Thursday 26 May 2016 8:49 am

Manchester United named most valuable club in the world but must win trophies with Jose Mourinho to stay at the top

By: Joe Hall

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Manchester United have been named the joint-most valuable football club in the world, but have been warned that incoming manager Jose Mourinho will need to improve results if they want to remain top of the pile.

Both United and Real Madrid are estimated to be worth £2.1bn in a report published today by accountancy giant KPMG which values the FA Cup winners nearly £1bn higher than the next most valuable Premier League club, Arsenal, who are estimated to be worth £1.2bn.

The ranking of Europe’s biggest 32 clubs takes into account profitability, popularity, stadium ownership, broadcasting rights and sporting potential.

The Premier League’s commercial strength is represented with five clubs in the top 10, with Manchester City at £1.2bn, Chelsea at £1bn and Liverpool at £940m making up the sixth, seventh and eighth spots respectively.

Read more: Manchester United stay on course for £500m year after announcing record results

United, Liverpool and Arsenal are the only clubs in the top 10 not to have won their domestic league or the Champions League in the past three years and United’s value could be even bigger had they enjoyed the level of success sustained under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Last weekend’s FA Cup triumph marked United’s first trophy in the three years since Ferguson left and, KPMG say, Mourinho will need to deliver further triumphs if the club is to remain the sport’s most valuable.

“To a certain extent Manchester United is on course to match Real Madrid thanks to the expected benefit they’d receive from the incoming £1.8bn per season broadcast deal," KPMG’s global head of sports Andrea Sartori told City A.M.

“Sporting success generates value for any club, providing it is properly managed.

"Real Madrid have been significantly more successful on the pitch than Manchester United in the past three years.

“They have played regularly in the final stages of the Champions League. Two years ago they won it, this year they’re in the final. 

“United are going to miss the revenue that comes from qualifying for the Champions League next season.”

Barcelona trail United as the third most valuable club at £2bn, followed by Bayern Munich at £1.6bn. Italy and France’s only representatives, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, make up the ninth and 10th spots with respective estimated values of £726m and £622m.

The 32 elite European clubs on KPMG’s list are those who have achieved long-term success, are unlikely to be relegated and regular appearance in Uefa competitions.

Consequently, clubs such as Leicester and West Ham are not included in the ranking, although Everton and Tottenham are also included in the top 20 with estimated values of £591m and £336m respectively.