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The group-stage draw for the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League concluded on Friday (August 26).
Teams now know who they will take on in the preliminary stages of Europe's premier football competition. Many teams have made use of their presence in the Champions League to sway players into signing for them over the summer.
One of the by-products of these moves will be the presence of several new faces when this season's UEFA Champions League kicks off next month. A good number of exciting talents will finally get a chance to showcase their skills on the grandest stage.
While some have already impressed in the lower rungs of the European football ladder, others will enter the biggest club competition with league experience alone.
Featuring in the UEFA Champions League is a dream most footballers aim to make a reality at the start of their careers. Being able to actualize this dream is something most players cherish and they will also go one step further and lift the trophy itself.
Here is a list of the five most valuable players who could make their debut in the competition this season.
(Note: market valuations have been obtained from football data company Transfermarkt.)
#5 Raphinha (€45 million)
Former Leeds United man Raphinha was at the center of a long transfer tussle over the summer involving Chelsea, Arsenal and FC Barcelona. He preferred a move to Spain and ultimately ended up moving to the Camp Nou for around €58 million.
Prior to joining the Blaugrana, Raphinha had never made a UEFA Champions League appearance in his career. However, the 25-year-old featured in the UEFA Europa League for all of his previous clubs in Europe apart from Leeds United.
The Brazilian winger is likely to make his debut in the Champions League for Barcelona. Xavi Hernandez's side have been given a tough draw and will play Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Viktoria Plizen in the group stages.
Raphinha has featured twice for Barcelona in La Liga and will look to make an impact on the team in his first season. With the 2022 FIFA World Cup around the corner, he will also be hopeful of adding to his nine Brazil caps in Qatar later this year.
#4 Richarlison (€48 million)
Brazilian striker Richarlison was one of many players to complete a big money move this summer as he joined Tottenham Hotspur from Everton. The 25-year-old forward cost a sum of €58 million as he finally secured a move to a UEFA Champions League side.
Richarlison has gained a reputation for being a menace to opposition defenses in the Premier League since signing for Watford in 2017. The forward moved to Goodison Park to further his ambitions in the game but the Toffees have suffered a terrible dip in recent seasons.
The Brazilian has never appeared in any continental competition in the past, and will hope that his experience this season will be an enjoyable one.
Richarlison has featured consistently for Brazil since 2018, winning the 2019 Copa America and the 2020 Olympic gold medal with the Selecao. The striker will have to prove his worth in north London to break into Tottenham's starting XI ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
So far, Richarlison has come off the bench for Spurs in two Premier League matches.
#3 Kalvin Phillips (€50 million)
Leeds United have lost two of their best players over the past two seasons this summer and one of them is Kalvin Phillips.
The midfielder was highly-rated even before he played a game in the Premier League. He made his debut for England when Leeds United were still in the EFL Championship thanks to his brilliant displays under Marcelo Bielsa.
Phillips completed a move to reigning Premier League champions Manchester City for around €50 million as the club sought a replacement for Fernandinho. The English midfielder will look to make an impact in his debut campaign at the Etihad, especially in the UEFA Champions League.
Phillips was part of the England squad that reached the final of UEFA Euro 2020. He will look to make the 2022 FIFA World Cup squad by dropping some impressive performances for his new club.
#2 Aurelien Tchouameni (€60 million)
Real Madrid have invested heavily in young midfielders over the past two summers.
They signed highly-rated French youngster Aurelien Tchouameni from AS Monaco for around €80 million this summer. The decision to splash the cash on Tchouameni already seems to be a shrewd one as Casemiro moved to Manchester United for around €70 million.
Tchouameni received interest from several top clubs, including Liverpool and Chelsea, after impressing for Monaco last season. He will play in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in his career this season with the 14-time champions.
With Casemiro gone, Tchouameni looks set to become a starter at the Santiago Bernabeu. This will improve his chances of making it into France's squad for the 2022 World Cup and the 22-year-old will hope to impress.
#1 Florian Wirtz (€70 million)
Regarded as one of the biggest prospects to emerge from Bayer Leverkusen, Florian Wirtz is a player who looks destined to excel at the very top. The midfielder is the only one on this list who did not complete a move this summer.
Wirtz will make his UEFA Champions League bow for his boyhood club this season, having helped them qualify for the competition. He contributed seven goals and 10 assists in 24 Bundesliga appearances for Bayer to help the side finish third.
The 19-year-old unfortunately saw his season end early after he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. Wirtz will be looking to make a quick return from injury with the 2022 World Cup only three months away.
