da betway： We've looked at the top performers in each position across the continent's 'Big Five' leagues to produce our combined XI
da betsul： Another campaign is about to conclude. All that's left to play for is the Champions League, with Saturday's final at Wembley bringing together 14-time winners Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, who are bidding to lift the trophy for just the second time.
Madrid and Dortmund have undoubtedly been two of the stories of the season, with the former winning the Spanish title and the latter making light of their domestic struggles to make it all the way to London. However, Bayer Leverkusen also captured the imagination by not only winning a first Bundesliga title but also going desperately close to an undefeated campaign in all competitions. Xabi Alonso's sensational side may have gone on to win a double, but their treble bid was derailed by an awesome Atalanta.
Elsewhere, Inter ran away with the Serie A title and, despite the best efforts of Liverpool and Arsenal, Manchester City won the Premier/Farmer's League yet again, while Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 triumph was probably even more predictable.
So, who have been the players of the European season? Below, GOAL picks its top performers of 2023-24 in each position, laying out its selections in a 3-4-3 formation and basing them on performances in all competitions.
There have been some notable omissions. The likes of Florian Wirtz, Vinicius Jr, Cole Palmer, Teun Koopmeiners, Achraf Hakimi and Nico Schlotterbeck can consider themselves seriously unlucky not to have made the cut. So, as always, let us know your gripes in the comments section!
Getty ImagesGK: Yann Sommer (Inter)
Another Beppe Marotta transfer market masterstroke! Inter sold Andre Onana to Manchester United for €50 million (£42.5m/$54m) and replaced the Cameroonian with a better shot-stopper for roughly a ninth of the fee.
Sommer slotted seamlessly into the Inter backline and kept more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues, playing a pivotal role in the Nerazzurri's runaway Scudetto success.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesCB: William Saliba (Arsenal)
A Rolls Royce of a defender drawing comparisons with Virgil van Dijk, Arsenal ace Saliba just never appears ruffled on the field. He's strong, he's quick and reads the play wonderfully well.
No outfield player has been involved in as many league clean sheets this season (22), while the flawless French centre-back ranks third among his fellow defenders for completed passes (3456), and fifth for possession won (278).
GettyCB: Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)
Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic basically called Hummels a "football god" after the defender's towering display in a vital Champions League group-stage win over AC Milan at San Siro – and it's easy to understand why.
There's been no better player in the tournament this season, with Hummels topping the charts for tackles won, duels won, interceptions and clearances. In short, the 35-year-old is the main reason why a side that struggled in the Bundesliga is facing Real Madrid at Wembley this weekend.
GettyCB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Liverpool's defence was devastated by injuries during the 2023-24 campaign, but captain Van Dijk not only managed to stay fit, he got back to his brilliant best.
The Dutchman was utterly dominant in the air (only Nikola Milenkovic won more headers), almost unbeatable on the ground (only four opponents managed to get round him all season along) while he also scored four goals, including the dramatic late winner in the Carabao Cup final.