Man Utd overtaken by rivals Liverpool and City as most valuable brand in England
Manchester United are no longer the most valuable brand in English football, new figures show.
United, for so long considered top dogs commercially among the Premier League elite, have been overtaken by rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, according to recent data released by Safebettingsites.
They say the Red Devils are now worth just over £2.8billion – a not inconsiderable sum – but below noisy neighbours City and long-term adversaries Liverpool, who are said to be worth just over £3billion. United's drop in value goes hand-in-hand with their poor performances on the pitch over the last few years, particularly last season.
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The 13-time Premier League champions struggled under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, eventually finishing outside the Champions League places and without a trophy to their name.
As United have fallen by the wayside where the title is considered – their last win came in 2013 – Liverpool and Man City have formed a duopoly at the top.
The two clubs have shared the last five Premier League titles, with four of those going to Pep Guardiola and City. Liverpool have won the Champions League and twice lost in the final of the competition in that time too.
Although Ronaldo returned to United last term, City and Liverpool have been busy accumulating their own global stars in the form of Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland. United's overall transfer business has not been quite so impressive.
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It all paints a miserable picture for the Red Devils, who will be hoping to return to the glory days of Sir Alex Ferguson under new boss Erik ten Hag following his appointment from Ajax.
"The current Manchester United is a far cry from when it dominated English football, both on and off the pitch," said Safebettingsites’ Edith Reads.
"The team’s decline is down to several factors, including its poor performance in recent years and the retirement of its legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. However, the biggest factor is probably the increased competition from its biggest challengers Liverpool and Man City."
Despite Liverpool and City's dominance in the Premier League, they find themselves third and fourth among Europe's top footballing brands.
Bayern Munich hold top spot with a brand valuation of just over £4billion, while Spanish giants Real Madrid are ranked second at a shade over £3billion.
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