Liverpool to overtake Manchester United in the rich list, with revenue figures putting Reds in record profit

Liverpool vs Manchester United: In this composite image a comparison has been made between Head Coach Erik ten Hag of Manchester United and Juergen Klopp, Manager of Liverpool. Manchester United and Liverpool meet in a Premier League match on August 22,2022 at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.
(Image credit: Mike Hewitt/Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Liverpool could announce record profit when the club publishes its audited accounts early next year.

That's according to a report that states that the Reds could well overtake northwesterly rivals Manchester United, who are traditionally much richer as a club. Analysts at football business website Off The Pitch say that the Merseysiders are forecasting a record turnover of £602 million for the club and a predicted pre-tax profit of £76m.

That's £21m ahead of the Red Devils. Both Liverpool and United are set to be behind Manchester City, who are predicted to see revenues in the region of £610m: £8m higher than at Anfield. City's commercial revenues are forecast to reach almost £300m – though the club's sponsorship deals have been controversial in the past.

The Manchester City club crest displaying Etihad Airways as the shirt sponsor on a first team shirt on April 24, 2020 in Manchester, England

Manchester City earn a figure upwards of £67.5m per year from their Etihad sponsorship (Image credit: Visionhaus)

Liverpool's rise up the rich list is in part thanks to on-field success – something that former Manchester United director Ed Woodward infamously declared would not be a factor in the 13-time Premier League champions' finances. 

Jurgen Klopp's side reached three finals and came within a whisker of a domestic title last season, which was predicted to have generated around £100m in revenues. Nike's partnership to produce merchandise is also a deciding factor, with the American brand adding £30m annually to the coffers. 

Liverpool are likely to also see a steep rise in the club's wage bill for this financial year, with talismanic winger Mohamed Salah the significant star to have extended his contract at Anfield.

The report forecasts a £120m loss for current Premier League basement boys Leicester City, too – perhaps why the Foxes did not invest heavily during the summer transfer window. 

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool signs a contract extension while on holiday on June 19, 2022 in Mykonos, Greece.

Mohamed Salah posed for pictures in Mykonos, Greece, after signing a bumper contract extension at Liverpool  (Image credit: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

"While fans, sponsors, players, and other stakeholders have to wait almost a year before the financial reports are released, our forecast sheds light on the financial state of the 20 clubs shortly after closing of the accounting period," Mads Meisner Christensen, co-founder and CEO Off The Pitch, said.

"Turnover estimates are based on the officially reported Premier League, FA and UEFA payments as well as values of e.g. new sponsorship deals reported from reliable sources. Wages are estimated based on newly signed contracts, departing players and managerial changes."

The 2019 Off The Pitch report, the last report produced before COVID-19, claimed to have been "99.9 per cent accurate" when compared with the audited figures that came out.

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The German has praised the result against Newcastle, however, while Joel Matip and Curtis Jones are back in contention. The Merseysiders now have 800 Premier League goals and Virgil van Dijk has discussed pushing for consistency

Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.