Midlands clubs head for mid-table mediocrity in Premiership’s property fantasy league

MIDLANDS’ Premier League clubs are heading for mid-table mediocrity in a new table based on the number of average-priced homes you could buy in their areas for the value of their most expensive new signings.

To mark the start of the Premier League season, online estate agency HouseSimple.com decided to see which of the league’s super-rich would come out top in the property stakes.

Perhaps not surprisingly, big-spending Manchester United tops the list.

The survey concludes you could buy more than 500 average-priced properties in Manchester for the value of Paul Pogba, the Red Devils’ £89m man and now officially, the world’s most expensive player.

With average house prices in Manchester standing at £165,686, that could buy you a staggering 537 average-priced properties in the city.

City neighbours Manchester City come second, where £47.5m signing from Everton, John Stones equates to 286.69 properties.

This is a far cry from newly-promoted Burnley, where despite lower property prices – an average house costs £114,518 – new £2.6m signing Johann Berg Gudmundsson equates to just 22.70 properties. Relegation form if ever there was.

Although Leicester surprised everyone to lift the Premier League title last year, they only secured 8th position in the table, with Ahmed Musa their most expensive player at £16m, and average property prices, £194,196. That means you could buy 82 average-priced houses in the city for the price of Musa.

Stoke City’s Joe Allen at £13.5m will get you 98.50 properties, based on an average price of £137,062, suggesting Mark Hughes’ men will be the standard bearers for the region once again.

Newly-acquired West Bromwich Albion may also be flirting with relegation as a quiet close season on the transfer front reflects badly on their performance, even taking into account the lower property prices in the town.

Only signing Matt Philips at £5.5m will get you 42 properties – based on an average price of £130,776.

However, they are in surprising company as the rich London clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, even Watford and Crystal Palace – all occupy the lower half of the table due to the high cost of property in the capital.

Arsenal’s £33.8m signing Granit Xhaka gets you just 44.78 properties, based on North London’s average house of £754,871.

However, the price of property in Chelsea sends Roman Abramovich’s club hurtling towards the relegation zone.

New signing Michy Batshuayi at £33.2m will buy you just 33.3 properties as the average price of property in the area of Stamford Bridge is a whopping £995,972.

Alex Gosling, CEO of online estate agents HouseSimple.com, said: “It shows just how crazy football transfer fees have become when you could buy several housing estates in Manchester for the price of United’s latest signing. We will wait to see whether Paul Pogba can perform as well as house prices have done over the past 15 years.”