Euro 2016 most valuable squad: Germany top value ranking ahead of England while Portugal and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo is most valuable player
England’s squad for Euro 2016 is the fourth most-valuable in the competition, behind only hosts France, reigning champions Spain and World Cup winners Germany.
Roy Hodgson’s 23-man squad has a collective value of £357.8m at an average of £15.6m per player, according to independent database transfermarkt.
That makes the Three Lions more valuable than every Premier League club bar Chelsea and Manchester City, the division’s two most valuable clubs at £386.3m and £371.1m respectively.
Although he is far from guaranteed a starting spot in France following a disappointing first season at Manchester City, Raheem Sterling has the highest market value in the England squad at £33.8m.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane, who unlike Sterling is almost guaranteed to line up against Russia on Saturday, is the next most valuable player at £30m, followed by captain Wayne Rooney at £26.3m.
Read more: Five reasons why England can win Euro 2016
Highly-rated John Stones is England’s most valuable defender with a market price of £21m while Jordan Henderson tops the midfielders with the same assigned value.
At the other end of the scale, reserve goalkeeper Tom Heaton is England’s least valuable player. The 30-year-old Burnley stopper, who has been capped just once, is valued at £2.3m.
Eighteen-year-old striker Marcus Rashford is the only other player valued below £10m. Despite forcing his way into the England squad following an incredible breakthrough season, the Manchester United teen is valued at just £4.5m.
Yet despite the talent in their ranks, England cannot boast of the most valuable player in any position at Euro 2016, while Sterling is their only representative in the competition’s 20 most valuable players.
Read more: Five reasons why England cannot win the European Championship in France
German Gold: Die Mannschaft top value ranking
Unsurprisingly, it is reigning world champions Germany who have the competition’s most valuable squad at £430.5m — a more valuable collection of players than every club in world football except Barcelona and Real Madrid who are valued at £525.2m and £524.3m respectively.
On average, Jocahim Low’s players are worth £18.7m, with Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller their most precious talent on a £56.3m valuation.
Trophy holders Spain follow with a valuation of £418.1m at an average of £18.2m per player, ahead of hosts France on £365.2m at an average of £15.9m per player.
After England, Wales have the costliest squad from the home nations at £127.6m and an average of £55.5m — figures largely boosted by £60m Gareth Bale and £22.5m Aaron Ramsey. Put together, Chris Coleman’s side are worth more than Premier League champions Leicester City who are valued at £108.1m.
Bale is worth nearly as much as the next most valuable home nations squad, the Republic of Ireland, who are worth £67m put together and £2.9m on average.
At £27.8m, Northern Ireland have the second least-valuable squad in the tournament after Hungary who are worth just £20.5m collectively.
Cristiano still the King
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo will be the most valuable player present in France this month at a price of £82.5m.
The 31-year-old has often enjoyed his best performances for his country at European Championships, in contrast to some disappointing outings at the World Cup, and can live up to his lucrative billing by making Uefa’s team of the tournament for a third time.
Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale is the second most valuable player — and most valuable home nations player at £60m — putting him just ahead of Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller who are both placed at £56.3m.
Les Bleus’ Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba are the joint-seventh most valuable players alongside Belgium’s Eden Hazard, all of whom are valued at £52.5m. Manchester City’s Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne follows with a £45m valuation.
Spanish midfielders Koke and Sergio Busquets, Germany’s Toni Kroos and Mesut Ozil and Luka Modric, are all stuck together on a valuation of £37.5m.
Austria polymath David Alaba is the most valuable defender — although he often eludes such categorisation — at £33.8m, with his Bayern teammate Jerome Boateng tied with Spain’s Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos on £30m as Euro 2016’s most valuable centre-backs.
Bayern can also boast of the most valuable forward (both Ronaldo and Bale are classed as wingers by transfermarkt) and goalkeeper in the £56.3m Lewandowski and Muller and the £33.8m Manuel Neuer.
Midfield premium
On average, central midfielders at the Championships carry a higher valuation than other positions at £10.4m. All four of England’s players in that position — Henderson, Jack Wilshere, Dele Alli and James Milner — are valued higher than average with Milner bottom of the pile at £11.25m.
Forwards are only the fourth most valuable position at £7.6m, behind central midfielders, attacking midfielders (£9.8m) and wingers (£9.7m).
Players at the tournament aged between 22 and 25 years old are valued most highly with an average valuation of £8.4m, ahead of 26 to 29 year olds at £7.8m, 18 to 21 year olds at £5.9m, 30 to 33 year olds at £4.5m and veterans over 34 at £876,540.