Manchester United via Getty Imag

Europe's 26 most profitable academies: Where Man Utd rank among Man City, Newcastle and others amid FFP debate

Manchester United have made decent money off academy graduates in recent years but are still some way off the continent's top sellers.

The sale of academy graduates has become a hot topic in recent months, with Premier League teams offloading fringe players in a bid to raise funds for first-team investment. The increasing importance of staying with profitability and sustainability rules has forced even the richest to work smarter.

The benefit of selling academy players is that they essentially cost nothing and so any fee brought in is seen as pure profit when it comes to club accounts. And as tedious as that may sound, it is why the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have been able to spend big in recent months.

Manchester United have raised plenty of money through such sales in recent years, moving on the likes of Anthony Elanga, Dean Henderson and Zidane Iqbal. But how do they rank among Europe's most productive and profitable academies? Take a look below.

Manchester United have raised plenty of money through such sales in recent years, moving on the likes of Anthony Elanga, Dean Henderson and Zidane Iqbal. But how do they rank among Europe's most productive and profitable academies? Take a look below.

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