Hidden gems - The most valuable players to have never played in the Champions League

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The Champions League is the pinnacle of European football and where every ambitious footballer hopes to show their talents each and every season. However, as every football fan will know, this is a team sport and as a result some of the most talented players in the game today have yet to be afforded the opportunity to showcase their talents in the continental competition. So who are the best players across Europe’s top leagues to have never stepped on to the pitch as the famous Champions League music blares overhead? Let’s find out. 

Naturally, the riches of the Premier League has meant that a number of the sport’s most talented players now ply their trade at English clubs that have little hope of qualifying for the Champions League. As a result, some of the most valuable players in English football have yet to play in the competition and make up the largest chunk of players on this list. Whether it be West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen (market value: €50 million), Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White (€40m) or Wolves forward Pedro Neto (€42m), there are a number of highly valued players in the English top-fight that may got their entire careers without featuring in the Champions League. 

However, there are also a number of players on this list that could soon get a shot at playing in Europe’s elite competition. For example, Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface (€40m), Sporting star Ousmane Diomande (€40m) or new Barcelona signing Vitor Roque (€40m) will all surely feature in one form or another in next season’s competition, but have simply not had the opportunity to do so yet. Equally, some Premier League stars such as Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey (€42m), Ollie Watkins (€60m) and Douglas Luiz (€60m) or Tottenham trio Destiny Udogie (€40m), Micky van de Ven (€45m) and Brennan Johnson could all be entering the tournament for the first time next season, depending on whether their clubs can finish the Premier League season strongly. 

Undoubtedly, there are a number of big stars that are surely desperate to test their talents against the best in the world and that can be seen by the fact that this list includes remarkable players such as Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister (€65m), Brighton striker Evan Ferguson (€65m), Tottenham playmaker James Maddison (€70m), as well as Chelsea record signing Moisés Caicedo (€90m). However, the biggest talent of them all is unquestionably Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, who has yet to feature in the Champions League despite his heroics in the Bundesliga elevating him to a market value of €100m.