Manchester United 2025/26 squad value revealed

Manchester United’s long-term sporting rebuild has received a fresh set of numbers to measure progress, with the CIES Football Observatory valuing Erik ten Hag’s current squad at €829 million, ninth highest among clubs worldwide.

The valuation lands United behind Premier League neighbours Manchester City (€1.608 billion) and league-leaders Chelsea (€1.732 billion), as well as European giants Real Madrid (€1.541 billion) and Barcelona. Chelsea’s extraordinary €1.732 billion total tops the global chart, narrowly eclipsing City in what has become a two-horse race at the summit of football’s financial table.

Benjamin Sesko, the 22-year-old Slovenian striker signed last summer, has already emerged as United’s most prized asset. The CIES model tags him at €87.3 million, reflecting his early impact at Old Trafford and the long contract secured when he arrived from RB Leipzig. Sesko’s valuation underlines the club’s preference for young, high-upside talents that can grow with the project rather than short-term fixes.

He is not the only newcomer to have boosted the balance sheet. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens, winger Bryan Mbeumo and forward Matheus Cunha were also brought in during the previous window and have contributed to the squad’s appreciation in value. All four signings were identified by United’s restructured recruitment department, now operating under INEOS’s oversight as the ownership group continues to reshape playing personnel and financial strategy.

Attention is already shifting to the next recruitment phase. Midfield reinforcements are believed to be high on the agenda, with persistent links to Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, while scouts continue to monitor emerging talents across Europe. Fabrizio Romano reported that club representatives were present for RB Leipzig’s recent meeting with Augsburg to run the rule over Ivorian winger Yan Diomande, another indicator of the extensive scouting network now in place.

CIES compiled its rankings using a statistical algorithm that weighs performance data, age, contract length and macro-economic market indicators across more than 70 leagues. The €829 million figure represents the estimated aggregate transfer value of every United player, not accounting for book value or amortisation, and offers an external benchmark against which the club can judge the success of its rebuild.

While ninth place globally keeps United among football’s financial elite, the numbers also highlight the spending power of domestic rivals. City and Chelsea sit more than €750 million ahead of United, a gap the club will hope to close through continued smart recruitment and on-pitch success.

With another window looming and several targets already scouted, the next few months could prove pivotal as United look to narrow the financial divide and turn squad value into silverware.