Man Utd squad cost record-breaking £1.2bn last season; Manchester City rank second with squad valued at £1.1bn; Chelsea rank third with total derived from 2021/22 financial year; Blues' squad cost expected to explode after £1bn spending spree since Todd Boehly bought club
Thursday 15 February 2024 14:47, UK
Manchester United had the most expensive football squad ever assembled last season, according to a new UEFA report.
The findings reveal Erik ten Hag's squad cost a staggering £1.2bn in transfer fees last term, when this side secured a third-place finish in the Premier League, won the Carabao Cup and finished runners-up in the FA Cup.
However, United have struggled this season, crashing out of the Champions League and currently sitting sixth in the Premier League table after a recent upturn in form.
The record-breaking figure includes huge fees splashed out on Antony (£86m), Harry Maguire (£80m), Jadon Sancho (£73m) and Casemiro (£70m) - but excludes several expensive acquisitions signed last summer, who arrived after the 2022/23 financial year.
European and domestic champions Manchester City sit second in the rankings with a squad cost of £1.1bn, followed by Chelsea (£927.2m, *2021/22 financial year), Real Madrid (£881.9m) and Paris Saint-Germain (£802.4m).
In terms of Chelsea, that total is likely to explode for 2022/23 given the Blues have spent £1bn on new signings since it was calculated, having undertaken a record-breaking transfer splurge after Todd Boehly bought the club.
Liverpool (£774.1m) rank sixth in the table, with fellow Premier League sides Arsenal (seventh with £761.3m), Tottenham (ninth with £569.7m), Newcastle (12th with £464.5m), Aston Villa (15th with £427.7m) and West Ham (17th with £378.9m) among the top 20.
In terms of revenue, Real Madrid took top spot with £719m over the financial year, followed by Manchester City (£715m), Barcelona (£697m) and Paris Saint-Germain (£690m).
Manchester United (£639m) remained among the thick of it in fifth spot - slipping one place from the previous year - while Liverpool (£584m), Tottenham (£541m), Chelsea (£504m), Arsenal (£458m), Newcastle (£246m), West Ham (£235m) and Brighton (£226m) all featured in the top 20.
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