August 4 – Football Benchmark has taken a bird’s-eye look at the 13 clubs promoted to Europe’s Big 5 leagues with an analysis of their squad market valuations, summer transfer activities, as well as their social media following.
The promotion systems in the Premier League, LaLiga, and Serie A are unchanged for the current season with three clubs coming in to the leagues, but competition rules in the Bundesliga and rule changes in Ligue 1 have brought some change.
In Germany only two clubs were promoted to the Bundesliga, as the incumbent beat the challenger in the relegation playoffs. In France, Ligue 1 has been from 20 to 18 with only two clubs being promoted.
Squad market values of the promoted clubs are pointers to the financial strength of the clubs and the talent of their players, says Football Benchmark.
“Promoted clubs in England stand out from the pack, showcasing the strength of the English second division compared to all other lower divisions in Europe. Burnley lead the way with a squad value of €169.2 million with Sheffield United FC following, boasting a squad value of €102.9 million. These values would rank Burnley ninth and Sheffield United 14th on average in the other four leagues, with both expected to avoid relegation based on their pre-season squad values,” said Football Benchmark.
It is a trend replicated in Italy and France, recent Serie A participants Genoa CFC and Cagliari Calcio exhibit higher squad values compared to Frosinone Calcio, while FC Metz’s squad market value surpasses that of Le Havre AC, who last played in Ligue 1 in 2008/09.
Luton Town FC, Frosinone Calcio, and, to some extent, Deportivo Alavés, have squad values that are lagging behind their promoted rivals suggesting they will struggle to stay in the top division.
Burnley lead in both absolute and net transfer expenditure, having spent €65.7 million on incoming transfers while only recording player sales of €2.3 million. Genoa CFC break the Premier League contingent at the top, investing at similar levels to Luton Town FC and Sheffield United FC. However, considering recent trends, it seems likely that the English clubs will go on a spending spree before the transfer window closes.
There are four net seller clubs whose transfer income so far surpasses their expenditure, points out Football Benchmark. “Cagliari Calcio, Frosinone Calcio, and FC Metz, in particular, have received significantly more transfer income than what they have spent when considering the overall volume of their transfer business. SV Darmstadt 98 barely fall into this category, they showcase a balanced financial approach registering a net transfer expenditure of only EUR 0.2m.”
Data on social media following shows the two Premier League clubs, Burnley and Sheffield United FC, dominate the ranking. “Even Luton Town FC, a club that hasn’t been to the topflight this decade, have amassed a total following of 1 million – more than any of the four promoted clubs in France and Germany. At the tail end of the ranking are 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 and Le Havre AC, clubs who have enjoyed the longest drought of first division football out of the 13 clubs in consideration, with the exception of Luton Town FC, mentioned previously,” said Football Benchmark.
To see the full report, click here.
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