Manchester United remain the top-ranked English club in terms of revenue generated but their 23-year dominance of Deloitte’s Football Money League could come under threat from Manchester City or Liverpool in next year’s table. United, who have been the highest-ranked English club since Deloitte first compiled the Money League survey based on the 1996-97 financial results, are forecasting reduced revenues of between £560-580m for 2019-20. The club face the prospect of a second consecutive season without Champions League broadcast revenue.
Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, believes a changing of the guard is possible.
Dan Jones said “It is definitely a possibility that United will lose that place. Depending on where they are in that range of projected revenue (£560-580m), and if City and Liverpool do well in the Champions League, it could be very, very close. If you think about where we were 10 years ago, the idea that City would overhaul United in financial terms would have seemed far-fetched.” United have been the top English club since we started the Money League but that could come under a bit of pressure when we do it in 2021. Part of that will ride on how the rest of this season goes, if City or Liverpool go deep into the Champions League.That will cover this season when Liverpool are having an tremendous season on the pitch, so we think there’s a possibility of United losing that number one position.
United’s earnings of £627.1million for 2018-19 puts them third overall in the table, behind Spanish giants Barcelona (£741.1m) and Real Madrid (£667.5m). Their closest Premier League rivals are City and Liverpool in sixth and seventh respectively, with the Blues just £88.9m behind. Tottenham have achieved their highest-ever position in the table of eighth with revenue of £459.3m, and are the top-ranked London club for the first time since the very first Money League.
