Every Premier League club’s most valuable substitutes' bench named this season

Every Premier League season is a gruelling, tough nine months for all 20 clubs involved - both those competing at the top and those fighting against relegation at the bottom.

Substitutes play a key role in every match. Managers need players who are both content to start games on the bench and determined to make an impact when called upon.

But what is the most valuable subs’ bench that each club has named so far this season?

Transfermarkt have a detailed breakdown on their website and, perhaps unsurprisingly, there’s a massive gulf in value between those at the top and bottom of the table.

The strength and depth that the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool have right now is scary.

20. Sheffield United (£21m)

Game: Sheffield United 1-0 Crystal Palace (Aug 18, 2019)

Bench: Moore, Jagielka, Besic, Osborn, McBurnie, Sharp

This just shows what a remarkable job Chris Wilder is doing this season. Sheffield United are bottom of this list, but sixth in the actual Premier League table.

With the exception of Oliver McBurnie (£7.2 million), none of the other subs here are valued over the £5 million-mark.

19. Norwich City (£40.2m)

Game: Norwich City 2-2 Arsenal (Dec 1, 2019)

Bench: Fahrmann, Lewis, Vrancic, Stiepermann, Roberts, Buendia, Srbeny

In 19th position it’s relegation-threatened Norwich, who find themselves eight points from safety in the real Premier League table with 16 games remaining.

Emiliano Buendia is the most expensive player, per Transfermarkt, valued at £16.2 million.

18. Crystal Palace (£44.1m)

Game: Sheffield United 1-0 Crystal Palace (Aug 18. 2019)

Bench: Hennessey, Cahill, Kouyate, McCarthy, Schlupp, Ayew, Wickham

Crystal Palace are ninth in the table, but their most expensive bench only makes it to 18th position.

Cheikhou Kouyate and Jeffrey Schlupp, both valued at £9 million, are the priciest players among this lot.

17. Aston Villa (£44.5m)

Game: Sheffield United 2-0 Aston Villa (Dec 14, 2019)

Bench: Nyland, Konsa, Taylor, Elmohamady, Luiz, Trezeguet, Kodjia

Douglas Luis, valued at £18 million, has boosted the value of Aston Villa’s most valuable subs’ bench quite substantially.

Trezeguet is the second-most expensive player at £9 million.

16. Burnley (£49.5m)

Game: Burnley 1-4 Manchester City (Dec 3, 2019)

Bench: Hart, Gibson, Lowton, Brady, Barnes, Rodriguez, Vydra

Next we have Burnley, who suffered a 4-1 defeat against reigning champions Manchester City in December.

Ben Gibson, Ashley Barnes and Jay Rodriguez (all valued at £9 million) were among the substitutes that day.

15. Southampton (£68.4m)

Game: Chelsea 0-2 Southampton (Dec 26, 2019)

Bench: Gunn, Vestergaard, Yoshida, Danso, Romeu, Boufal, Ings

The Christmas period is always a difficult time for clubs and Ralph Hasenhuttl used the Chelsea game to hand a slight rest to the likes of Jannik Vestergaard and top scorer Danny Ings, who are both valued at £16.2 million.

14. Brighton (£70.6m)

Game: Tottenham 2-1 Brighton (Dec 26, 2019)

Bench: Button, Montoya, Bissouma, Propper, Trossard, Maupay, Murray

Another fixture from the hectic Christmas period, Brighton boss Graham Potter named Neal Maupay (£19.8 million) and Davy Propper (£15.3 million) on his bench for the visit to Tottenham on Boxing Day.

13. Newcastle United (£85m)

Game: Sheffield United 0-2 Newcastle (Dec 5, 2019)

Bench: Darlow, Schar, Krafth, Longstaff, Atsu, Joelinton, Gayle

Joelinton (still valued at £31.5 million despite scoring just one league goal in 22 games this season), is one of the main reasons this Newcastle bench is so expensive. Sean Longstaff and Dwight Gayle aren’t that cheap, though, valued at £16.2 million and £13.5 million, respectively.

12. Watford (£90m)

Game: Tottenham 1-1 Watford (Oct 19, 2019)

Bench: Gomes, Masina, Femenia, Hughes, Deulofeu, Sarr, Gray

Watford were underperforming this season until Nigel Pearson took over Quique Sanchez Flores in December.

Their most valuable bench included Ismaila Sarr (£27 million), Will Hughes (£16.2 million), and Andre Gray (£13.5 million).

11. Bournemouth (£98.1m)

Game: Brighton 2-0 Bournemouth (Dec 28, 2019)

Bench: Boruc, Simpson, Lerma, Surman, Cook, Fraser, Wilson

‘Plucky little Bournemouth’ isn’t really a thing these days, as this subs’ bench shows.

Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson are both valued at £27 million, Transfermarkt claim, despite the fact both players have been disappointing in recent weeks.

10. West Ham (£105.7m)

Game: Crystal Palace 2-1 West Ham (Dec 26, 2019)

Bench: Anang, Diop, Masuaku, Sanchez, Lanzini, Anderson, Ajeti

West Ham’s former boss Manuel Pellegrini was unable to beat Crystal Palace in December, despite having over £100 million worth of talent on his bench.

Felipe Anderson (£40.5 million), Issa Diop (£31.5 million), and Manuel Lanzini (£18 million) were among the subs that day.

9. Wolves (£106.6m)

Game: Watford 2-1 Wolves (Jan 1, 2020)

Bench: Ruddy, Kilman, Vinagre, Otasowie, Neves, Jota, Cutrone

Wolves have impressed this season but their manager Nuno Espirito Santo has the luxury of being able to select (or leave out, as was the case against Watford on New Year’s Day) some very valuable footballers.

Ruben Neves, priced at £45 million, was the most expensive substitute against the Hornets earlier this month.

8. Everton (£115.2m)

Game: Everton 1-0 Watford (Aug 17, 2019)

Bench: Lossl, Holgate, Davies, Iwobi, Walcott, Tosun, Kean

Marco Silva must surely feel he should have got more out of Everton’s current squad, which is full of expensive players.

Moise Kean (£36 million) was the priciest substitute against Watford back in August.

7. Manchester United (£175m)

Game: Manchester United 4-1 Newcastle (Dec 26, 2019)

Bench: Romero, Jones, Young, Pogba, Mata, James, Lingard

Man Utd are only seventh on this list, which is slightly surprising.

And over half of that £175 million is Paul Pogba, who is still valued at £90 million.

Daniel James (£25.2 million) and Jesse Lingard (£28.8 million) are the only other two United subs valued over £20 million.

6. Arsenal (£222.3m)

Game: Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal (Aug 11, 2019)

Bench: Martinez, Luiz, Torreira, Ceballos, Pepe, Lacazette, Martinelli

A big jump to £222 million sees us reach Arsenal, who named Alexandre Lacazette (£63 million), Nicolas Pepe (£58.5 million) and Lucas Torreira (£49.5 million) among the subs for August’s 1-0 victory away at Newcastle.

5. Chelsea (£239.4m)

Game: Chelsea 0-1 West Ham (Nov 30, 2019)

Bench: Caballero, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Kante, Hudson-Odoi, Willian, Batshuayi

Frank Lampard has a talented squad at his disposal at Chelsea.

The bench he named against West Ham in November was worth a whopping £239 million and featured N’Golo Kante (£90 million), and three £31.5 million-rated players: Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta and Willian.

4. Leicester City (£252m)

Game: West Ham 1-2 Leicester (Dec 28, 2019)

Bench: Ward, Soyuncu, Chilwell, Ndidi, Tielemans, Barnes, Maddison

The value of Leicester’s starting line-up against West Ham: £109.3 million. The value of their bench: £252 million.

James Maddison (£54 million), Youri Tielemans (£49.5 million), and Ben Chilwell (£45 million) were among the subs but the Foxes still sealed a 2-1 victory.

3. Tottenham (£256.5m)

Game: Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham (Dec 4, 2019)

Bench: Austin, Foyth, Rose, Dier, Lo Celso, Ndombele, Eriksen

Jose Mourinho returned to Old Trafford in one of his first games in charge of Tottenham last month.

He named £256 million worth of talent on his bench, including Christian Eriksen (£90 million), Tanguy Ndombele (£58.5 million), and Giovani Lo Celso (£45 million).

2. Liverpool (£346.9m)

Game: Liverpool 5-2 Everton (Dec 4, 2019)

Bench: Kelleher, Gomez, Keita, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Firmino

When you name Mohamed Salah (£135 million) and Roberto Firmino (£72 million), you know the overall value of the subs’ bench is going to be *very* pricey.

Liverpool still battered local rivals Everton in December despite resting some of their star players.