How much is Manchester United worth?

The authoritative Swiss Ramble provides a thorough answer to this question, but at the end of the day, like a house, it is a question of how much a buyer is prepared to pay: https://swissramble.substack.com/p/how-much-is-manchester-united-worth

There are many reasons why investors would be interested in United. There is a scarcity value, as there are very few elite football clubs in the world, and some are effectively unavailable, e.g. member owned Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The club’s own statistic that it has 1.1bln followers globally can be taken with a pinch of salt, but there is no doubt that United are one of the best supported clubs in the world with a very loyal fanbase.

In marketing terms, they have a very strong brand that some will think they can better monitise and therefore deliver higher commercial revenue.

There will be very few opportunities for investors to buy an elite club like Manchester United, who play in the best league in the world’s most popular sport, so there will be no shortage of potential buyers for this trophy asset.

The level of competition among interested parties can drive up the price, even beyond a sensible valuation, especially as there are other non-financial factors that will influence people’s behaviour.

Although the reported £6-7bln price sought by the Glazers may seem a very optimistic target based on the financials, it only takes one buyer.