The £49m XI: How Man City could’ve spent their Sterling cash

What does £49m buy you in today’s money? Apparently it gets you a precocious yet raw 20-year-old England international and potentially the joint-tenth most expensive player in football history.

But that’s enough about Raheem Sterling. We’ve been busy hypothesising about how Manchester City could’ve swerved their proposed mega spend.

Instead of embarking upon a long transfer tussle with Liverpool to sign one marquee player the Etihad outfit could’ve put their money to far better use.

Check out our £49m XI as we cast our eye over a few of the shrewder purchases from recent history:

GK – Lukasz Fabianski –Swansea (Free)

Keeping 13 clean sheets last season, Fabianski has become a fans’ favourite at the Liberty Stadium while his former club Arsenal have struggled for consistency in the goalkeeping department.

DL – Cesar Azpilicueta – Chelsea (£7m)

An absolute steal at £7m, he’s become one of Jose Mourinho’s most valuable assets and still aged only 25, that looks set to continue.

DC – Gary Cahill – Chelsea (£7m)

The fastest man in the Premier League  to win every major honour and Chelsea were fast to sign him up for a cool £7m. Cahill has gone on to become one of the most decorated Englishmen in football. Can Sterling follow suit?

DC – Eric Dier – Tottenham Hotspur (£6m)

A future England centre-back? He’s got a lot to learn but don’t be surprised if this kid following Sterling to a top four club in the coming years.

DR – Daryl Janmaat – Newcastle United (£5m)

Mike Ashley certainly picked up a bargain in Daryl Janmaat. The Dutchman was one of the few shining lights in a poor Newcastle side last season.

ML – Philippe Coutinho – Liverpool (£8.5m)

Perhaps the biggest bargain in our team, Coutinho has received plaudits from all over the world for his excellent form and stunning goals.

MC – Moussa Sissoko – Newcastle United (£1.5m)

Sissoko had a disastrous season on Tyneside last term but Newcastle snatched him up for an incredibly cheap price and will be hoping for a return to his previous form.

MC – Shinji Kagawa – Borussia Dortmund (£7m)

His form at Manchester United was admittedly poor. But his return to Dortmund looks more promising with the attacking midfielder looking to shine under new Head Coach, Thomas Tuchel.

MR – Nacer Chadli – Tottenham Hotspur (£7m)

With a decent shot at his disposal, it’ll be an interesting head-to-head with the Man City man with Chadli costing a fraction of the price.

ST – Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich (Free)

Sometimes the best things in life are free and this guy has pedigree that Raheem can only dream of at present. And he’s got a goal scoring record to prove it.

ST – Danny Ings – Liverpool (Free)

Highly-rated Danny Ings took the Premier League by storm with Burnley in 2014-15 and could turn out to be a tidy free transfer to Liverpool.

Think we’ve called it right or got it hopelessly wrong? Let us know via @Ladbrokes or our Facebook page!

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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