Arsenal now officially have the second most valuable squad in world football – and two of their main men have made the top 10 most valuable players.
The Gunners are praying that West Ham can spring an upset on the final day of the season against Man City and give them the chance to win the title for the first time in 20 years.
But regardless of the outcome, there is no doubt that it has been another season of progression for Mikel Arteta‘s side, who have run a generational City close for the second campaign in a row.
Now, a recent study from top data company Football Benchmark has revealed that their squad ranks second only to Pep Guardiola‘s in terms of the potential sale value of their players.
Most valuable players: Rice and Saka make the cut
Two of Arsenal’s standout performers this season, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice ranked 5th and 9th respectively on the list of the world’s most valuable stars.
London Colney academy graduate Saka, 22, is worth an eye-watering £123m according to the study, while blockbuster summer signing Rice, 25, is valued at £100m.
Saka’s value is up by £6.3m on last season, while Rice’s has risen by £6.8m since his arrival from West Ham. Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, whose worth is estimated at £161m, topped the list.
The total value of Arsenal’s squad is £1.015bn, which is £165m less than City’s total.
All of the so-called Big Six made the top 10 in terms of squad value, while while five Premier League stars- Rice, Saka, Rodri, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland – made the top 10 of players worldwide.
How much did Arteta’s squad cost to assemble?
Arsenal’s squad cost £720m in total, with around £200m of that outlay coming in 2023-24. That is the fifth most expensive in the Premier League.
Arteta’s stock as a coach continues to rise, and the improvement of players like Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and a reborn Kai Havertz stands as testament to his abilities on the training ground.
In fact, another recent study found that the Spaniard has outperformed his expected points relative to his squad’s wage bill more than any other manager in Premier League history.
Whether or not they lift the league trophy on Sunday, his status as one of the world’s best managers cannot be called into question.