Manchester United named most valuable football brand

Manchester United has been named the most valuable brand in football, according to a report from consultancy firm Brand Finance.

The Old Trafford side replaces Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, with the club's brand estimated to be worth £789m, while newly-crowned European champions Barcelona slip from fourth to sixth.

The report said: "Even if recent reports of fan losses are to be believed, United retains legions of followers in India, South East Asia and China, contributing to a total of over half a billion individuals and the news certainly does not appear to have deterred sponsors."

United has agreed a lucrative shirt sponsorship deal with Chevrolet and a record breaking kit deal with Adidas in the last couple of years, increasing the brand value by an estimated 63%.