Manchester derby: Is United vs City the most expensive game of football in history?

The two sides expected to start are worth a staggering £672.4m in transfer fees, with players such as Paul Pogba (£93.25m) and John Stones (£50m) set to take to the field

Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola will square up against one another once again (Getty)

Saturday’s Manchester derby is set to be the most expensive match in the history of football as Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola once again prepare to reignite their long-standing rivalry.

The two sides expected to start are worth a staggering £672.4m in transfer fees, with players such as Paul Pogba (£93.25m) and John Stones (£50m) set to take to the field in arguably the most anticipated fixture of the season.

Manchester United lead the way with their predicted starting team costing £350.55m, with Mourinho likely to field Anthony Martial (£57.6m), Luke Shaw (£28m), as well as Eric Bailly (£30m), Juan Mata (£37.1m) and captain Wayne Rooney (£27m).

Manchester City aren’t far behind. With the likes of Kevin de Bruyne (£54.5m), Raheem Sterling (£49m) and Leroy Sane (£37m) among their most expensive additions over the past two years, City’s starting XI could cost up to £321.85m.

The first derby of the 2015/16 campaign ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw while the return fixture, hosted at the Etihad Stadium, was settled 16 minutes into the game courtesy of a Marcus Rashford goal.

Both matches struggled to live up to expectation but with Guardiola and Mourinho now at the helm, Saturday’s game is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely contested derbies in recent time.

The fixture should better November 2015’s El Clasico which cost £562m in transfers. Barcelona thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 at the Bernabeu as Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta and Neymar all ran riot during the game.

Real Madrid’s team of Galacticos cost £20m more than United’s predicted Saturday XI, with Gareth Bale (£85.3m), Cristiano Ronaldo (£80m) and James Rodriguez (£63m) all starting, while Barcelona fielded a side worth £191.55m that included the likes of Luiz Suarez (£75m) and Neymar (£48.6m).

The two Manchester clubs are expected to set a new record though in the wake of the most expensive transfer window in history.

In total, £1.175bn was spent as the Premier League’s clubs splashed the cash in a bid to strengthen their squads for the 2016/17 season.