Premier League leaders Manchester City has been rated to be the club with the most financial stability according to a new annual report by Soccerex Football Finance 100.
The Cityzens topped the global rankings with a Football Finance Index (FFI) score of 4.883, which factors in five variables – playing assets, money in the bank, potential owner investment and net debt.
North London club Arsenal surprisingly are in second place (4.559), a position which will raise eyebrows due to the club’s seeming reluctance to splash the cash in the transfer market.
Big spending French giants Paris Saint-Germain who broke the world transfer record when they signed Brazilian superstar Neymar in August, are only in third (4.128).
Commenting on the first Soccerex Football Finance 100, Soccerex Marketing Director David Wright said: “We’re delighted to reveal the results of our first Soccerex Football Finance 100 study which highlight how the global football landscape has shifted over the past two decades.
“We wanted to create a study that provided a broader evaluation of football finances, one that reflected the modern reality of football, impacted by increased owner investment and the need for better financial management.
“By looking at factors like asset value, debt levels and crucially the amount the owner or ownership group could invest in the context of their direct environment, the report evaluates both the financial standing of each club and the economic potential they have in he market. The results have certainly been eye-catching!”
Providing further evidence to the growth of football in China, Guangzhou Evergrande sit proudly in fourth position (3.423) ahead of 12-time UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid who are sixth (2.578).
Premier League clubs dominate the top ten, with fifth placed Tottenham Hotspur (2.591) surprisingly ahead of both Manchester United in seventh (2.314) and Chelsea in ninth (2.073).
Barcelona (13th, 1.626) don’t even make the top ten, which is completed by 33-time Serie A winners Juventus (eighth, 2.260) and Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich (2.086).
Article is open ended to the financial illiterate. What do we do with the information? How do we interprete it? Does it mean it’s safer to invest in Arsenal than Manchester United?