Study: The Premier League’s most valuable starting XI with inflation

BettingOdds.com have conducted a study into how Premier League squads and players, past and present, would be valued today when adding inflation to the equation.

The purpose of the study was to see how the current stars of the Premier League differ in value from great players of the past such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard and Thierry Henry, or to ultimately find out whether current Premier League footballers are now more valuable than ever.

We gathered the values of players and squads from Transfermarkt.com and calculated the inflation via the Bank of England’s inflation calculator.

The study focuses on all players and squads from the 2004/05 season onwards as squad values weren’t available for before this date.

The results are broken down into the following categories:

• Most valuable Premier League winning squads (with inflation)
• Most valuable PFA Players’ Player of the Year Award winners (with inflation)
• Most valuable FWA Footballer of the Year winners (with inflation)
• Most valuable players per season (with inflation)
• Premier League’s most valuable starting XI (with inflation)

Most valuable Premier League winning squads with inflation (from 2004/05 onwards)

Manchester City  (2018-19) - £973.5m
Liverpool (2019-20) - £973.4m
Chelsea (2016-17) - £596.2m
Manchester City (2017-18) - £588m
Chelsea (2009-10) - £539.7m
Chelsea (2014-15) - £534.1m
Manchester City (2011-12) - £510.4m
Manchester City (2013-14) - £497.9m
Chelsea (2005-06) - £491.6m
Manchester United (2012-13) - £476.1m
Chelsea (2004-05) - £461.5m
Manchester United (2010-11) - £446.7m
Manchester United (2008-09) - £430.7m
Manchester United (2007-08) - £411.3m
Manchester United (2006-07) - £299.2m
Leicester City (2015-16) - £91.7m

Most valuable PFA Players’ Player of the Year Award winners (with inflation)

Mohamed Salah (2017-18) - £143.1m
Mohamed Salah Joint with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang & Sadio Mané (2018-19) - £138.5m
Sadio Mané Joint with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang & Mohamed Salah (2018-19) - £110.8m
Cristiano Ronaldo (2007-08) - £69.2m
Thierry Henry (2004-05) - £67.7m
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Joint with Sadio Mané & Mohamed Salah (2018-19) - £64.6m 
Sergio Aguero (2014-15) - £60.3m
Harry Kane (2016-17) - £59.3m
Thierry Henry (2005-06) - £59m
Luis Suarez (2013-14) - £54.1m
Robin Van Persie (2011-12) - £52.5m
Didier Drogba (2006-07) - £50.5m
Robin Van Persie (2012-13) - £48.2m
Didier Drogba (2009-10) - £46.2m
Carlos Tevez Joint with Dimitar Berbatov (2010-11) - £44.2m
Harry Kane (2015-16) - £40.2m
Nicolas Anelka (2008-09) - £33.3m
Dimitar Berbatov Joint with Carlos Tevez (2010-11) - £32.6m
Jamie Vardy (2019-20) - £14.4m 

Most valuable FWA Footballer of the Year winners (with inflation)

Mohamed Salah (2017–18) -    £143.1m
Kevin De Bruyne (2019–20) -    £108m
Virgil Van Dijk (2018–19) - £83.1m    
Cristiano Ronaldo (2007–08) - £69.2m
Wayne Rooney (2009–10) - £64.4m
Eden Hazard (2014–15) - £60.9m
Luis Suarez (2013–14) - £54.1m    
Robin Van Perise (2011–12) - £52.5m
N’Golo Kante (2016–17) - £49.4m    
Steven Gerrard (2005–06) - £46m    
Gareth Bale (2012–13) - £45m    
Cristiano Ronaldo (2006–07) - £33.9m    
John Terry (2004–05) - £33.4m     
Gareth Bale (2010–11) - £29.1m    
Riyad Mahrez (2015–16) - £20.1m    
Ryan Giggs (2008–09) - £9.1m    

Most valuable Football Writers Award winners (with inflation)

Mohamed Salah (2017–18) -    £143.1m
Raheem Sterling (2018–19) -    £129.3m
Cristiano Ronaldo (2007–08) - £69.2m
Thierry Henry (2005–06) - £67.7m
Wayne Rooney (2009–10) - £64.4m
Eden Hazard (2014–15) - £60.9m
Steven Gerrard (2008–09) - £60.5m    
Luis Suarez (2013–14) - £54.1m    
Robin Van Persie (2011–12) -     £52.5m
N’Golo Kante (2016–17) - £49.4m    
Gareth Bale (2012–13) - £45m    
Frank Lampard (2004–05) - £44.6m
Cristiano Ronaldo (2006–07) - £33.9m    
Jordan Henderson (2019–20) - £28m
Jamie Vardy (2015–16) - £18.1m    
Scott Parker (2010–11) - £15.1m

Most valuable players per season (with inflation)

2004/05

Thierry Henry - £62.6m
Ruud Van Nistelrooy - £55.7m
Patrick Vieira - £48.7m

2005/06 

Thierry Henry - £67.7m
Frank Lampard - £52.1m
Wayne Rooney - £48.7m

2006/07

Thierry Henry - £59m
Frank Lampard - £52.2m
Didier Drogba - £50.5m

2007/08

Cristiano Ronaldo - £69.2m
Steven Gerrard - £56.6m
Didier Drogba - £50.3m

2008/09

Cristiano Ronaldo - £72.6m
Steven Gerrard - £60.5m
Frank Lampard - £54.4m

2009/10

Cesc Fabregas - £66.9m
Wayne Rooney - £64.4m
Steven Gerrard - £60.8m

2010/11

Cesc Fabregas - £64m
Wayne Rooney - £60.5m
Fernando Torres - £53.5m

2011/12

Wayne Rooney - £71.8m
Sergio Aguero - £56.4m
David Silva - £55.3m

2012/13

Wayne Rooney - £69.6m
Sergio Aguero - £48.2m
Robin Van Persie - £48.2m

2013/14

Luis Suarez - £54.1m
Mesut Ozil - £52m
Eden Hazard - £46.8m

2014/15

Angel Di Maria - £66m
Eden Hazard - £60.9m
Cesc Fabregas - £50.8m

2015/16

Eden Hazard - £65.3m
Sergio Aguero - £60.3m
Kevin De Bruyne - £60.3m

2016/17

Paul Pogba - £74.1m
Sergio Aguero - £64.2m
Kevin De Bruyne - £64.2m

2017/18

Harry Kane - £143.1m
Mohamed Salah - £143.1m
Eden Hazard - £104.9m

2018/19

Harry Kane - £138.5m
Mohamed Salah - £138.5m
Eden Hazard - £138.5m

2019/20

Raheem Sterling - £115.2m
Kevin De Bruyne - £108m
Mohamed Salah - £108m