No Arsenal players, Erling Haaland starts, but no Cristiano Ronaldo – Most valuable XIs for Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s proposed £175m North vs South Premier League all-star match
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has called for the Premier League to launch a North vs South all-star match.
But whilst the Blues chairman’s suggestion is far from being adopted yet, fans are already questioning who could form the two sides that would go head-to-head.
Boehly believes Premier League clubs should be inspired by American sports
Boehly – who also owns part of American baseball team LA Dodgers – revealed his plan that he believes would boost broadcasting revenue and raise £175million for the football pyramid.
The American’s ideas haven’t gone down particularly well amongst some of his rival managers, though, particularly with Liverpool‘s Jurgen Klopp.
“When he finds the date he can call me,” the German said sarcastically, citing the Premier League’s already crammed fixture list.
But should football latch on to Boehly’s new proposal, unfortunately for Klopp it’s likely a few of his players would be called up to play in the fixture.
England’s top flight boasts some of the best stars football has to offer, and it’d be a tough ask to narrow them down to one starting XIs for each side.
So, if the selection were to be made based on players’ value instead, who would make it into the North versus South line-ups?
Klopp would have some of his stars feature in the tie
North XI
It’s not surprising that Manchester City and Liverpool dominate the most lucrative starting line-up out of the northern clubs.
Last season’s Premier League champions and runners up have some of the sport’s most sought after players.
So, of course City’s marquee summer signing and new talisman Erling Haaland would be straight in the northern XI, with him being worth nearly £130m in the current market.
Having netted 10 goals already this campaign, Haaland’s value would speak for itself in Boehly’s fantasy clash, with fellow City stars Phil Foden, Rodri, Kevin de Bruyne, and Ruben Dias also in the team.
Haaland would be given the chance to boost his already outrageous goal record if the all-star match went ahead
Meanwhile, Fernandes would be the only non City or Liverpool player to feature
Klopp’s Liverpool favourites Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold would also make the team based off their market value, with the Egyptian winger being the fifth most expensive player in the world.
Whilst it would be a tough choice between Liverpool’s Alisson and City’s Ederson, the former is currently of higher value, so he would go in between the sticks.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes would be the only one representing a different northern club, sitting at a value of £73m.
4-3-3: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Dias, Cancelo, Fernandes, Rodri, De Bruyne, Salah, Foden, Haaland
The northern XI would be dominated by title rivals City and Liverpool
South XI
Meanwhile, putting the most valuable XI together down south would see a mash up of the best of London’s stars.
Premier League all-star match advocate Boehly’s Chelsea would field seven players based on their values, whilst the other spots would be taken by Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham’s best.
Nearly all of the Blues’ defence make the cut, including goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, with Tottenham’s Cristian Romero being the exception at centre-back.
Meanwhile, valued at £81m, Spurs talisman Harry Kane would lead the line, with his teammate Heung-Min Son and new Chelsea star and Kane’s fellow England international Raheem Sterling on the other side.
West Ham captain Rice could lead the south in the all-star clash
West Ham would also be represented in the North versus South tie, with skipper Declan Rice taking on his normal role as a defensive midfielder.
Basing selection on value, no Arsenal stars would represent the south in the clash.
4-3-3: Mendy, James, Chilwell, Fofana, Romero, Mount, Rice, Havertz, Sterling, Son, Kane
Some of Boehly’s stars would make it into the southern XI
