Greedy Premier League clubs in new Forbes’ list of most valuable sport teams

Five Premier League clubs who signed up to the doomed European Super League last month have been named inside the top 50 most valuable sports teams of 2021.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been included on the new list published by Forbes but none are featured in the top 10 with the list dominated by NFL and NBA franchises.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the finances of most sporting organisations, it is claimed the average value of the world’s top 50 sports teams sides has increased by 9.9 per cent to $3.4billion (£2.4bn) in the past 12 months. 

Manchester United and Liverpool are the two highest-ranked Premier League clubs in Forbes’ list of the top 50 most valuable sports teams in the world

The valuations Forbes have placed on the five Premier League clubs – as well as Real Madrid and Barcelona – will intensify the anger towards their doomed plans to launch a European Super League last month.

Furious protests by supporters, players, managers and pundits eventually led to nine of the 12 founder members withdrawing from the competition but Real, Barcelona and Juventus are still clinging to the idea.

The brains behind the European Super League argued it would increase revenue for the top clubs in Europe and allow them to distribute more money to the rest of the game.

UEFA, other teams and fan organisations, however, were adamant that it would only boost the power and wealth of elite clubs. 

Last week nine of the 12 founder members agreed to a peace deal with UEFA on Friday and accepted being fined millions of pounds but European football’s governing body insisted that Real, Barcelona and Juventus will face sanctions. 

The Forbes valuations will intensify the anger towards the doomed European Super League

To measure the value and growth of each team Forbes takes ‘published valuations for each sport during the past six months, calculated using revenue and operating income adjusted for revenue sharing’ and includes ‘the economics of each team’s arena deal but not the value of the real estate itself.’  

Manchester United are the highest-valued Premier League side in 11th place with a valuation of $4.2bn (£2.96bn), sitting just one place in front of rivals Liverpool at $4.1bn (£2.89bn). 

Premier League champions-elect Manchester City are level with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams in 13th spot at $4bn (£2.82bn).

Chelsea are joint 25th with the NFL’s Denver Broncos and the NBA’s Boston Celtics with a valuation of $3.2bn (£2.3bn).

Meanwhile, their Champions League final opponents Chelsea are joint 25th with the NFL’s Denver Broncos and the NBA’s Boston Celtics with a valuation of $3.2bn (£2.26bn).

Arsenal are the lowest-ranked Premier League side, sitting in 38th place with a value of $2.8bn (£1.98bn).

Those positions are a marked increase for the English teams apart from Man United, who have fallen by one place.

Manchester City have risen by 21 spots from the same rankings published 12 months ago while Chelsea have risen by 12 and Arsenal nine.

Thanks to their Premier League success in 2020, Liverpool have gone from not even being in the top 50 last year to sitting high up this time around.   

The owners of two Premier League also have other teams on the list.

Arsenal chief Stan Kroenke’s Los Angeles Rams match Man City while the Boston Red Sox, also owned by Liverpool’s Fenway Sports Group, are worth $3.47bn (£2.45bn). 

Despite their huge debts and financial woes, Spanish giants Barcelona find themselves in fourth place with Real Madrid just behind – each with a valuation just above $4.7bn (£3.3bn). 

Both Manchester City and Arsenal are in the top 50 but also wanted in on the Super League

Bayern Munich are the third highest-ranked football team with the Bundesliga giants coming in at 10th place at $4.21bn (£2.979bn). 

Beaten Champions League semi-finalist Paris Saint-Germain also make the top 50, coming in at No 43 with a valuation of $2.5bn (£1.76bn).

There is no sign of Tottenham, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan or Atletico Madrid in the top 50 spots, all of whom were founder members of the European Super League. 

American sport continues to dominate the rankings, however, with NFL franchise Dallas Cowboys ranked No 1 with a value of $5.7bn (£4bn).

In second place is MLB’s New York Yankees at $5.25bn (£3.7bn) and NBA’s New York Knicks completes the top three with $5bn (£3.5bn).

The Golden State Warriors (£3.32bn), Los Angeles Lakers (£3.2bn), New England Patriots (£3.1bn) and New York Giants (£3bn) complete the top 10.