United second only to Dallas Cowboys in world branding

Manchester United is the most valuable sports brand in Europe, according to the Financial Times.

The club beat Ferrari, McLaren Mercedes and Real Madrid to the top European place with a total value of $259m , acording to a survey by FutureBrand.

However, the study - which covered fan loyalty and the performance of sports franchises - had United trailing in second place behind the Dallas

Cowboys American football team in global terms.

Earlier this month, the Premiership leaders signed a high-profile marketing agreement with the New York Yankees baseball team.