Manchester United have £5bn truth that explains Sir Jim Ratcliffe decision

While Manchester United may continue to struggle on the pitch it appears to have done little to slow its growth prospects off it.

While Erik ten Hag’s men have an FA Cup final to look forward to at the end of the month they could yet end up without any kind of European football to look forward to next season, with the chastening 4-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Monday leaving the club eighth and intensifying the pressure on the Dutch boss.

Former United vice-chairman Ed Woodward once said that the playing performance didn’t have a “meaningful impact” on what the club could do commercially, something that was met with widespread disapproval.

But it has been proven that it hasn’t been a major hurdle to clear for United in terms of growing both the value of the club and its revenues across the board, with the club a compelling enough investment opportunity for INEOS founder and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe to take a 27.7% stake in the club for £1.25bn earlier this year.

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US sports business website Sportico has been producing team valuations across sports for a number of years, using data analysis and a number of metrics to determine the value.

The 2024 Sportico list of the most valuable ‘soccer’ teams on the planet has Manchester United at the very summit, valuing the club at $6.2bn (£5bn), ahead of Real Madrid in second ($6.06bn), Barcelona in third ($5.28bn), Liverpool in fourth ($5.11bn), and fifth-placed Bayern Munich ($4.8bn). Neigbours Manchester City, despite the highest revenues in world football and a string of domestic and international titles to its name over the past decade, has a valuation of $4.75bn