The 22 players set to feature in El Clasico cost close to one billion euros
While the Premier League may have usurped LaLiga Santander in terms of overall viewers, the Spanish league has arguably the greatest rivalry in world football in El Clasico.
When Real Madrid and Barcelona square off against each other, fans from all over the world flock to the action either in person or at homes on their television. The game features two of the greatest teams not just in Spain but across the world and possesses a magnetic attraction that other rivalries fail to recreate.
The two clubs also seem to attract the best players in the world. Despite Barcelona‘s well publicized financial issues, the club still spent 158 million euros on eight new recruits.
Transfers
Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde, Marcos Alonso, Hector Bellerin, and Pablo Torre all signed for the club, despite the financial gloom hanging over the Camp Nou.
Real Madrid had a relatively quiet summer, with the club looking to shore up a title-winning team rather than make statement signings that could upset the balance created by manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Real Madrid though were in the market for Kylian Mbappe before the player ultimately decided to commit to Paris Saint-Germain, highlighting how if necessary, the club have the resources to spend big.
One billion euros combined
When the teams face each other on Saturday, their combined starting lineups are estimated to cost close to one billion euros – 916.5 million euros, to be precise.
This number does not even account for the players set to miss the game through injury, with last season’s Champions League final hero Thibaut Courtois and Barcelona‘s Uruguayan center-back Ronald Araujo both set to miss the game.
Real Madrid‘s expected starting XI set the club back 333 million euros, with the combined transfer value now increasing to 487.50 million euros.
Barcelona‘s predicted line-up includes players that cost the Catalan club 280 million euros in fixed payments with another 82 million in variable payments. The current value of the team is 429 million euros.
While clubs from the Premier League might have more money outright, there is no denying the significance of El Clasico on the football community.