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Premier League squad value
It's well known that the Premier League is the richest domestic competition in world football, but which club has the most valuable squad? Using data from Transfermarkt, we've ranked all 20 teams on that very question.
Of course, a player's actual value is determined by how much a buyer is willing to pay for him. The figures here are therefore estimates, albeit ones based on relevant factors such as ability, age, contract status and plenty more...
20. Sheffield United (£63.14m)
Sheffield United have made an excellent start to the campaign, holding Bournemouth to a 1-1 draw on the opening day before beating Crystal Palace 1-0 last time out. They're still among the favourites for relegation, though, in part because their squad doesn't contain much in the way of proven Premier League quality.
That’s reflected in a collective market value of £63.14m, which works out at an average of just £2.18m per player. Oli McBurnie is considered their most valuable asset, followed by centre-backs Jack O’Connell and John Egan.
19. Norwich (£82.89m)
After winning the Championship last term, Norwich took a less-is-more approach in the transfer market, spending just £1.1m on new additions. Keeping faith with the group that got them promoted could prove to be a masterstroke, with Daniel Farke’s side looking thoroughly impressive in their recent 3-1 defeat of Newcastle.
Their minimal summer outlay helps to explain why the Canaries are second-bottom in this list. Emiliano Buendia and Max Aarons share top spot in the Norwich rankings, followed by Teemu Pukki – last weekend’s hat-trick hero and the Premier League's leading goalscorer at the time of writing.
18. Aston Villa (£141.75m)
Aston Villa were the Premier League’s busiest team in the transfer market, splashing £144.5m on 12 new faces. Only Manchester United spent more, and their £148m outlay was in part funded by the £74m sale of Romelu Lukaku to Inter.
Yet despite their summer extravagance, Dean Smith’s squad is still only the 18th-most valuable in the division at £141.75m. Unsurprisingly, Jack Grealish is considered the Villa player who would fetch the biggest transfer fee.
17. Burnley (£185.18m)
A club of Burnley’s size can probably never feel completely relaxed about their Premier League status, but under Sean Dyche's astute management, the Clarets have managed to establish themselves in the top tier.
The extent of Dyche’s achievement is evidenced by the fact that, even after four successive seasons at this level, Burnley’s squad has the lowest collective value of anyone but the three promoted clubs. Striker Chris Wood and centre-back James Tarkowski lead the way for the Lancastrians.
16. Brighton (£197.33m)
After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Brighton felt a change of direction was in order. Out went Chris Hughton and in came Graham Potter, who has implemented a more progressive, attack-minded style of play at the Amex Stadium.
One thing hasn’t changed, though: Brighton’s squad still has one of the lowest market values in the Premier League. New boy Leandro Trossard, who was excellent in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with West Ham, tops the Albion list.
15. Crystal Palace (£207.63m)
Crystal Palace refused to sell star man Wilfried Zaha for anything less than £80m in the summer, reasoning that the Ivory Coast international is so integral to their survival chances that it's better to retain his services than risk giving up the riches that come with Premier League membership.
Zaha is easily the most valuable player at Selhurst Park, although Transfermarkt’s more objective valuations pegs him at £40.5m. Luka Milivojevic comes in at number two after the Serbia international signed a new four-year contract this month.
14. Newcastle (£227.32m)
After a slight reprieve under Rafael Benitez, the doom-and-gloom mood has returned to St James’ Park. Mike Ashley is still calling the shots upstairs, while Steve Bruce is considered – at best – an underwhelming successor to Benitez.
Despite being one of the biggest clubs in the division, Newcastle’s squad value is only the 14th highest. Summer signings Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin lead the way, followed by January acquisition Miguel Almiron.
13. Watford (£232.97m)
Watford have had a disappointing start to 2019/20, losing 3-0 at home to Brighton before going down 1-0 at Everton last weekend. Given the revolving door policy at Vicarage Road, Javi Gracia will need to turn things around in the coming weeks if he wants to keep his job.
However, perhaps last season’s flirtation with the top eight – Watford ultimately finished 11th but were higher up for much of the campaign – was an overachievement. Their relative squad value would certainly suggest as much.
12. Southampton (£261.63m)
Southampton were a team transformed once Ralph Hasenhuttl took the reins last term, and they’re widely expected to avoid the drop this time around – even if they’ve lost two out of two so far.
Mid-table is also where they rank for squad value, with an average of £9.34m per player. Jannik Vestergaard and Nathan Redmond are tied in first place at £18m apiece, with the £16.5m James Ward-Prowse not far behind.
11. Wolves (£282.24m)
Given that they finished seventh last season and are contenders to break into the top six in 2019/20, it's a little surprising that Wolves are in the bottom half of this ranking. Nuno Espirito Santo's group is valued at £282.24m by Transfermarkt, despite the fact that their squad has the youngest average age in the top flight.
Ruben Neves, scorer of a wonderful equaliser against Manchester United on Monday, tops the pile at £40.5m, with Raul Jimenez, Diogo Jota and Patrick Cutrone, signed from Milan this summer, next in line.
10. Bournemouth (£288m)
Bournemouth are probably the smallest club in the Premier League, with their Dean Court home able to squeeze in just 11,329 punters. But in terms of squad value, they're in the division’s top 10.
Interestingly, whereas 11th-placed Wolves have three players worth more than £30m, Bournemouth have none. Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser, Nathan Ake and David Brooks all come close, though, and their average of £10.29m is a touch more than Wolves’s £10.08m.
9. West Ham (£309.83m)
West Ham spent £78m in the summer as they aim to better last term's 10th-place finish in Manuel Pellegrini's second season at the helm. If squad value's anything to go by, the Hammers should be aiming to nudge into the top nine in 2019/20.
Declan Rice was superb last time out and, at 20 years of age and now possessing full international status with England, is considered West Ham's most valuable asset at £40.5m. Felipe Anderson and Sebastien Haller aren't far behind on £36m, followed by the £31.5m-rated Issa Diop.
8. Leicester (£364.73m)
Leicester's strong second-half showing against Chelsea last weekend suggested that Brendan Rodgers' side are ready to challenge for the top six this season. Yet despite their position in eighth spot, their squad is valued significantly lower than each member of the Premier League's leading sextet - as we'll see later.
Even so, the Foxes have some high-worth individuals in their ranks. James Maddison, star of the show at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, heads up the list, with Youri Tielemans, Wilfred Ndidi and Ben Chilwell next in line.
7. Everton (£471.6m)
Everton ended last season brightly and have started this one in a similar vein, keeping back-to-back clean sheets and collecting four points from their opening two encounters. Many neutrals have picked the Toffees out as the most likely contenders to upset the top six in 2019/20; in terms of squad value they certainly look best placed to do so.
According to Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old Richarlison would fetch £36m on the open market. Jordan Pickford, meanwhile, would go for £36m, as would new signing Moise Kean.
6. Arsenal (£607.28m)
The fact that sixth-placed Arsenal’s squad is deemed to be worth £135.68m more than seventh-placed Everton’s shows the magnitude of the task awaiting the Toffees and their fellow top-six aspirants.
Transfermarkt believe the Gunners would receive more than £607m were they to sell all their players tomorrow (something FourFourTwo wouldn’t recommend, incidentally). Top spot in their ranks is shared between Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, with Nicolas Pepe in third.
5. Manchester United (£704.03m)
Manchester United were the league’s biggest spenders this summer, sanctioning purchases worth a combined £148m. Yet despite being one of the division’s top two cash-splashers in recent years, the Red Devils only rank fifth in squad value.
Paul Pogba leads the way at £90m, although United would be unlikely to sell their prized asset for that little. Marcus Rashford is second to the Frenchman, just as he was in the penalty-taking pecking order in Monday’s 1-1 draw with Wolves.
4. Chelsea (£740.48m)
Chelsea may have lost Eden Hazard and been unable to sign anyone this summer (although they were permitted to buy former loanee Mateo Kovacic on a permanent basis), but they still make the top four in this list.
N’Golo Kante is worth more than any of his team-mates according to Transfermarkt’s calculations, with the Frenchman valued at £90m. Next up is Jorginho, with world record goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Pulisic close behind.
3. Tottenham (£886.05m)
An awful run of form saw Tottenham slip from third to fourth in the final weeks of 2019/20, but many expect them to make the top three this season. That would tally with their position in the squad value standings, with Mauricio Pochettino's group thought to be worth around £145m more than Frank Lampard's.
Harry Kane, Spurs’ talisman, is comfortably their highest-worth footballer at £135m – in fact, Transfermarkt consider only three players in the world (Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Mohamed Salah) to be more valuable.
2. Liverpool (£961.43m)
Liverpool kept their powder dry in the summer transfer market, opting against making any major additions to a squad which won the Champions League and finished second in the Premier League last season.
Despite the lack of new faces, the Reds’ ranks still contain plenty of valuable players. The fabled front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are worth a combined £315m.
1. Manchester City (£1.14bn)
It’s no secret that Manchester City have spent bucketloads of cash in recent years, but it’s still extraordinary that the Premier League champions’ squad is considered to be worth more than £1bn, with an average of £45.58m per player.
Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne both break the £100m barrier, while Leroy Sane and Bernardo Silva come close at £90m each. City have no fewer than 11 players who are valued at £50m or above – which is a big part of the reason they’ll again take some stopping this season.
