10 reasons why Bradford City is the perfect club to spend £10m on right now | OneFootball

Football League World runs down why a £10 million purchase of Bradford City would be a smart investment currently

As the 10-year anniversary of Stefan Rupp's ownership closes in, with the current owner crossing a decade at the club in May, and having been the sole owner since 2019, the German owner looks to be willing to move on.

The Athletic have reported that he's been listening to offers for a couple of years now, with the club's rise back to League One and potential move up into the Championship this season providing more grounds to cash in.

The report states that Rupp wants £10 million for the Bantams, which would see him make a healthy £5 million profit.

A profit for the former owner, and a really attractive club to invest in; it would be a win-win for both parties, but how attractive actually is Bradford City? Football League World has outlined 10 reasons why the Bantams are a club that prospective owners should be champing at the bit to be involved in.

1 ? ? Bradford City is a massive one-club city

One-club cities are often marketable all on their own, as it allows there to be initiatives done around the city to help swell the support for the club, as there's no competition from other professional sides.

However, Bradford's status as the largest one-club city in the EFL currently stands them out above the rest.

Bradford is actually the 10th largest city in England, and was the UK's "City of Culture" last year. If that doesn't provide the grounds to want to invest and build a football team worthy of a city like this, then nothing will.

2 ? ? Bradford City have a passionate, loyal fanbase

While Bradford is a massive city in its own right, that doesn't mean that they don't have any famous sides as their neighbours, as West Yorkshire, as a county, harbours numerous other sides, most notably Leeds United and Huddersfield Town.

Both the Whites and the Terriers have had more Premier League and Championship years since the turn of the century than Bradford has, making it much easier for those in Bradford to defer and support one of their neighbours.

But the Bantams' recent seasons in the dregs of the EFL haven't deterred their passionate fanbase, who have suffered with the club over recent years, and are only now starting to feel positive once more about the club's direction.

3 ? ? Valley Parade and the incredible attendances

Bradford's form at Valley Parade has been nearly impeccable for close to 18 months now. It's what helped them over the line in League Two last season, and what has them in the top four in League One now.

'The 12th man' is an old cliche, but Bradford has that, and some. They have the fourth-largest stadium in the third tier, and only Bolton Wanderers have boasted a higher attendance average than the Bantams this season.

Valley Parade is one of the final remaining 'old school' grounds in the EFL, and when it's filled, there arguably aren't many better in League One.

4 ? ? Bobby Pointon and Jenson Metcalfe

While both Bobby Pointon and Jenson Metcalfe may not be the only reasons why prospective owners would spend £10 million to buy Bradford, they resemble something bigger, and that is the academy process and the exciting young talents that the Bantams are bringing through.

Metcalfe only joined the club in the summer from Everton, but he's quickly become a player who has clear Championship quality, and Pointon is enjoying his best campaign in front of goal, having already made over 100 appearances out of the Bradford academy.

Graham Alexander's side has made nearly £2 million in academy sales over the last five years, and in Pointon, especially, that number will grow massively as and when he moves on.

Bradford fans will hope that's not the case any time soon, but for a prospective owner, having highly-rated sellable assets can only increase attraction at a football club.

5 ? ? Bradford City are financially stable

The Athletic states that Stefan Rupp wants £10 million so he could write off the £5.4 million he has lent the club over the past decade, so the expectations are that a new owner would be starting with a clean slate and without debt.

What's even more helpful is that, under Rupp's ownership, the club have been financially stable. Off the back of their accounts from the 2023/24 financial year, the club only lost £1 million, increased their revenue and transfer income, and were operating rather shrewdly compared to other sides.

Granted, these will be updated for the current financial year at some point over the coming days and weeks, but it's looking like a new owner would be taking over a healthy club from a money perspective.

6 ? ? The League One promotion will help improve those numbers

That account review takes into account the financial strains and incomings as a League Two club, so the expectations now that Bradford are back in League One will be that revenue will increase.

There's a higher prize money bonus for being in League One, while sponsorships will increase, too.

While the wage bill will likely go up and the club will need to spend more to attract better quality players, the hope would be that the bonuses from being in a higher league will balance that out.

7 ? ? Championship promotion could be around the corner

Bradford's first season back in the third tier since the 2018/19 campaign has been a massive success, with the club sitting pretty inside the top six, and with a healthy points barrier between themselves in fourth and the chasing pack going into the final stages of the campaign.

Not only will being in the play-offs help financially, with the games being broadcast on TV, but the possibility of being in the Championship delivers more lucrative bonuses and the opportunity for better sponsorships.

The prize money for the 2024/25 campaign saw second-tier sides being paid £9 million more than teams in League One, just due to the division they are in.

With Bradford knocking on the door, it may not be long before they are reaping those rewards.

8 ? ? Bradford City are a sleeping giant

The term 'sleeping giant' gets thrown around a lot in football, but when it comes to Bradford, everyone can agree that this club has the potential to rise again.

The club has a previous Premier League pedigree, having spent two seasons in the top flight between 1999 and 2001, but since then, they have spent longer in League Two than they have in the second-tier, with their last season in the old Division One coming in the 2003/04 campaign.

With the large stadium, passionate fans and their status as a one-club city, there's so much untapped potential at Bradford, and the ability to climb back to where they once were should be enough of a selling point for prospective owners.

9 ? ? £10 million couldn't buy you a Championship club today

Right now, we're in the midst of the Championship's bottom club, already relegated, Sheffield Wednesday, being purchased for around £18 million, and even that's lower than the initial asking price of £30 million.

While a lot of that asking price was to do with paying off the club's creditors, it goes to show how expensive some football clubs can be. Wrexham are said to be worth close to £150 million now that they're in the Championship.

Putting it simply, if a prospective owner wanted to buy a side in the second-tier for £10 million, they couldn't do it. Whereas here, they'd have the opportunity to buy one who may end up in the Championship in the space of a few years.

10 ? ? So, Bradford City is a low-risk, high-reward purchase

For a club in relative financial security, with a massive, profitable fanbase, exciting, young stars coming up both through purchases and their own academy, and a previous top-flight history, £10 million is an absolute bargain of an entry point.

With the potential of this club, there's a high possibility that a new owner could double their money in a few years if they parted with £10 million now to buy Bradford.

And they should do it sooner rather than later, as if Graham Alexander can oversee a second successive promotion into the Championship, Stefan Rupp will most definitely be upping his asking price.