Manchester United remain the highest earning Premier League club, but have fallen behind Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona in football’s rich list.
The 2012 Deloitte Football Money League has revealed that six of the twelve richest clubs by revenue are based in England, with Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool all in the top 10, and Tottenham and Manchester City ranked 11th and 12th respectively.
The top six remained unchanged for the fourth year in a row.
United’s are third on the list after their revenues grew 16 per cent to £331.4million in 2010-11, boosted by a £20m-a-season shirt sponsorship deal with AON and their run to the Champions League final.
But the Red Devils still lost ground on the two Spanish giants, and after failing to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League this season, that gap is likely to increase in twelve months time.
Real Madrid top the money list for the seventh consecutive year after recording record turnover of £433m, while reigning Spanish and European champions Barcelona saw their revenue go up 13 per cent to £407m.
Alan Switzer, a director in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: "Spurs’ recently received planning consent for a new stadium development, coupled with a continuation of their recent on-pitch form, could secure a Money League top 10 position for the club on a frequent basis.
"A glance across North-London to Arsenal leaves little doubt of the scale and impact of the increased matchday revenue opportunities that arise from a modern stadium development."
Although Manchester City dropped one place to 12th, they are expected to break into the top 10 next season after playing in the Champions League this season.
And Switzer added: "The club’s heavy squad investment secured Champions League football for 2011/12.
"When combined with the ground breaking 10-year partnership with Etihad, this will provide substantial growth across all three revenue sources and will see City break into the top 10 in the Money League next year."
