Thuram, Camavinga & Co. ahead of Champions League debuts - Top XI sorted by market value

The likes of Memphis Depay, James Rodríguez, or Nélson Semedo have to watch the Champions League from their couch this season. But while those prominent players are watching the season, which will conclude in Istanbul on May 29, 2021, from afar, others will make their much-anticipated debut. 

Those players are missing the tournament because they moved to a club that did not qualify for the tournament—or in Depay's case—did not qualify for this season's edition with their club. The most valuable players that could make their debut in the group stage—perhaps even this week—have been put together by Transfermarkt in the most valuable starting XI. The squad value of the most valuable XI players to potentially give their debut is €422 million. 

Depay's Olympique Lyon, for example, failed to qualify for the Champions League after the Ligue 1 season was canceled prematurely. As a result, Olympique Marseille and Stade Rennais were the two teams that qualified behind champions PSG. That means super talents Boubacar Kamara (OM) and Eduardo Camavinga (Rennes) are likely to make their Champions League debuts this week. Camavinga, with a market value of €50 million, is the most valuable player in the XI of the most valuable players—level with Lazio playmaker Luis Alberto and Sevilla defender Diego Carlos. 

Ahead of Gladbach's Champions League return: Thuram and Bensebaini in the top XI

Among the most valuable UCL debutants are also Borussia Mönchengladbach's Marcus Thuram and defender Ramy Bensebaini. Thuram was brought off with an injury on the weekend but was back in training on Tuesday. 

The players in the top XI, however, are not the only prominent players to make their Champions League debuts. Among the players not selected are RB Leipzig's Alexander Sørloth (€20m), Borussia Dortmund's super talent Jude Bellingham (€27m), Lazio defender Luiz Felipe (€22m), Zenit's Douglas Santos (€13m) and Martin Ødegaard (€45m) from Real Madrid, who has played just five minutes in the qualification stage. 

Ødegaard will, however, have to wait for his debut. The Norwegian is currently out with a leg injury. The same is true for Denis Zakaria (€40m), the Gladbach midfielder has just returned from a knee operation and has struggled in last week's training session.