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FC Porto are one of the most successful clubs in Portuguese football with 28 league titles, 16 Taca de Portugal, 21 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, two UEFA Cups, along with two UEFA Champions League and one UEFA Super Cup.
Much of their success is down to their brilliant coaching methods and Porto also developed a number of top footballing talents from their youth academy. The Dragões possess a very good scouting system and they unearthed a number of star players during the recent years.
However, they always struggle to compete with the financial powers of the big clubs and find it difficult to keep hold of their players when top clubs come calling for them. The Dragões sold players worth £369.02 millions combined in the last five years.
Right on this note, here is how FC Porto could have lined up if they hadn't sold their best players.
Formation- 4-4-3
Goalkeeper- Iker Casillas
One of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Iker Casillas started his career with Real Madrid and enjoyed a highly successful career with the Los Blancos.
He helped his boyhood club win numerous trophies including five LaLiga titles and three Champions League trophies during his 16 seasons as a professional footballer at the Bernabeu. Casillas won the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper of the Year accolade five times and was also included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI on five different occasions.
The former Spanish international left Real Madrid to join FC Porto on a free transfer in 2015 and is an integral part of the Dragões since then. He played 96 league games for Porto thus far and won one Primeira Liga title along with one Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira trophy.
Full Backs- Alex Sandro & Danilo
One of the best left-backs in the world right now, Alex Sandro joined FC Porto from Brazilian Santos in the summer transfer window of 2011.
The Brazillian international played 87 Primeira Liga games during his four years stay at the club and helped the Azuis e brancos win two Primeira Liga titles along with one Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira trophy. Sandro was also the part of O Jogo Team of the Year on two different occasions.
The 27-year old left Porto to join Juventus in 2015 and is currently among the important players for the Old Lady.
The Bicas-born defender, Danilo started his professional career with América Futebol Clube (MG) and also enjoyed a brief and successful spell with Santos before joining FC Porto in 2012.
He played 91 league games for the Portuguese giants and was regarded as one of the Primeira Liga's best full-backs during his time at the Estádio do Dragão. The Brazillian international helped the Dragões win two Primeira Liga titles before moving to Real Madrid in 2015.
Centre-Backs- Nicolas Otamendi & Felipe Monteiro
Nicolas Otamendi started his professional career with Velez Sarsfield and moved to FC Porto in 2010.
He established himself among the best defenders in the Primeira Liga with the Dragoes and won three league titles, one Taca de Portugal along with three Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira and one Europa League trophy during his four seasons with the club.
The Argentine international joined Valencia in 2014 after his loan to Atlétco Mineiro and later moved to Manchester City in 2015.
Felipe Monteiro joined FC Porto from Corinthians during the summer transfer window of 2016 and is an integral part of the team since then.
FC Porto have the best defensive record in the league this season and Monteiro played a big part in their success. The Brazillian international completed 512 passes in the Primeira Liga this season with a passing accuracy of 85 percent. He also made 46 clearances and won 11 of his 12 attempted tackles in the league.
Midfielders- James Rodriguez, Hector Herrera & Ruben Neves
James Rodriguez joined FC Porto from Banfield in 2010 and impressed one and all with his performances for the Azuis e brancos.
He scored 25 goals in 65 league games during his three-year stay at the Estádio do Dragão and helped the club win three consecutive Primeira Liga titles. Rodriguez was awarded the Portuguese Golden Ball 2012 accolade and was also included in the O Jogo Team of the Year on two different occasions.
The Colombian international left Porto to join AS Monaco in 2013 but his stay in France didn't last for long and he switched clubs again to join Real Madrid in 2014. The 27-year-old is currently on-loan at Bayern Munich from Real Madrid.
One the best midfielders in the Portuguese top division, Hector Herrera joined FC Porto from Pachuca in the summer transfer window of 2013.
He won the Porto Player of the Season 2014-15 accolade and helped the club win the Primeira Liga 2017-2018 title. Herrara was the part of Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2017–18 and also won the SPJF Goal of the Season 2017–18 award.
The Portuguese international Ruben Neves joined FC Porto at the age of eight and graduated through the Dragões' youth system to become the youngest ever captain in the history of the Champions League at the age of just 18.
The midfielder made 93 appearances in all competitions for the Porto and guided the club to the finals of Taca de Portugal 2015-16. Ruben was awarded the Confederação do Desporto de Portugal Young Prospect of the Year 2015.
His performances for the Portuguese giants brought him under the radar of a number of big clubs but he surprisingly decided to join the then-Championship club, Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017. He guided the Wolves back to the Premier League in just one season and collected a number of individual accolades in the process.
Attackers- Radamel Falcao, Yacine Brahimi & Andre Silva
The Colombian international, Radamel Falcao started his professional career with Lanceros Boyaca and made a name for himself while playing for River Plate.
He transferred to FC Porto in 2009 and scored 41 goals in 51 league games for the Dragões. Falcao helped FC Porto win one Primeira Liga title, two Taca de Portugal along with two Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira and one Europa League trophy.
The 32-year-old moved to Athletico Madrid in 2011 and then to AS Monaco in 2013, where he is currently playing.
The Algerian international, Yacine Brahimi joined FC Porto from Granada in the summer transfer window of 2014 and is an integral part of the team since then.
He scored 31 goals in 127 league appearances for FC Porto thus far and won the Primeira Liga 2017-18 title with them. Brahimi was awarded the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2014 accolade along with O Jogo Player of the Year 2017 accolade.
The Portuguese international, Andre Silva joined Porto's youth team in 2011 and made his first-team debut for the club as a 20-year-old during the 2015-2016 season.
He made 47 Primeira Liga appearances for the Dragões, scoring 17 goals. Silva won the Segunda Liga Player of the Year/Breakthrough Player 2015–16 and was also the part of UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI 2016.
His performances in the Portuguese League caught the attention of the big clubs across Europe and he transferred to AC Milan in 2017. However, he failed to get settled at the San Siro and is currently on loan with Sevilla.
