LONDON (AP) — Manchester United has been ranked soccer’s most valuable team by Forbes magazine for the sixth straight year as a group of investors and fans try to buy the heavily indebted club.
The magazine’s valuation is $1.8 billion, but the Glazer family owners are resisting the hostile Red Knights campaign to buy the 18-time English champions and their debt of $1.1 billion.
Taking into account revenue growth, profitability and debt levels in the 2008-09 season, Real Madrid is second at $1.323 billion, with Arsenal third at $1.181 billion — the same top three as last year.
Barcelona has leapt to fourth from seventh after winning the European Champions League, Spanish League and Spanish Copa del Rey.
