According to UEFA reports, the 2022-2023 Manchester United team has surpassed Real Madrid to become the most expensive squad ever assembled in football history.
Valued at a staggering £1.2 billion ($1.543bn), the “Red Devils” have outspent Real Madrid’s previous record of £1.12 billion ($1.434bn) set in 2020.
To break this record, Manchester United made several key additions to their squad, including Jadon Sancho (£72.1m, $91.5m), Antony (£80.4m, $102m), Harry Maguire (£78.9m, $100m), and Casemiro (£69.43m, $88m), as reported by Front Office Sports.
However, despite their significant investment, Manchester United’s performance in the 2022-23 season was not exceptional.
They finished third in the Premier League, lost the FA Cup final to Manchester City, and won the League Cup final against Newcastle United.
In contrast, Real Madrid had a more successful campaign in the 2019-2020 season. Under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane, they made several notable signings, including Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, and Rodrygo, as reported by Transfermarkt.
Real Madrid went on to win the La Liga title, the Supercopa de España, and reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
In the 2023 UEFA list, Manchester City sits in second place behind Manchester United (£1.01bn, $1.29 billion), followed by Chelsea in third (£850.2m, $1.08 billion), Real Madrid in fourth (£812m, $1.03 billion), and PSG in fifth (£740m, $938 million).
Notably, six of the top ten most expensive squads for the 2022-23 season are from the Premier League, with Liverpool (6th), Arsenal (7th), and Tottenham (9th) making the list.
The Premier League has recently started to crack down on excessive spending, with Everton and Nottingham Forest facing sanctions, as reported by Sky Sports.
This stricter approach by the Premier League may influence future spending patterns. In the January transfer window, only Tottenham and Manchester City from the traditional “Big Six” clubs made signings.
It remains to be seen whether Premier League clubs will continue to dominate spending or if other clubs around the world will challenge their financial prowess in the world of football.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
