Manchester United are the most valuable European club
What's the story
Manchester United may have endured a season without trophies, but that hasn't hindered their status as the most valuable football club in Europe. As per a research by KPMG, ManU are worth around a staggering £2.92 bn. The study values the clubs as on January 1, 2018. This comes as a massive boost to the club as they fended off top European rivals.
Next rivals
United pip Spanish giants Real and Barcelona
Spanish clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona have been more successful in terms of trophies earned in the last couple of seasons, but are second and third respectively in the list of valuable clubs. Real have won back to back Champions League as Barca achieved domestic success. The two powerhouses of the game saw the English giants beat them on the basis of enterprise value.
Reasons
How did United remain the most valuable club?
32 major clubs were analyzed in this study. The study was based on profitability, popularity, broadcasting rights, team value and sporting potential. KPMG's global head Andrea Sartori stated that the overall value of football clubs saw an increase. The profits before taxes had an upward trend as well. The English clubs have had strong influence and that was a factor for their growth.
PL dominance
Six Premier League clubs in top 10
Besides United, the next valuable Premier League club are cross-town rivals Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's side won two trophies this season that included the PL. The likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool followed suit. Tottenham Hotspur too chipped in after claiming the final place. Spurs had a 27% growth as compared to last time.
Data
Enterprise value: Top 10 European clubs
Here are the 10 clubs that made it in the list - Manchester United - £2.92bn, Real Madrid £2.62bn, Barcelona £2.49bn, Bayern Munich £2.29bn, Manchester City £1.93bn, Arsenal £1.88bn, Chelsea £1.58bn, Liverpool £1.415bn, Juventus £1.158bn, Tottenham £1.16bn.