation. It’s not exactly scientific but it can’t be any worse than paying £32million for Eliaquim Mangala the methods some clubs use to price players.
Needless to say, not everyone will agree with our team but we thought we’d get the ball rolling with the following selection.
GK: Jordan Pickford (Sunderland)
Cost: €25m
Pickford was one of the few Sunderland players to emerge from last season with any credit. The young shot-stopper made more saves per game (4.9) than any other Premier League keeper last season so he’d be a solid presence at the back.
LB: Faouzi Ghoulam (Napoli)
Cost: €25m
The Algerian is one of the best attacking full backs in Europe but he’s also defensively sound, providing plenty of balance down the left flank. Napoli would be keen to keep him but €25million should be enough to prise him away.
CB: Pepe (Real Madrid)
Cost: FREE but expect to pay a sign-on fee of up to €10m
Pepe may be available on a free transfer but he could still do a job. If you could stand having him in your team, he’d certainly offer a bit of class and experience within your budget.
CB: Matthius Ginter (Borussia Dortmund)
Cost: €20m
Buying potential like the German centre-half allows you to sidestep the £50million price tags that are being placed on top defenders these days. Ginter is a tactically flexible defender who’s comfortable on the ball and a promising prospect for the future.
RB: Djibril Sidibe (Monaco)
Cost: €30m
The 24-year-old has all the tools to develop into a top quality player and his price tag is only going to go up. Expect him to be plucked from Monaco and snapped up by one of the big guns soon.
DM: Ibressa Gueye (Everton)
Cost: €25m
This tenacious midfielder has added some serious bite to Everton’s midfield and he’s a sort of budget Kante to give your team a scurrying presence in the middle of the park.
CM: Renato Sanchez (Bayern Munich)
Cost: €30m
12 months ago, every big club was fighting over the 19-year-old’s signature but one bad season at Bayern Munich has seen him dismissed as a flop. Still, that promise is still there and dynamic centre mids are hard to find.
CM: Fabinho (Monaco)
Cost: €55m
The Brazilian has been a midfield general for the French side and attracted the attention of plenty of Europe’s top clubs. He offers power, mobility and a range of passing and he’d form a formidable shield for the defence alongside Gueye.
RW: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City)
Cost: €40m
After a disappointing season at Leicester, the Algerian wizard is unlikely to hang around. He gives you goals, trickery, a killer pass and proven Premier League experience.
LW: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
Cost: €40m
The Chilean is everything you want in a forward. He’s got hunger, tenacity, pace, a great finish and magic in his boots. He’d be the first name on the team sheet every week.
CF: Diego Costa
Cost: €50m
OK, so he’s a bit of a wingnut but he’s a proven goalscorer (52 PL goals in 89 games) who hates losing. Besides, every title-contending team needs a bastard in there somewhere. Costa would be your back up guy in case Pepe gets injured.
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