Now £2bn City overtake United in value as well

MANCHESTER CITY have become the most valuable Premier League club, climbing above Manchester United and breaking the £2billion barrier, according to academics. A study found that the League overall dropped in value by 1.6 per cent to £14.7bn, but is still dominated by the big-six clubs who have a cumulative value of £10.9bn. Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham make up 74 per cent of the total value — up from 67 per cent last year. And the disparity between those clubs and the rest is highlighted by the fact that there is almost £1bn separating Arsenal, sixth last season, from Burnley, who came seventh. Manchester City’s £350,000 spike in value from 2017 to 2018 has been attributed to higher revenue and lower wages by University of Liverpool researchers, who have published their latest Premier League Valuations study. Kieran Maguire, principal researcher and author of Price of Football, said: ‘Critics of Manchester City point out that it is part of a multi-club ownership model and that there are commercial deals with related parties which might not apply should the club be sold. A prospective owner might not be willing to pay this value.’ United relinquished top spot due to increased costs. Wages rose by 13 per cent.