In a footballing landscape where mediocre stock now demands transfer fees once thought to be astronomical, the overall value of the elite clubs has risen to dizzying heights. In this article we explore the top 10 most valuable clubs in terms of overall market value, and who, and why, they demand the figures they do.
10. Tottenham Hotspur – £536.22m
Tottenham sneak into the top 10 making up one of four Premier League clubs, and given some of the world class talent they have it their disposal, it is clear to see why.
In recent years their transfer policy has improved leaps and bounds, and with chairman Daniel Levy seemingly going against his usual reserved nature by entrusting Antonio Conte with a sizeable budget, they have acquired talents such as Cristian Romero (£43m) and most recently Yves Bissouma (£31m) from Brighton.
These kinds of players are young, with incredible market potential that should keep rising, while undoubted heavyweights such as Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane, valued at £67.5m and £81m respectively, make up a huge chunk of their overall value.
9. Atletico Madrid – £547.20m
Next on the list we have Atletico Madrid who, despite playing football considered to be negative or far from entertaining, have an incredibly loyal cohort spearheaded by the infamous Diego Simeone.
They possess some fine young talent which, as we know all too well, seems to fetch the highest fees based on potential. They have managed to hold on to Joao Felix who they invested heavily in at £110m – while his stock has dropped to £63m in market value, he remains a valuable asset.
Mainstays such as the intriguing Marcos Llorente (£40.5m), Jose Giminez (£45m), Thomas Lemar (£36m) and Rodrigo de Paul (£36m) make up a squad brimming with talent.
8. Barcelona – £563.40m
While Barcelona’s stock has undoubtedly fallen considerably as the club’s economic and political problems have spiralled out of control, they remain an incredibly value squad on the market with a blend of established superstars and world-beating youth.
Of course, emerging talents such as Gavi (£54m), Pedri (£72m), Ronaldo Araujo (£45m) and Ansu Fati (£54m) make up the bulk of the overall market value – they will continue to rise as well as they start to make their imprint on La Liga and Europe.
More senior players such as Frenkie De Jong, who looks destined for the exit this summer, as well as Memphis Depay and Marc Andre Der Stegen have held their value despite Barcelona’s falling stock.
7. Manchester United – £653.45m
While it is not surprising given the astronomical money Manchester United have spent in recent years, the Red Devils come in at seventh.
Lots of players who many would consider cheap in the current market such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£22m), Scott McTominay (£28.8m) and Fred (£18m) certainly make up the large majority of United’s market value.
However, they do possess incredible talent with huge transfer value – most notably Jadon Sancho (£67.5m) and Marcus Rashford (£54m), while Bruno Fernandes is of course their prized possession with a market value of £76.5m.
6. Real Madrid – £675.00m
Rather surprisingly, Real Madrid only come in at sixth on this list.
Indeed, part of their squad has lost a huge chunk of their value as they enter the twilight of their career – most notably Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema.
However, President Florentino Perez and the Real board have made considerable effort to bring in a wave of fresh youth, which has proven a shrewd tactic as they stormed to the Champions League title last season.
Brazilian duo Rodrygo (£54m) and Vincius Jr (£90m) now demand substantial transfer fees with the latter among the most expensive players in world football.
5. Bayern Munich – £692.55m
The only German club in the top 10, Bayern Munich sneak into the top five with a hefty valuation just shy of £700m.
It is easy to see why they are among the most valuable in world football, with mind-blowing young talent all over the pitch all possessing bundles of potential. Among their most expensive players are Alphonso Davies (£63m), Joshua Kimmich (£72m), Jamal Musiala (£58.5) and Leroy Sane (£54m).
With incoming signings in Sadio Mane, Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Masraoui, their stock will likely keep rising this season.
4. Chelsea – £736.02m
Chelsea’s value has been boosted massively in recent seasons by acquiring youthful talents in Kai Havertz (£63m) and Christian Pulisic (£37.6m), while academy products of their own in Mason Mount (£67.5m), Reece James (£54m) and Trevor Chalaboah (£18m) have proven their worth over the past two seasons under Thomas Tuchel, making them a highly lucrative side.
3. Paris Saint Germain – £736.07m
Only marginally ahead of Chelsea in third are PSG, who since being taken over by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011, have invested vast amounts of cash in making the Parisians competitive domestically as well as in Europe.
Their signing of Neymar for £200m back in 2017 was a seismic event in world football, and the ripples of inflated transfer prices can still be felt today. They possess the most valuable asset in world football, Kylian Mbappe (£144m), who they recently tied down with a monumental three year contract, while world class talent in Marquinhos (£46m), Lionel Messi (£45m) and Marco Verratti (£45m) make up one of the most eye-catching squads in Europe.
2. Liverpool – £820.08m
Clocking in at number two, we have last season’s runner up in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
When Jurgen Klopp took charge at Anfield in 2015, he inherited a Liverpool team that was depleted, lacking in ideas and a shell of their former glory. Fast forward to now, the enigmatic German has nurtured the likes of Mohamed Salah (£81m), Virgil Van Dijk (£49.5), Trent Alexander Arnold (£72m) and most recently Luis Diaz (£54m) into world-beating talent, which has seen them win a league title and a Champions League during his tenure.
1. Manchester City – £832.32m
It is no surprise to Manchester City top of this list.
Again a world-changing take-over by Sheikh Mansour back in 2008 has allowed the Cityzens to spend at will, compiling on the most complete squads ever seen in English football.
This isn’t to say they are spending money at will, in fact, their transfer policy is very calculated and they only invest in players that make sense from both a long-term financial standpoint, but also a footballing one.
They recently announced the signing of the second most valuable player in the world, Erling Haaland for a cut price of £51m – again, very smart business. Elsewhere, Ruben Dias (£67.5), Rodri (£72m), Phil Foden (£81m), Kevin De Bruyne (£76.5m) and Bernardo Silva (£72m) are just some of the eight players who are valued at £50m or more.
