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Crystal Palace are back in the FA Community Shield, but how much are they worth compared to their Wembley opponents Liverpool.
Football is a business like no other in that worth and value are very fluid subjects whether it is an individual player or a football club.
The traditional pub argument of the definition of a big club and what club is bigger than the next will never be solved with too many variables to get a definitive answer one way or the other. Do European Cups won in the ‘60s or ‘70s hold any relevance in the 2020s? Or, does it really matter how many away fans travel to fixtures to support their team? Bizarrely, even what is paid for a player or club doesn’t necessarily equate to what somethings true value is.
What is Crystal Palace worth compared to Liverpool?
Ahead of the season opening FA Community Shield against Liverpool, in what is a repeat of the 1988 fixture, we have a look at how much the Eagles are worth and just how big a gap it is to their Wembley opponents. Recent investment and takeover talks gives an idea as do respective figures in the world of finance Kieran Maguire and the Forbes’ rich list.
At the current exchange rate, Forbes have Palace valued at around £595m, an amount that sees them take up 29th place in their top 30 behind the Seattle Sounders and just ahead of DC United. Despite where MLS sits in terms of prestige and world interest, there is a surprising number of their teams on the list, due mainly to the likes of David Beckham and Lionel Messi being front and centre of their current coverage.
A £1.5bn TV deal with Apple probably helps too. At the other end of the spectrum is Liverpool, worth a whopping £4bn according to Forbes and currently in 4th place on the list.
The figure provided by Forbes almost adds up given the recent £190m investment by New York Jets owner Woody Johnson for a 43% share to allow Palace to compete in Europe after a long, drawn out, and messy affair. A fiasco that has yet to be fully resolved. Due to the pressing concern, John Textor probably accepted less than what his shares are really worth.
What is the difference between Palace and Liverpool’s squad worth?
Takeover talks were discussed in 2024 by Maguire via Football Insider with the well-respected football finance expert surprised at the lofty price tag set by chairman Steve Parish:
“Given that Palace were being valued around about £220million only a couple of years ago, £750million does seem excessive for a small club,” Maguire told Football Insider. “Newcastle went for £300million two years ago and Bournemouth were sold for £120million a year ago. So, while there is a London factor which is a benefit, Palace’s financial results show they’ve lost money in practically every season on an operational level since they came to the Premier League.
“So, who’s going to pay £750million for a business where you’ve got a chairman in Steve Parish who wants to control the club despite owning just 10 percent of the shares. They also need substantial investment in infrastructure and they’re not making profits – with those factors together a £750million valuation seems high.“
As for players, Eagles fans must cast an envious glance up north and to the summer’s spending habits of Liverpool with records being broken all over the place. Meanwhile, Oliver Glasner is fighting a losing battle to hold onto key players like Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze. Liverpool’s squad is valued at £869m with Palace’s at £395m. As an indication, the Reds have sold their backup keeper and a backup centre-half for nearly £55m this summer with Harvey Elliott and Darwin Nunez also expected to make them in the region of £100m. All without weakening the starting XI.
As Palace showed on a famous Wembley evening in May though, when the referee’s whistle blows, what a players transfer fee or weekly wage is doesn’t matter.
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