Real Madrid named second most valuable club in Europe ahead of Barca

As it stands, at a cost of 1,230 million euros, Los Blancos' current squad is the most expensively valued group assembled in their history.

The new season is getting ever closer and as Real Madrid begin their preparations the aim is clear: remove the previous campaign from memory and return Los Blancos to being a team fighting for all titles. This objective has seen Florentino Pérez dig deeper into his pockets than ever before, with a club record investment on the playing staff that will be guided by the hand of Zinedine Zidane.

The French coach will have the responsibility, and envious opportunity some may say, to work with the second most valuable squad in Europe (at the time of writing) and the most valuable in the history of the Spanish giants. Numbers stated from Transfermakt.

The group, already in Montreal to get their preseason going, has seen the previous highest valuation surpassed with the arrival of new signings this summer: Militao(€70m), Mendy (€30m), Hazard (€150m), Rodrygo (€40m) and Jovic (€60m). These five fresh faces adding 350 million euros to the squad cost. They join the likes of Vinicius (€70m), Varane (€70m), Asensio (€60m), Kroos (€60m) and Casemiro (€60m), who are rated highest across the squad. This puts the grand total at a whopping 1,230 million euros, more than at any other time in the club's existence, although clearly player values have continued to rise over the years.

Squad valuations around Europe

Manchester City lead the table with a valuation of €1,260 million. Pep Guardiola has four players rated at least 100 million, namely Bernardo Silva (€100m), Sané (€100m), De Bruyne (€130m) and Sterling (€140m). In third place is Barcelona on €1,114m (including Messi (€150m) and Dembélé (€100m), and they are followed by Liverpool (€1,090m); Tottenham (€947m); PSG (€947m); Atlético Madrid (€910m); Juventus (€871m); Chelsea (€868m); Manchester United (€801m) and Bayern Munich (€757m).

The transfer activity is certainly not expected to be over yet, of course, with further comings and goings influencing the overall valuations.

The 10 most valuable squads in Europe

Manchester City€1,260M

Real Madrid€1,230M

Barcelona€1,114M

Liverpool€1,090M

Tottenham Hotspur€947M

Paris Saint-Germain€947M

Atlético Madrid€910M

Juventus€871M

Chelsea€868M

Bayern Munich€757M

As for the rest of the Spanish teams behind the big three: Valencia €472m; Real Sociedad (€310m); Seville (€291m); Betis (€291m); Athletic Club (€227m); Villarreal (€224m) and Celta Vigo (€210m). Few observers of LaLiga expect any of these sides to finish higher than fourth in the coming season.