5 most valuable football squads in the world (2020/21)
With football teams becoming financially wary because of the pandemic, there has come a need to build a more sustainable squad rather than splurge money on superstars.
Keeping that in mind, football squads have become more streamlined. Barcelona sold a lot of their key stars last summer, while clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid, despite being financial juggernauts, have not spent excessive amounts of money in recent years.
The emergence of data and smart recruitment by clubs like Liverpool have paved the way for intelligent squad-building.
Here's a look at the world's 5 most valuable football squads (as per market value).
#5 Barcelona | £740.70 million
Barcelona have endured a poor 2020/21 season, but they boast some exciting young talents and Lionel Messi.
Ronald Koeman's side were knocked out of the Champions League Round of 16 by Paris Saint-Germain, while they bowed out of the La Liga race after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Celta Vigo. The squad does require a revamp, but they have some talented young players who can form a base for the next great Barcelona side.
Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Ansu Fati and Sergino Dest have all been crucial players this season for Barcelona. However, the future of Lionel Messi will dominate discussions this summer, with the Argentine's Barcelona contract expiring soon.
#4 Paris Saint-Germain | £745.92 million
Like Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain's current season has been nothing to write home about.
They sacked Thomas Tuchel in 2020 and replaced him with former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino, but the results have been mixed so far. They are second in the league table, one point behind Lille with a game to go, and failure to win Ligue 1 will not be well received.
In the Champions League they were knocked out by Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the semi-finals. Neymar and Kylian Mbappe continue to be the most important players for the Parisien giants, but there is a need to construct a more balanced squad for next season.
Also Read: 4 reasons why Lionel Messi could never win the Ballon d'Or again