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World football's most expensive team by position

Benjamin Mendy is the latest big-money arrival at Manchester City and the France defender has also become the world's most expensive left-back after completing his move from Monaco.

Pep Guardiola has spent £49.2m on Mendy and he comfortably ousts Manchester United's Luke Shaw to take his place in our team of football's costliest players by position.

Combined, the side cost £690.45m to assemble - with the inclusion of seven substitutes listed in the positions they typically might be for a match taking the amount to over £1bn.

Using Sky Sports data, here's a look at who makes it into the team based on how much they were sold for in their biggest transfers.

Goalkeeper - Ederson (Benfica to Man City, £34.7m)

Ederson was Pep Guardiola's second signing of the summer for Manchester City
Image: Ederson was Pep Guardiola's second signing of the summer for Manchester City

Ederson became the world's most expensive goalkeeper just last month when he signed a five-year deal with Manchester City in a move from Benfica. He is now expected to be the club's first choice in the position ahead of Claudio Bravo, signed for £17.1m from Barcelona last summer.

Right-back - Kyle Walker (Tottenham to Man City, £50m)

City have moved for Walker after a failed attempt to bring in Dani Alves from Juventus
Image: City have moved for Walker after a failed attempt to bring in Dani Alves from Juventus

The total cost of the deal which has taken Walker to the Etihad almost doubles the previous record for a right-back, the £27.1m Real Madrid paid Benfica for Fabio Coentrao in 2011. The Portugal international moved to Benfica's fierce rivals Sporting Lisbon on loan this month.

Centre-back - David Luiz (Chelsea to PSG, £50m)

David Luiz is back at Chelsea following his world-record departure from Stamford Bridge in 2014
Image: David Luiz is back at Chelsea following his world-record departure from Stamford Bridge in 2014

Luiz's move to PSG in 2014 represents terrific business for Chelsea, especially as they were able to buy the Brazil international back for £20m less just two years later. He played a key role in their Premier League title win last season, the club's fifth in 12 years.

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Centre-back - John Stones (Everton to Man City, £50m)

John Stones was a key part of Guardiola's team rebuild when he arrived at Manchester City
Image: John Stones was a key part of Guardiola's team rebuild when he arrived at Manchester City

The total package which took Stones to City amounts to £50m, with Everton receiving an initial £47.5m when the defender signed a six-year deal with Pep Guardiola's team last summer. He made 23 Premier League starts in his first campaign at the club, with four more outings off the bench.

Left-back - Benjamin Mendy (Monaco to Man City, £49.2m)

The 23-year-old swapped the south of France for the Etihad in July 2017, with the powerful defender costing Guardiola just under £50m. And that means four of this back five have all been signed by the Catalan since he took over at City.

Benjamin Mendy joined Man City on a five-year deal
Image: Benjamin Mendy joined Man City on a five-year deal

Right wing - Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid to Man Utd, £59.7m)

Angel Di Maria celebrates scoring at Leicester but he could not justify his price tag during his time at United
Image: Angel Di Maria celebrates scoring at Leicester but he could not justify his price tag during his time at United

Di Maria features twice near the top of the list of highest football transfer fees given he also cost PSG £44.3m when he left United but it's the £59.7m which took him to Old Trafford for his sole season in Manchester which secures him a place on the right wing of the world's costliest team.

Central midfield - Paul Pogba (Juventus to Man Utd, £93.25m)

Paul Pogba cost a world-record fee after previously being allowed to leave Manchester United for free to continue his career at Juventus
Image: Paul Pogba cost a world-record fee after previously being allowed to leave Manchester United for free to continue his career at Juventus

The current world record holder for the highest ever transfer fee, Pogba moved back to United from Juventus for a total cost of £93.25m last year. Will his mark be surpassed this summer? It has not come close to happening yet - but there's little sign of summer spending tailing off either.

Central midfield - James Rodriguez (Monaco to Real Madrid, £63m)

James Rodriguez will spend the next two seasons in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich
Image: James Rodriguez will spend the next two seasons in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich

Rodriguez signed for Real from Monaco off the back of an impressive series of displays for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but has struggled to justify his £63m fee as he has failed to hold down a regular place. He is now starting a two-year loan in Germany with Bayern Munich.

Left wing - Gareth Bale (Tottenham to Real Madrid, £85.3m)

Gareth Bale's impressive form for Tottenham won him a huge transfer to Real Madrid four years ago
Image: Gareth Bale's impressive form for Tottenham won him a huge transfer to Real Madrid four years ago

Bale's £85.3m transfer fee stands as the highest amount received by a British club following his switch from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013. He has been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu and at 27, the Welsh international would cost big money to acquire were he to move on again.

Forward - Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli to Juventus, £75.3m)

Gonzalo Higuain's goals at home and abroad have shown why Juventus paid £75.3m for him last year
Image: Gonzalo Higuain's goals at home and abroad have shown why Juventus paid £75.3m for him last year

Perhaps due to the rounding up of the differing Euro rate against the pound as much as anything, Higuain's move from Napoli to Juventus keeps Romelu Lukaku out of the starting line-up by a mere £300,000. He scored 24 goals in Serie A for the Champions League finalists last season.

Forward - Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd to Real Madrid, £80m)

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of Real Madrid's greatest ever players but could he move on this summer?
Image: Cristiano Ronaldo is one of Real Madrid's greatest ever players but could he move on this summer?

Still the world's most expensive striker after his transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid eight years ago, Ronaldo is unhappy at being accused of tax fraud in Spain and could move on. He'll cost much more than £80m though, with claims of a £1bn release clause in his contract.

Substitutes

Goalkeeper - Gianluigi Buffon (Parma to Juventus - £32.6m)
Defender - Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia to Arsenal - £35m)
Midfielder - Kaka (AC Milan to Real Madrid - £59m)
Midfielder - Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg to Man City - £54.5m)
Midfielder - Zinedine Zidane (Juventus to Real Madrid - £47.2m)
Forward - Romelu Lukaku (Everton to Man Utd - £75m)
Forward - Luis Suarez (Liverpool to Barcelona - £65m)

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