25 Most Valuable Squads in Football Today

The world’s most valuable squads in football have been updated with six Premier League teams, including Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal, ranking inside the top 10 teams.

England’s top-flight division is arguably seen as the best league in the world; therefore, it’s no surprise to see so many gifted individuals make the switch to the Premier League to further develop their careers. There are many world-class stars who ply their trade in the country, including Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias and Phil Foden – and that’s just from Pep Guardiola’s City.

Unsurprisingly, the Manchester giants feature high up in Transfermarkt’s most valuable squads. Following the signing of Kylian Mbappe in the summer, Real Madrid find themselves in the top five, while Aston Villa and Newcastle also make the list.

26 Borussia Dortmund

Squad value – £364.7 million

The 2023/24 Champions League finalists barely crack the top 25 most valuable squads, making their run to Wembley Stadium all the more impressive. Admittedly, several of the stars who were part of that team are no longer there, namely Jadon Sancho, Ian Maatsen, Donyell Malen, and Niclas Fullkrug.

However, there is plenty of star power still to be had. Karim Adeyemi is only growing with a bigger role in attack, while Serhou Guirassy, once a Manchester United target, is banging in the goals and is one of the top scorers in Europe’s elite competition this term.

25 Crystal Palace

Squad value – £368.5 million

After a shaky start to the season, Crystal Palace have certainly rediscovered their groove after beginning Oliver Glasner’s tenure in fine fettle. At one point, it seemed as though the Selhurst Park outfit could be threatened by relegation, but normal service has now resumed, and they look as threatening as ever.

A major part of that is due to the role of England stars Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze, who are, unsurprisingly, among the highest valued players in the squad. As a result of their fantastic performances of late, the Eagles have soared into 24th spot.

24 Nottingham Forest

Squad value – £373.7 million

Who had Nottingham Forest competing for a spot in the Champions League on their bingo card? Not since the days of Brian Clough have the Garibaldi come close to sniffing a place in Europe’s premier tournament, but overperforming stars such as Chris Wood and Matz Sels have made this a distinct possibility.

The brilliant thing about the job Nuno Espirito Santo’s done at the City Ground is that while there has been plenty of investment, he has hardly blown teams at the top of the table out of the water when it comes to the value of his squad. In fact, there are still 10 Premier League teams with a higher squad valuation than his.

23 West Ham United

Squad value – £379.6 million

West Ham United find themselves among Europe’s most valuable squads, above plenty of big hitters in Europe as they rank 22nd. That is despite the fact that they have fallen below expectations this season.

The Irons have reinvested plenty in their squad, with the additions of Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman offering more depth to the back-line. Meanwhile, the likes of Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville were meant to give Julen Lopetegui more firepower at the other end of the pitch, but that didn’t pan out as Graham Potter now cotinues to rely on the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta.

22 Atalanta

Squad value – £399.9 million

The 2023/24 Europa League winners have a squad worth more than that of the team who fell just short of the Champions League trophy. That tells you just how competitive European football can truly be. However, the rise of Atalanta under Gian Piero Gasperini has been a slow build that has now seen them become one of Italy’s top teams.

As for some of the more recognisable names in their squad, the likes of Mateo Retegui and Ederson have been touted for some big moves in the future. And, of course, there is Ademola Lookman, who ranked 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or, but has had a controversial falling out with the powers that be at the club.

21 Sporting CP

Squad value – £407.4 million

Just breaking into the top 20 is Ruben Amorim’s former employers, Sporting CP. The now Manchester United manager built an incredibly impressive squad of players who shone under his tutelage and, as a result, have seen their valuation skyrocket.

Of course, there is no greater example of this than Viktor Gyokeres, who has become one of the hottest properties in Europe, with several of the continent’s biggest clubs after his signature. That isn’t the only player that could be raided from the club in the summer. Geovany Quenda has already agreed to go to Chelsea, while Goncalo Inacio is one of many who could also be snapped up.

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19 RB Leipzig

Squad value – £426.8 million

Despite losing key players Dani Olmo and Mohamed Simakan to Barcelona and Al-Nassr this summer, the Bundesliga giants somehow find themselves in the top 20. Following those departures, RB Leipzig used the funds to sign the likes of Lutsharel Geertruida, Antonio Nusa and young prodigy Assan Ouedraogo. This has only added to their squad value, which is just short of the £430 million mark.

Add those names to the squad that already contained the likes of Peter Gulacsi, Xavi Simons (who also returned on loan) and Benjamin Sesko following his contract renewal, it’s no surprise to see that the German side are one of three clubs from the country that feature in the top 20.

18 Atletico Madrid

Squad value – £431 million

It may come as a little bit of a shock to find Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid so low on this list, especially given that the Spanish giants were among the biggest spenders this summer. The deal to bring Julian Alvarez to the club was the largest since the one that saw Joao Felix come through the door, while there was also the arrival of Conor Gallagher for big money too.

For this to happen though, there had to be some major departures too. Had it not been for the departures of the aforementioned Felix and the likes of Alvaro Morata and Samu Omordion, Los Colchoneros may have ranked even slightly higher.

17 AC Milan

Squad value – £437.5 million

Following a disappointing end to the 2022/23 season, AC Milan would have been hoping to bounce back during the 2023/24 campaign. The seven-time European champions would have been confident of their title chances, but ended up finishing 19 points behind eventual winners and arch-rivals Inter, albeit improving their position with a runners-up spot.

To push the Rossoneri closer to the Scudetto, investment in the likes of Youssouf Fofana, Strahinja Pavlovic and Joao Felix saw their squad value rise to just over £500 million. However, another season that has seen underwhelming spells has caused this to drop well below the £450 million mark as of now.

16 Brighton & Hove Albion

Squad value – £464.3 million

The Seagulls entered a new regime this summer as Roberto de Zerbi was replaced by the youngest manager in Premier League history, Fabian Hurzeler. While many of the key figures at the club still remain, the new head coach has been well backed in the transfer market, leading to his side maintaining their status on this list.

The South Coast outfit used the money wisely in the window, signing the likes of Yankuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer and Georginio Rutter for a club-record fee. A lot of Brighton’s current crop, including Jack Hinshelwood and Simon Adingra are young stars who will no doubt be sold for a fortune to a bigger club in the future – given their potential. Their buy low sell high policy keeps the club ticking, and there are very few who do it better.

15 Juventus

Squad Value – £520.8 million

Juventus have had a tumultuous couple of years, recovering from a 10-point deduction in 2023 because of the club’s transfer dealings. Despite interest from top teams in Europe for striker Dusan Vlahovic, the club managed to keep hold of the Serbian – for the time being at least.

While stars such as Federico Chiesa have left the club as they look to make as much money as possible on players whose contracts are set to expire soon, the arrivals of Teun Koopmeiners and Douglas Luiz have helped the former dominant force in Serie A build a squad worth just over half a billion pounds.

14 Aston Villa

Squad value – £524.4 million

It was a season to remember for Unai Emery’s men as Aston Villa returned to the pantheon of European football thanks to their qualification into the Champions League. The additions of Moussa Diaby, Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres all not only helped the club on the pitch, but it saw them shoot up towards the top ten in value this time last season.

Now, the Villains have dropped back down ever so slightly to 13th, but the January additions of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford have certainly helped bump their stock. Considering both attackers have started life at Villa Park magnificently, this figure may still increase by the time the season draws to a close.

13 Newcastle United

Squad value – £530.7 million

Despite finishing in the top four in 2023 and being continuously backed financially, the Magpies don’t finish in the top half of these rankings. Sandro Tonali is only the fifth most valuable player at the club, with the likes of Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes both worth more than the young Italian.

Yet despite that, the squad does not even combine to crack the top five in their league, let alone the rest of Europe. Their value could continue to decrease over time too, with Newcastle having to sell in order to continue complying with financial fair play regulations. While they’re eager to keep hold of their talents beyond next summer, their hands may be forced in order to adhere to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules, which has already seen them lose the likes of Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh. Their investment has at least led to some success though, as they broke their trophy duck by winning the 2024/25 Carabao Cup.

12 Bayer Leverkusen

Squad value – £538.2 million

If non-football fans were shown Bayer Leverkusen’s form throughout the 2023/24 season, they couldn’t be blamed for assuming that they must house the most expensive squad in the sport in order to produce a team that could lose just one match in an entire season. Yet, Xabi Alonso’s excellence has meant that the Bundesliga champions have been able to manage such a feat while not even being inside the top 10.

It is for this reason why Alonso is one of the front-runners for the Coach of the Year award, and he has done a fine job in keeping many of the talented stars he has at his disposal.

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Leverkusen recently broke the record for the longest unbeaten streak in the history of Europe’s top 10 leagues, but their run has now come to an end.

11 Inter Milan

Squad value – £554.8 million

Last season was a success overall for Inter, with them completing a dominant Serie A season on top. The Scudetto would’ve made up for the disappointment fans suffered following the 2023 Champions League final heartache.

Despite losing some key names over the years, the Italian giants maintain a strong position of wealth. Their captain, Lautaro Martinez, is of particular importance as the World Cup winner is the 18th most valuable player in the world – with a value of £79.4 million

As well as Martinez, Inter have Marcus Thuram, Nicolo Barella, Alessandro Bastoni and Hakan Calhanoglu who all contribute significantly to the club’s overall value.

10 Manchester United

Squad value – £580.2 million

Despite two awful campaigns in a row, Manchester United still find themselves in the top 10 when it comes to squad valuation. Although, some will be asking how, considering they can’t even break into the top 10 of their own domestic league. A large part of why they still have a valuation of £580.2 million is because of Bruno Fernandes and other young stars such as Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho.

Kobbie Mainoo’s rapid rise to stardom at Old Trafford has resulted in his market value skyrocketing to almost £50 million. The Englishman is one of the best young players plying his trade in English football’s top flight. After making his international debut this year, should he continue to progress, United’s total squad price could increase thanks to the young midfielder.

9 Tottenham Hotspur

Squad value – £698.8 million

Despite losing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich two summers ago, Tottenham find themselves in a healthy position financially and appear to have invested smartly. The north London outfit solidified their place as the fifth most valuable squad in England and the feel-good factor had seemingly returned under Ange Postecoglou.

Yet, despite signing Dominic Solanke and the highly-rated Archie Gray, things have begun to look bleak once again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the situation is as hostile as ever.

8 Bayern Munich

Squad value – 718 million

The team that lost the stranglehold on the Bundesliga silverware last season also found themselves a position lower on this list than perhaps many would’ve expected. Regardless, Bayern Munich is still home to one of the most expensive groups in the game.

Mathys Tel, Leon Goretzka and Alphonso Davies’ prices were downgraded at the start of the campaign, but Aleksandar Pavlovic was rewarded for his impressive campaign. Both Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane are the club’s most valuable players, with one’s valuation only set to increase while the others could dip as age catches up to him.

The German giants have a wealth of talent at their disposal, with new signings Michael Olise and Joao Palhinha also likely to contribute to the club’s total squad value.

7 Chelsea

Squad value – £770.6 million

Despite their disappointing campaign, Chelsea became the seventh most valuable team in the world. The Blues have spent a lot of money since Todd Boehly took over, and they’ve amassed a huge team of talented youngsters.

Has it paid off on the pitch? The short answer is no. Several different managers have tried to work with the infinite riches that seem to be at their disposal, but the fact that the Blues have almost as many players not available for matchday squads as those who are has to be difficult for anyone to juggle with. Somehow, with all the money that has been spent with reckless abandonment, they have still not purchased a top tier number nine.