What are Premier League clubs worth? | OneFootball

English football’s top flight has become the sport’s financial centre, yet putting a price on its clubs remains fraught.

Transfer windows lay bare that dominance, and wage tables do too, with nine Premier League teams among Europe’s 20 biggest payers in 2023-24. For 2025-26, 78 per cent of the 20 clubs are owned by non-UK investors. The Athletic has examined industry estimates and recent accounts to offer indicative ranges for every club.

Profitability is rare. Since 2019-20, only 27 of 102 pre-tax results published by Premier League sides were in the black, with losses persisting after Covid-19 as wage and transfer inflation outpaced revenues.

Across the 16 seasons from 2008-09 to 2023-24, clubs recorded economic losses totalling £7.87 billion ($10.6bn at the current rate), around half stemming from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham. Paradoxically, those six are still the most highly valued.

Football does not behave like a typical business. Prestige counts, and many owners see value in the expectation that others will pay more later, even if dividends are scarce.

Values can swing, especially near the relegation trapdoor. Future TV income, fresh investment rules or even a revived European Super League could reshape the landscape, so hard numbers are elusive, but broad buckets can still indicate worth.

Source: NY Times