The summer transfer window is often a thrilling period for football fans worldwide, as clubs across the globe make significant investments in acquiring top talent to bolster their squads. In the summer of 2023, some of the biggest footballing giants are likely to engage in high-profile and expensive player transfers, creating one of the most expensive XI ever.

Clubs with substantial financial resources may break transfer records to secure coveted stars. These high-stakes transfers have the potential to reshape the football landscape and ignite excitement for the upcoming season, as fans eagerly anticipate the impact of their newly acquired stars on the pitch.

Here is the complete Most Expensive XI in the 2023 Summer Transfer Window:

Most Expensive XI in the 2023 Summer Transfer Window:

GK: Andre Onana

Onana has signed a five-year deal at Old Trafford with the option of a further year, as he replaces the departed David De Gea, who left the club after 12 years as the club's first-choice stopper.

The transfer fee for the 27-year-old Cameroon international is an initial €51m (£43.8m), plus €4m (£3.4m) in potential add-ons, depending on individual and club performance.

United boss Erik ten Hag worked with Onana at Ajax, where they won three league titles and two KNVB Cups together and reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.

The goalkeeper, who has kept 104 clean sheets in 255 appearances throughout his club career, joined Inter Milan in 2022 and won the Coppa Italia during his time at the San Siro.

RB: Pedro Porro

After a few months of hearing how many wanted to see Sporting CP's Pedro Porro play for Tottenham Hotspur — even playing against them twice in the Champions League, Porro is joining the North London club.

It took a month's worth of waiting to see the two clubs agree on a €45m total fee to allow the Spanish right-wing-back to come to the Premier League.

Obligations of course stood in the way before an official announcement today, with Sporting seemingly moving the goalposts earlier in the week on Spurs. But, agreements came to be as Spurs even gave a 15% reduction on Marcus Edwards' sell-on clause to make the two clubs come to terms.

Joining Spurs on an initial €5m loan fee for the remainder of the season, Porro signed a five-and-a-half-year deal.

CB: Josko Gvardiol

Pep Guardiola is hardly short of options at centre-back, but he could not turn down the opportunity to sign one of the best young defenders around for a fee £20m lower than his reported release clause.

CB: Kim Min-jae

FC Bayern have signed Minjae Kim. The 26-year-old South Korea international joins from Napoli on a five-year contract until 30 June 2028. He will wear the number 3 shirt.

Kim, who joined Napoli from Turkey's Fenerbahce last summer, has signed a five-year deal until 30 June 2028 at the Allianz Arena.

One of Napoli's star performers en route to the club winning their first Serie A title in 33 years, Kim made 35 league appearances in 2022/23, as well as a further nine during their run to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

The 26-year-old, who also started three of South Korea's four group games at the 2022 World Cup, ranked in Serie A's top 15 for percentage of challenges won, and even chipped in with a couple of goals and assists.

LB: Lucas Hernandez

Paris Saint-Germain added a fifth player to its squad since the start of the summer transfer window by signing France defender Lucas Hernández from Bayern Munich on a five-year contract on Sunday after a long spell on the sidelines with injury.

Hernández hasn't played a competitive game since injuring his knee while playing for France against Australia at the World Cup in November.

No official figures was given for the deal but French newspaper L'Equipe said it was worth around 40 million euros ($44 million).

DM: Declan Rice

The 24-year-old midfielder already has some vast experience, having made 245 senior appearances for the Hammers as well as winning 43 caps for the Three Lions. Rice started his career at Chelsea before joining the West Ham Academy in 2014. He spent nine years at the London club, and his moment came when he captained the West Ham side that won the UEFA Europa Conference league and was named the Player of the Season by UEFA.

Rice recently completed his Arsenal signing after having a tough time with the particular transfer. He is a high-quality, young international player who will add great strength to Arteta's squad, fitting well into their strategy of competing with young, talented players at the centre of the club.

CM: Moises Caicedo

Moises Caicedo became the most expensive signing of the summer after completing his move from Brighton to Chelsea. The Blues were desperate to add the young midfielder to their team and signed him for a British record fee.

Caicedo had a debut to forget for the Blues. He gave away a penalty in his first match against West Ham United.

CM: Jude Bellingham

The England international joined Borussia Dortmund from Birmingham City back in 2020 and went on to record 24 goals and 25 assists in 132 appearances for the Bundesliga giants. He is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world right now.

The 20-year-old was linked with Manchester City and Liverpool, but he opted to continue his development under two of the best midfielders of all time, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. Bellingham's move to Santiago Bernabeu was first announced by Borussia Dortmund, with the German club also confirming the huge €103 million transfer fee.

RW: Jeremy Doku

West Ham, Tottenham and Chelsea were all said to be in for Doku but the 16-cap Belgium winger became City's third summer signing after almost three years at Rennes, who made a fat profit on the £22million they paid Anderlecht in 2020.

ST: Harry Kane

Bayern Munich finally got their man after spending a lot of amount on him. They were unable to sign Harry Kane as Spurs were demanding more money for their striker. However, Bayern were determined to sign him and Kane went to Germany.

The Englishman created a goal within the first five minutes into hi Bundesliga debut. He then scored his first goal for the club.

LW: Neymar

In one of the least surprising developments of the summer, Brazil international Neymar has left PSG to move to the Saudi Pro League. He will earn over £129m a year in the Middle East. Mental.

Harry Kane has touched the benchmark of scoring 50 goals in Bundesliga and he has done it in a very special way. Kane became the fastest-ever player to score 50 Bundesliga goals as he completed the feat in 43 Bundesliga games. 

Kane reached the 50-goal tally in Bundesliga after his scintillating hat-trick in Bayern's 3-0 victory over Augsburg in the Bundesliga last night. 

The Bayern forward is in formidable form this season, having already scored 20 goals in 17 games across all competitions for Bayern Munich.

Harry Kane recreated the Bundesliga logo 😅 pic.twitter.com/hBgj3efB2c

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) November 22, 2024

The English goal-machine 

Harry Kane joined Bayern Munich in 2023 following his departure from Tottenham. In his first season, Kane scored 36 goals in 32 Bundesliga matches for the German side and registered 8 goals in the UEFA Champions League last season.

Harry Kane finished as the top scorer in both cases and earned the European Golden Shoe Award for his brilliance. 

However, Kane is eyeing another Golden Boot win, as he has already registered 20 goals so far this season in 17 games, whereas he has now scored 14 goals in 11 Bundesliga games while also providing 7 assists. 

However, Harry Kane has broken Erling Haaland's record of scoring 50 goals in 50 Bundesliga games for Borussia Dortmund, before he opted to move to Manchester City in 2022. 

Kane has also scored 5 penalties among the 14 he scored. He spoke to DAZN after the Augsburg game regarding the penalties: 

"I work on them a lot, they're a big part of the game. They helped us again today.

"Of course I've missed many at training, but that's the time to miss them."

Kane's dream scoring spree continues as he has already scored three hat-tricks in Bundesliga including the Augsburg match last night, and it will be very interesting to see where Kane's goalscoring tally reaches this season! 

All eyes will be on Wembley as England take on Ireland in a highly anticipated UEFA Nations League clash. As the two footballing nations collide, fans can expect a great contest today.

The Boys in Green arrive at Wembley as underdogs but with no shortage of fighting spirit. Ireland will rely on their team’s work ethic and tactical discipline to frustrate England and create opportunities on the break. Players like Evan Ferguson and Matt Doherty will be crucial in providing defensive solidity and a cutting-edge in attack.

Match Details

Match: England vs Ireland

Date: 17 November 2024

Time: 10:30 PM IST

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London, England.

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Streaming Details

Indian viewers can stream the game live on the SonyLIV app and website. The TV broadcast will be on Sony Sports Network channels.

Head-to-head Stats 

Matches Played: 6

England wins: 2

Ireland wins: 1

Draws: 3

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Previous Records

Last time out against Republic of Ireland ⏪

👏 @JackGrealish pic.twitter.com/ADp0hbL6WB

— England (@England) November 17, 2024

England delivered a dominant display on Thursday, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory over former group leaders Greece in Athens.

Ollie Watkins, preferred over Harry Kane, struck early to open the scoring within seven minutes, followed by an own goal from Odysseas Vlachodimos that doubled England's advantage. Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones capped off the performance with a stunning backheeled goal on his debut.

This marks England’s fourth win in five games under interim manager Lee Carsley, who will step down after Sunday’s match.

Historically, England remain unbeaten against the Republic of Ireland since their 1988 European Championship loss, though six of their last eight encounters have ended in draws

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Team News and Injury Update

Wembley 📍 pic.twitter.com/AmTSiwzFl7

— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) November 16, 2024

England still has some key players out as a result of injury but Lee Carsely still boasts of a formidable side that can compete against Ireland to secure all 3 points while Ireland is not without any significant absentees a tough test still awaits them at Wembley.

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Possible Starting XI

England predicted XI: Pickford; Lewis, Guehi, Harwood-Bellis, Hall; Gallagher, Gomes; Bowen, Bellingham, Rogers; Kane.

Ireland predicted XI: Kelleher; Doherty, Collins, Scales, O’Dowda; Ebosele, Cullen, Molumby, Johnston; Szmodics, Ferguson.

England is set to face Greece in their UEFA Nations League group game scheduled to kick off at 1.15 AM IST on 15 November 2024. This match will take place at Spiros Louis Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece.

Greece has won all four of their games, continuing their outstanding run of play. The team leads the group with 12 points and an 8-goal edge.

Despite losing one game, the Englishmen have not played poorly either, sitting second in the standings with nine points out of a possible twelve.

Fans should anticipate a very difficult match as a result of the coaching change for the English men's national team, which will bring a mix of new ideas and playing styles.

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Match Details

Match: Greece vs England

Date: 15 November 2024

Time: 1:15 AM IST

Venue: Spiros Louis Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece

Streaming Details

Indian viewers can stream the game live on the SonyLIV app and website. The TV broadcast will be on Sony Sports Network channels.

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Head-to-head Stats

Matches Played: 10

Greece wins: 1

England wins: 7

Draws: 2

Previous Records

England goals against Greece don't come much better than this 🥹 pic.twitter.com/otSsJesJD5

— England (@England) November 14, 2024

The three lions of England have always had the better of the Greek national team the UEFA Nations League matches between these sides comes after an 18 year stint of not playing against each other.

Greece got their first ever win against England last month with a narrow 2-1 result. It remains to be seen if they can repeat the same feat in this reverse fixture. With 7 wins from 10 England are the sure favourities in this game.

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Team News and Injury Updates

England

Hard work continues 💯 pic.twitter.com/P5QyDvlGJN

— England (@England) November 12, 2024

The absence of several important players, such as Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka of Arsenal, has delivered Lee Carsely a severe blow. Additionally, Grealish, Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander Arnold, and John Stones will not be playing.

His team's setup will undoubtedly be impacted by these injuries since he will need to adjust formations and employ new tactics to guarantee his team's victory.

Greece

All set for tomorrow 🔑

Ready to give it all 🛡️for tomorrow’s match #lasttraining #weareready pic.twitter.com/8ZMPTP2hNn

— Ethniki Omada (@EthnikiOmada) November 13, 2024

Luckily enough for the home team there would not be much to worry about as they are only dealing with the absence of Kourbelis and this is due to suspension and not any other reason. It is expected that they will field their strongest side.

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Possible Starting XI

England

Pickford(GK) Lewis, Guehi, Konsa, Walker, Gallagher,Gomes,  Gordon, Bellingham, Madueke, Kane

Greece

Vlachodimos(GK) Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimkas, Sopis, Mantalos, Masouras, Bakasetas, Tzolis, Pavlidis

While goals may garner media attention in contemporary football, playmakers' ingenuity and vision are equally important. With their remarkable assist totals and ability to set up goals, a wide range of players have been lighting up Europe's top divisions this season.

These players have all contributed something special to their clubs' attacking strategies, from Harry Kane's fresh playmaking role in the Bundesliga to Nuno Tavares' comeback in the Serie A, Sportz Point tells you all about those currently leading the chat.

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1. Nuno Tavares| 8 Assists| 8 Games

Nuno Tavares has been playing well this season and has emerged as a vital back-row playmaker. He has been an important outlet in the last third thanks to his dynamic runs down the left side which have contributed assists that demonstrate his speed and accuracy. 

Tavares has demonstrated an ability to coordinate play with the forwards, providing his team's attackers with precise crosses and intelligent through passes. Because he adds width and directness to his team's approach, his growth as a wing-back who can both defend and create scoring opportunities is a huge asset.

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2. Raphinha| 8 Assists| 12 Games

Raphinha, a right winger for Barcelona, has been a constant threat in attack thanks to his combination of flair, pace, and playmaking abilities. His assists this season demonstrate his vision and game-reading skills, as he frequently finds his teammates with fast, incisive passes or accurate, bending crosses. 

His ability to pull defenders out wide creates key openings for other players to take advantage of as well as the defensive work rate, which enables him to regain possession high up the pitch and swiftly convert it into goal-scoring opportunities, making him a well-rounded player. 

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3. Bukayo Saka| 7 Assists| 9 Games

Bukayo Saka has developed into one of the Premier League's most potent playmakers. He has continuously shown his inventiveness this season, delivering crosses with precise accuracy and weaving passes through tight defenders. 

The English-born star, who mostly plays on the right wing, has the exceptional ability to cut inside and open up space for teammates while using both feet to contribute significantly. His assists demonstrate both his technical proficiency and football understanding.

His teamwork with Arsenal's midfielders and forwards to create scoring opportunities. Saka's versatility has been essential to Arsenal's rhythm of attack.

4. Harry Kane| 7 Assists| 9 Games

Harry Kane, who is most known for scoring goals, has accepted a more creative role with Bayern Munich this season. The striker has become a crucial playmaker, setting up goals with amazing efficiency.

With his strength, passing range, and ball smartness. Kane, who plays deeper than in recent seasons, frequently draws defenders, making room for others and finding the box with sharp deliveries. 

His development into a more complete attacker who can set the pace and create opportunities for his teammates is demonstrated by his assists this season. As dangerous in an assisting role as he is in front of goal, Kane's playmaking has given Bayern an additional layer to their attack.

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5. Lamine Yamal| 7 Assists| 12 Games

Lamine Yamal, who is only 17, is already displaying the makings of one of Barcelona's most gifted players. Yamal has contributed multiple assists this season despite his young age, showcasing remarkable strength, dribbling prowess, and an innate ability to locate teammates in scoring positions. 

The Barcelona forward exploits his quickness to go past defenders and send crosses or short passes into the danger area. His pace and unpredictable nature make him hard to mark. His fast thinking and grasp of the game frequently result in assists.

Yamal is a young star to watch, and his contributions are only expected to grow with experience and time.

Goal scoring is one of the most difficult skills in football. However, some players have mastered converting a few chances into many goals. From the relentless pace of the English Premier League to the creative dynamism of La Liga and the precision of the Bundesliga, Sportz Point tells you about the people in the spotlight in Europe.

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1. Viktor Gyokeres|16 Goals|10 Games