Most valuable South American XI
South American football has not always been synonymous with Brazil. The likes of Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay, to name a few, have produced a plethora of skilful players who are now plying their trade all over the world.
Renowned mostly for their flair, South American players are often versatile enough to play across a bevy of positions across the field. On that note, let's take a look at the most valuable South American XI.
A 4-2-3-1 formation has been considered for the hypothetical XI.
Goalkeeper - Alisson Becker (€80 million)
Alisson Becker is one of the most valuable goalkeepers in the game. The 28-year-old Brazilian has played a key role in helping Liverpool win the Champions League and Premier League titles in successive seasons.
However, this season, Alisson has been a pale shadow of his illustrious self. With Liverpool enduring a wretched Premier League title defence owing to the absence of several key first-team players, Alisson has not helped his team's cause by appearing uncharacteristically fallible in recent games.
The former AS Roma shot-stopper was particularly sloppy against league leaders Manchester City, a defeat that all but ended Liverpool's title hopes.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admitted that the player's mistakes cost his team the game but backed his custodian to come good in the future, saying:
“He’s obviously very disappointed. He was like ‘not today, not today’. I said to him ‘that’s the problem with mistakes, you cannot decide when you make them, the only thing you can do is learn from them’. That’s what he will do and he will make sure it never happens to him again. Tonight it was decisive, but that’s OK. He saved our lives I don’t know how often, and he’s absolutely a world-class goalie."
Centre-back - Marquinhos (€70 million)
Marquinhos has been a fixture at PSG since joining the French giants in the summer of 2013.
Still only 26, the Brazilian centre-back has made over 300 appearances for the French club, winning a staggering 24 trophies.
Last season, he scored three Champions League goals and almost won a continental quadruple with PSG. However, a loss to Bayern Munich in the final meant the French champions had to be content with a domestic treble instead.
A key figure in the heart of the PSG defence, Marquinhos has been uncharacteristically fallible this season. Nevertheless, PSG are keen to extend his contract till 2024.
Centre-back - Jose Maria Gimenez (€65 million)
Jose Maria Gimenez has been a key player for Atletico Madrid since arriving at the club in the 2013-14 season.
The Uruguayan centre-back has made over 200 appearances for the Rojiblancos, winning four titles in as many competitions.
This season, the 26-year-old has made only 17 appearances across competitions, with a muscle injury ruling him out of the La Liga leaders' Champions League Round of 16 first-leg clash with Chelsea.
Right-back - Emerson Royal (€20 million)
Emerson Royal has been a fixture at Real Betis since arriving at the La Liga club in the summer of 2018.
The 22-year-old Brazilian has scored five goals and provided eight assists in 65 appearances for Betis in all competitions. He was one of the best full-backs in the La Liga last season despite his team finishing in the bottom half of the league table.
Left-back - Renan Lodi (€20 million)
Renan Lodi has been a key player for La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid since arriving from Brazilian Serie A club Athletico Paranaense in the summer of 2019.
The 22-year-old has scored once and provided five assists in over 60 appearances for the Rojiblancos in all competitions. The left-back's attacking prowess has also seen him become a regular for Brazil.