MAN UTD SET TO GO TOP OF THE FINANCIAL LEAGUE!

Financial experts are predicting that Manchester United will become the biggest footballing financial power on the planet next year.

Deloitte have forecast that United could end Real Madrid’s 12-year reign at the top of their annual Football Money League.

In this year’s results, United have dropped from second to third in terms of total revenues generated, at £400.3million
(€519.5m), behind Barcelona, in second, who brought in £432.1m (€560.8m) and Real Madrid on £444.5m (€577m).

Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Co top the table for the 11th year running, but Dan Jones, a partner at Deloitte, said: ‘Madrid will be under increasing pressure from Manchester United for the top spot in the Money League next season and in future years, due to the English club’s own commercial revenue exploits as well as a boost in 2016-17 from the Premier League broadcast deal.’

A Deloitte spokesman also said: ‘The return of Champions League football in 2015-16, despite having suffered from a disappointing exit from the group stage, plus the commencement of the adidas partnership, should help United to top next year’s Money League with the club forecasting revenues of around £500m.’

It is thought that the TV rights deal set to start this year will see them surpass the Spanish giants for the first time in more than a decade.

The majority of the humongous payout comes from the record £5.14bn deal struck for domestic TV rights for the next three seasons, paid by Sky and BT Sport at an increase in cost of 71 per cent on the last contract.

The rest will come for overseas rights which are currently being decided upon but which it is believed will bring the total to £8bn.

As a result of this, Deloitte are also estimating that the TV rights deal could, within the next two years, push all 20 Premier League clubs into their top 30 for the first time.

The spokesman added: ‘With over half of the top 30 already made up of Premier League clubs, and the staggering new Premier League domestic broadcast deal coming into effect in 2016-17, there is an outside chance that the Money League top 30 will feature all 20 Premier League clubs in two years’ time.’