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Over the years, Africa has produced a plethora of world-class talent that has gone on to make their names in Europe's top football leagues.
The likes of Roger Milla, George Weah, Samuel Eto'o and Yaya Toure are a few names in this regard.
Among the current crop as well, there are many African players who are indispensable to their respective clubs.
On that note, let us have a look at a hypothetical most valuable African XI made up of currently active stars.
Goalkeeper - Andre Onana - Cameroon/Ajax (€36 million)
Andre Onana is the most valuable African goalkeeper at the moment.
Widely regarded as one of the best young custodians in the game, the 24-year-old Onana honed his skills at Barcelona's famed La Masia academy before arriving at Ajax in 2015.
The Cameroon international has kept an impressive 83 clean sheets in over 200 games in all competitions for Ajax, which includes a league-leading nine shutouts in the 2020-21 Eredivisie.
Recently, Edwin Van der Saar, Ajax chief executive, praised Onana for his role in helping the club keep a water-tight defence (15 goals conceded in 21 games) this campaign, saying:
“It is great that he kept his team going several times in January.”
Right-back - Achraf Hakimi - Morocco/Inter Milan (€50 million)
Achraf Hakimi is one of the top right-backs in the game.
After making his name at Borussia Dortmund, Hakimi has evolved into one of the finest in the game since arriving at Inter Milan this summer.
Despite playing only 22 league games for his new side, Hakimi has already become a key player for Inter, excelling at both ends of the pitch.
Recently, Inter head coach Antonio Conte hailed the impact of Achraf Hakimi and the promise he holds, saying in this regard:
“We are talking about a guy who is 22 years old, who has only had two experiences. I repeat, in the Bundesliga you play less tactical football, they study you less. Hakimi is working, he also understood a little bit the difference of playing here in Italy. He is in the right team with the right coach. He can become a specialist in that role, the best in the world."
Centre-back - Kalidou Koulibaly - Senegal/Napoli (€60 million)
Kalidou Koulibaly is one of the most sought-after defenders after excelling at Napoli since his arrival at the club in the 2014-15 season.
Under various managers, the 29-year-old has remained a key player for Napoli, and continues to be so under present tactician Gennaro Gattuso.
The 2006 FIFA World Cup winner recently spoke about the Manchester City target:
“Koulibaly has a precise asking price, and if the club doesn't get the money it is asking for, then he won't leave."
Centre-back - Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso/Bayer Leverkusen) - €40 million
After making his professional debut for Vitoria Guimaraes, Edmond Tapsoba arrived at Bayer Leverkusen in January 2020 and has seen his stock rise.
One of the two-most expensive African centre-backs in the game, the 22-year-old has not take much time to become a regular in Peter Bosz's side.
He is yet to play 50 games for Leverkusen, but the player has surprised himself by adapting so well to life in the Bundesliga. Tapsoba recently said in this regard:
"Adapting didn’t cause me any big problems. That’s probably down to the fact the style of play is similar at Guimaraes and Bayer 04. At Vitoria, the attacks were built from the back, the opponents were pressed and we looked to quickly get up front. But if necessary, we were then patient in looking for the best situation to have an effort on goal. So I didn’t need to change much."
Left-back - Ramy Bensabaini - Algeria/Borussia Monchengladbach (€22 million)
Ramy Bensabaini joined Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2019, and hasn't looked back since.
The 25-year-old left-back has quickly endeared himself to the Monchengladbach faithful, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in all competitions.
Bensabaini particularly starred with a winning brace against reigning champions Bayern Munich in 2019-20. He has started the new season on a strong note, providing four assists, but is yet to score a goal.
The Algerian international recently summed up his first season at Borussia Monchengladbach, saying in this regard:
"My first year has gone well, very well in fact. I feel at home here, I have settled in very quickly. I get on well with everyone. It has gone well on the pitch as well – I have scored five goals and got three assists. It has been a good start for me."
Central/Defensive Midfielder - Thomas Partey - Ghana/Arsenal (€50 million)
Thomas Partey has had a rather stop-start campaign since arriving at Arsenal in the summer.
Nevertheless, whenever he has been fit, the former Atletico Madrid player has brought much-needed steel and rigidity to the Arsenal midfield.
He is yet to score for his new club, but has provided an assist in 13 games in all competitions.
Recently, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta waxed lyrical about the impact of Thomas Partey, saying in this regard:
“I am really happy. He got better and better as the game went on. He has a big influence and gave us things which were different from any other player. We have to protect him as he’s not played that much.”
Central Midfielder - Naby Keita - Guinea/Liverpool (€40 million)
Naby Keita has impressed at Liverpool since arriving at the club in the summer of 2018.
The 26-year-old Guinea international scored twice and assisted three times in Liverpool's victorious Premier League campaign last season.
However, Keita is one of several players whose injury-enforced absence has ravaged Liverpool's 2020-21 season.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp shared an update about Naby Keita, who hasn't played this year due to injury:
"He is no longer injured but he is not fit. These injuries were minor things but kicked him out of the team, but he has an excellent perspective. He is a great player. And when these injuries are behind him, we will have a great player," said Klopp.
Central Midfield - Franck Kesie - Ivory Coast/AC Milan (€40 million)
After arriving at AC Milan at the tender age of 20, Franck Kessie is emerging as one of the jewels of the Rossoneri's crown.
The Ivory Coast international, who predominantly plays in central midfield, is leading AC Milan's unlikely title charge with an impressive tally of seven goals and three assists.
Expectedly the target of a bevy of clubs across continental Europe, Kessie is highly regarded by AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli, who recently said about the player:
“Franck is a complete player; he gives us physicality, energy, quality, protects the defence and knits the moves going forward too. He has this eternally positive mentality in the match situation; he's the first to help out a teammate or reassure them. This is a young side that needs guidance and encouragement, so Kessie is invaluable in that sense."
Right-winger - Mohamed Salah - Egypt/Liverpool (€120 million)
Mohamed Salah has been one of the few standout performers for Liverpool in a season beset by a plethora of injuries to key players.
Liverpool have endured a wretched Premier League title defence, sitting a lowly sixth in the league table, 16 points off runaway leaders Manchester City.
But Salah has managed to stand tall amidst the ruins, scoring 17 goals in the competition, and keeping alive the club's hopes of a top-four finish.
Despite arriving at the club barely four years ago, Salah has already plundered over 100 goals in all competitions for Liverpool - 118 to be exact - propelling him to joint-13th in the club's all-time scoring list.
Nevertheless, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp recently said that Salah remains an 'underrated player', saying in this regard:
“You don’t have to ask me if or why he doesn’t get the credit. If he doesn’t get the credit, I don’t know. It would be really strange and really unexplainable why he shouldn’t get the credit. He gets the credit here, internally, for sure for all these things."
Left-winger - Sadio Mane - Senegal/Liverpool (€120 million)
Sadio Mane is one-third of Liverpool's famed attacking troika, the others being Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.
Despite an underwhelming campaign going by his staggering standards, the Senegal winger remains a big-game player.
Mane, who famously scored the winner for Liverpool in the Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur in 2019, netted his 20th European goal for the club. That made him one of only five Liverpool players to do so.
Mane has scored an impressive 92 goals and provided 39 assists in 201 games in all competitions for the reigning Premier League champions.
Klopp recently said about his star player:
“Consistency was the key and absolutely now what he is doing and how he performs is consistent. The level he performs at is unbelievable. He is a complete player, offensively and defensively He works hard, he is really quick."
Centre-forward - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Gabon/Arsenal (€40 million)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is having a wretched 2020-21 campaign, scoring only eight Premier League goals after netting 22 in each of his two previous seasons in the competition.
The former Borussia Dortmund centre-forward has mostly looked isolated and bereft of service in an unfamiliar wide position this term.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged that his star player his enduring a 'difficult' campaign, saying in this regard after the win at Southampton.
“Auba is having a difficult time and we are all behind him. This win was for him.”
However, the Gabon international seems to have rediscovered his mojo after netting a hat-trick in the 4-2 home win over Leeds United in the Premier League.
