Displacing Real Madrid, Chelsea rises to become the world’s number one

16/10/2025 07:42:00 ceshi

Chelsea has made a strong impression by becoming the football club with the highest increase in value worldwide over the past 12 months, thanks to a thorough youth renewal policy and significant titles under Enzo Maresca’s leadership.

According to the report released on October 14 by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), Chelsea’s squad value rose by 421 million USD over the past year, the highest among all global clubs. This achievement allowed The Blues to surpass PSG and claim the top spot in squad value growth rate.

The main reasons stem from two factors: the remarkable development of young players and success in international competitions. In the last season, Chelsea won the Conference League and the Club World Cup, thereby strengthening the club’s status and appeal. Currently, 26 out of their 30 first-team players are under 25 years old, and the remaining four are all below 28 — an extremely youthful structure promising a long-term future.

Chelsea recorded the highest squad value increase worldwide in the past 12 months

According to CIES valuations, winger Cole Palmer is Chelsea’s most valuable player, estimated at 187 million USD. Alongside him are young stars like Enzo Fernandez, Garnacho, and Estevan Willian — names that make Chelsea’s squad a “golden” asset in the eyes of experts.

In second place, PSG saw a 351 million USD increase thanks to their historic quadruple win including the Champions League, Ligue 1, the National Cup, and the French Super Cup. Third is Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) with a 341 million USD rise, mainly due to effective player trading — they sold Omar Marmoush to Man City and Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool for a combined 191 million USD.

Barcelona and Nottingham Forest rank fourth and fifth with increases of 280 and 244 million USD respectively. On the other hand, Manchester United experienced the largest value drop, losing 437 million USD, followed by Man City (down 365 million), Real Madrid (250 million), and West Ham (214 million).

Top 10 football clubs with the highest squad values worldwide currently, according to CIES

By total squad value, Chelsea now leads globally with 2.08 billion USD — nearly double Inter Milan’s (1 billion USD), who reached last season’s Champions League final. Following are Real Madrid (1.95 billion), Man City (1.71 billion), Arsenal (1.7 billion), and PSG (1.67 billion).

The transfer strategy under owner Todd Boehly has demonstrated Chelsea’s long-term direction: investing in young talents while maintaining competitiveness across all competitions. CIES commented: “Chelsea is redefining how value is built in modern football by focusing on youth, sustainability, and international achievements.”

With five English clubs in the top 10 (Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham), the Premier League continues to prove its financial strength and global appeal, even as Chelsea currently leads the value race.

Related articles