Newcastle United is the 12th richest club in the English leagues and one of the wealthiest in the world, according to a new report.
The club is ranked at number 36th in the inaugural Soccerex Football Finance 100, which lists clubs across the world in order of their financial clout.
Newcastle managed to gain its strong position on the table due to its relatively high asset values and its ownership by billionaire Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley .
One of the key financial measures used in the report was the amount of potential owner investment the club could receive. Clubs were also ranked on player value, the value of fixed assets, the amount of cash they had in the bank and their debt levels.
In a measure that might raise eyebrows with many fans, who believe Mr Ashley has not invested enough in the team, the report estimated that Mr Ashley’s potential investment could reach £91m.
Newcastle’s score was also boosted by the value of its playing squad, which is said to be worth £134m, as well as its £88m of fixed assets. However, the club also has net debt figure of £120m, which negatively affected its ranking.
The club’s ranking puts its ahead of Premiership rivals like Crystal Palace, Swansea and Bournmouth, as well as European giants such as Ajax, Roma and Porto.
David Wright, Soccerex marketing director, said: “We’re delighted to reveal the results of our first Soccerex Football Finance 100 study which highlight how the global football landscape has shifted over the past two decades.
“We wanted to create a study that provided a broader evaluation of football finances, one that reflected the modern reality of football, impacted by increased owner investment and the need for better financial management.
“By looking at factors like asset value, debt levels and crucially the amount the owner or ownership group could invest in the context of their direct environment, the report evaluates both the financial standing of each club and the economic potential they have in the market. The results have certainly been eye-catching.”
Despite its recent troubles - with the club currently bottom of the Championship - Sunderland was also named as one top 100 richest clubs in the world, placing 86th overall and 17th in the UK.
The Wearside team’s greatest assets were said to be its players, who are valued at £78m. However, Sunderland has one of the highest net debt levels in the English leagues, with the club owing £208m.
Manchester City has the biggest financial muscles in the world. A player value of £637m, fixed assets of £534m and potential investment of £788m secured its position.
Arsenal came in second, ahead of French giants PSG. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United came fifth and seventh, respectively.
Despite Chelsea having the backing of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, the club only came in at number nine. This was due to Mr Abramovich’s investment being listed as a loan. Chelsea has the second highest level of net debt at £400m, after Manchester United’s £536m.
Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande - winners of the country’s Super League for the last seven years - are ranked fourth richest in the world, one of nine Chinese teams in the top 100. American teams take up 13 places, led by LA Galaxy.
But the way the rankings are calculated punishes Spanish and German clubs, whose ownership model means they tend not to have wealthy backers.
Real Madrid, Bayern Munich Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund all score highly for the value of their squads but are ranked at zero for ‘owner potential investment’.
The Soccerex Football Finance top 50
1. Manchester City
2. Arsenal
3. PSG
4. Guangzhou Evergrande
5. Tottenham
6. Real Madrid
7. Manchester United
8. Juventus
9. Chelsea
10. Bayern Munich
11. Zenit St Petersburg
12. RB Leipzig
13. Barcelona
14. LA Galaxy
15. Atletico Madrid
16. Liverpool
17. Borussia Dortmund
18. Lyon
19. Monaco
20. Leicester
21: Bayer Leverkusen
22: Shakhtar Donetsk
23: New York Red Bulls
24: Seattle Sounders
25: New York City
26: Napoli
27. Everton
28: New England Revolution
29: Valencia
30: Inter Milan
31: Hebei China Fortune
32. Southampton
33. Stoke
34: AC Milan
35. West Ham
36. Newcastle United
37: Orlando City
38: Jiangsu Suning
39: Athletic Bilbao
40: America
41: Dynamo Kiev
42: Toronto FC
43: Deportivo Guadalajara
44: Houston Dynamo
45: Portland Timbers
46: Ajax
47: Monterrey
48: Schalke 04
49: Sporting
50: Spartak Moscow