Thursday 28 May 2026 8:54 am | Updated: Thursday 28 May 2026 8:55 am Arsenal gatecrash top five of club valuations following return to glory By: Frank Dalleres Sports Editor Share Facebook Share on Facebook X Share on Twitter LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn WhatsApp Share on WhatsApp Email Share on Email Add as a preferred source on Google Arsenal won their first Premier League title for 22 years last weekend Arsenal have returned to the top five of the world’s most valuable football clubs according to the latest edition of an annual independent ranking. The newly-crowned Premier League champions, who meet Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Champions League this weekend, have enjoyed a 23 per cent increase in enterprise value to €4.93bn, according to leading consultancy Football Benchmark. It puts Arsenal fifth in the ranking, behind Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City and Manchester United respectively. The Gunners’ relative growth in EV was the third biggest in the ranking, as their first domestic league title for 22 years was matched by significant commercial uplift . Real Madrid’s enterprise value of €7.73bn is comfortably ahead of Barcelona’s €5.92bn, with Manchester City (€5.10bn) marginally ahead of Manchester United (€5.09bn). News Updates Stay ahead with our three daily briefings delivering all the key market moves, top business and political stories, and incisive analysis straight to your inbox. Liverpool slipped one place in the ranking to seventh, behind Bayern Munich. Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea also retained their places in the top 10. “The leading clubs in European football are increasingly operating on a different economic scale to the wider market,” said Football Benchmark CEO Andrea Sartori. Read more Exclusive: Arsenal target Vinicius Jr future at Real Madrid to be decided this week “What this year’s report highlights is how difficult it is becoming to consistently compete at the top without the ability to grow global audiences, invest in infrastructure, and continuously reinvest in sporting performance over long periods.” Stadium revamp keeps Real Madrid at top Real Madrid have benefited from additional revenue unlocked by regeneration of their Santiago Bernabeu stadium , a trick rivals Barcelona hope to emulate when their Camp Nou work is finished. Manchester City have expanded their Etihad Stadium, Manchester United hope to build a “Wembley of the North” to replace Old Trafford, while Arsenal are in talks with architects over improvements to Emirates Stadium. “Economically, the gap between the game’s elite and the wider market is becoming increasingly structural,” Sartori added. “Clubs can still rise quickly through strong sporting cycles and ambitious ownership, but sustaining a position amongst the elite is becoming more demanding with every cycle of growth. “At the same time, financial discipline and long-term sustainability are becoming increasingly important and apparent across the industry. “The clubs best positioned for long-term success are those capable of combining sporting competitiveness with strong operational control and strategic thinking over time.” Read more Old Spice Trafford: Which brands could splash £150m sponsoring Manchester United’s new stadium? Share this article Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Similarly tagged content: Sections Sport News Categories Sport Business Business Football Sport People & Organisations Arsenal FC FC Barcelona football Football Benchmark Manchester City manchester united Real Madrid Trending Articles Pensioners to hand over bank statements in government benefits crackdown Jaguar reveals the Type 01’s screen-free interior Jamie Carragher: HMRC petitions for Sky Sports star to be declared bankrupt City firms mandate phone and face-to-face comms bootcamps for Gen Z lawyers Jamie Vardy bags Bundesliga rights as he steps up streaming war with Neville and Lineker More from City AM Exclusive: Arsenal target Vinicius Jr future at Real Madrid to be decided this week Sport Business Old Spice Trafford: Which brands could splash £150m sponsoring Manchester United’s new stadium? Sport Business Uefa to call off Fifa boycott and step up talks over Infantino at Champions League draw Sport Business Who sponsors the 20 Premier League clubs after gambling ban? Sport Business Premier League: US owners dominate over half of 20 clubs Sport Business Manchester United agree £20m a year deal with betting giant Sport Business Premier League Gameweek 2 Predictions: Arsenal and Chelsea March On Betting Why Manchester City’s £86m Bouaddi signing should ring alarm bells in French football Sport Business Subscribe Subscribe to the City AM newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe By signing up to our newsletters you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy .
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