Manchester United valuation grows 30 per cent in 12 months amid takeover process

Manchester United’s value has shot up by 30 per cent over the past year with the club up for sale, according to Forbes.

It puts the Reds as the second most valuable football outfit in the world at $6billon (£4.83bn), just behind Real Madrid on $6.07bn (£4.88bn). United’s price has rapidly increased from last year’s $4.6bn (£3.7bn) estimation.

Only Paris Saint-Germain are said to have experienced a greater inflation, growing from £2.57bn to £3.37bn (32 per cent) albeit are operating on an income loss of £176million. In contrast, United attain an operating turnaround of £87m.

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It looks as though the takeover process will edge into the summer as bidders Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe battle for a purchase. Sheikh Jassim wishes to take 100 per cent full control while Sir Jim wishes to attain the Glazers’ 69 per cent majority.

Reports suggest the latter is leaning the race with a proposal which sees Avram and Joel Glazer stay on as minority shareholders. Both have gone through several rounds of bidding, the first of which was set back in February.

United and Madrid are the only two teams to have ranked in Forbes’ top five most valuable clubs list since its inception in 2004. Forbes says United rake in £627m in revenue, slightly lower than Madrid’s £648m although the Spanish club are on an operating loss of £30.5m.

According to Forbes, United bring in £1.6bn apiece in broadcasting and commercial deals while £794m is generated by matchday income. Their debt apparently stands at 11 per cent of the club value.

Barcelona sit third on the rich list, valued at £4.43bn, while Liverpool (£4.25bn) and Manchester City (£4.02bn) complete the top