Manchester City holds the second-highest wage bill in global football.
However, their shirt sales are lower compared to the other Premier League Big Six teams, suggesting that despite winning trophies and generating revenue, Manchester City hasn’t fully captured the hearts of fans.
UEFA’s recent statistical analysis of European football revealed that Manchester City’s wage expenditure of £466 million last season was only second to PSG, who spent £553 million in 2023-24.
Building Manchester City’s squad cost £1.09 billion, a sum only exceeded by Chelsea’s £1.39 billion squad, which finished sixth in the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea has not yet emerged as a top contender in the Premier League this season.
The club has faced difficulties in keeping pace with the competition for Champions League qualification.
According to the European Club Finance and Investment Landscape report, “Chelsea FC’s squad at the end of the club’s 2024 financial year was officially the most expensive ever assembled, with a combined transfer cost of £1.39bn.
“This comfortably surpassed the value of the Real Madrid squad of 2020, which cost £1.12bn.”
Manchester City has been the dominant team in English football for the last decade, securing seven of the last 11 Premier League titles, eight domestic cups, and a Champions League victory during that time.
This success has propelled their commercial revenue from just £23 million in 2009 to £349 million last season, marking an astounding increase of over 1500 percent.
Despite this financial growth, Manchester City’s revenue from shirt and merchandise sales, which UEFA considers “a proxy for each individual club’s global fan base,” ranked only 11th in Europe.
Manchester City generated £63.8 million from replica kits and other branded merchandise, approximately half of the £123 million earned by both Liverpool and Manchester United, and significantly less than Real Madrid’s £164.6 million.
Manchester City released four kits this season, including the standard home, away, and goalkeeper jerseys.
Additionally, they introduced a special “Definitely City” kit, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Oasis’ album ‘Definitely Maybe’.
Initially priced at £80, this kit, along with the club’s other shirts, is now available for £48.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s merchandise sales have been surpassed by their London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
However, Liverpool leads the Premier League in merchandise sales, slightly ahead of Manchester United by £300,000.
