Man City have highest wage bill on planet with average of £100,000-A-WEEK... but where are United and Chelsea on the list?

Manchester City have become the best paid sports team in the world after leapfrogging Barcelona and Real Madrid for this year's top spot.

Since billionaire Sheik Mansour’s takeover in 2008, City have become a global force on and off the football pitch, with the average wage of a first-team player rising to a whopping £5.2million a year.

City's sky-high earners such as Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez are part of the highest paid sports team in the world, with an average weekly wage for a member of the first-team squad reaching a staggering £100,764, more than £7,000 higher than second-placed baseball side LA Dodgers' average.

Scroll down to see the top 12 teams...

Top dollar: Yaya Toure is believed to be one of the highest paid players in the Premier League

MAN CITY STRIKE ASIAN CAR DEAL

Manchester City have increased their international profile by entering into a partnership with Japanese car manufacturer Daihatsu.

In a deal that emulates some of the many Manchester United have struck in their expanding sponsorship portfolio, Daihatsu will become City's official automotive partner in Indonesia next season.

City players will film a TV advert and will visit Indonesia this summer during the pre-season tour of south-east Asia.

Tom Glick, City's chief commercial and operating officer, said: 'To be chosen as Daihatsu's first-ever football club partner is not only a huge privilege, but a compliment to City's growing appeal around the world.'

In a survey conducted by Sportingintelligence’s Global Sports Salaries Survey (GSSS) for 2013, compiled in association with ESPN The Magazine, two other Premier League clubs feature in the top 12 alongside City.

City’s bitter Manchester rivals United were placed in 12th on the list with a £3.9m average annual pay per year (£75,423 per week) and Chelsea dropped from fourth in last year's survey to eighth, with an average annual pay of £4.1m (£78,053 per week).

La Liga giants Real Madrid (3) and Barcelona (4) follow one another on the list, both with an average annual pay of around £4.7m (£90,500 per week).

Barca and Real occupied Nos 1 and 2 in last year's survey, but their fall is in part put down to the waning strength of the euro.

In the money: Frank Lampard and his fellow Chelsea players earn on average £78,053 per week

Happy? Wayne Rooney is paid in excess of £200,000 a week at Manchester United



Rank (Last year's position) Team Sport Average annual pay £ (Average weekly pay) Average annual pay $ (Average weekly pay) 1 (3) Manchester City Football £5,239,750 (£100,764) $8,059,477 ($154,990) 2 (69) Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball £4,855,783 (£93,380) $ 7,468,882 ($143,632) 3 (2) Real Madrid Football £ 4,718,172 (£90, 734) $7,257,216 ($139,562) 4 (1) Barcelona Football £ 4,690,430 ($90,201) $7,214,545 ($138,741) 5 (6) New York Yankees Baseball £4,649,188 ($89,407) $7,151,109 ($137,521) 6 (7) Milan Football £ 4,251,111 (£81,752) $6,538,811 ($125,746) 7 (5) LA Lakers Basketball £ 4,090,742 (£78,671) $6,292,403 ($121,008) 8 (4) Chelsea Football £4,058,742 (£78,053) $6,242,919 ($120,056) 9 (8) Bayern Munich Football £ 4,000,036 (£76,924) $6,152,622 ($118,320) 10 (10) Inter Milan Football £ 4,000,000 (£76,923) $6,152,566 ($118,319) 11 (9) Philadelphia Phillies Baseball £ 3,982,336 (£76,583) $6,125,397 ($117,796) 12 (11) Manchester United Football £ 3,921,987 (£75,423) $6,032,572 ($116,011)

Serie A sides Milan (6) and Inter (10) are both high in the standings, with Champions League winners Bayern Munich (9) representing the Bundesliga.

There are three baseball teams in the top twelve and one basketball team. MLB teams the Dodgers (2), the New York Yankees (5) and the Philadelphia Phillies (11) all taking their places.



The presence of both the Yankees and City on the list shows the combined financial clout of the two franchises, just weeks after the two brands launched joint venture New York City, a new Major League Soccer side based in the Big Apple.



No 1: Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers earns a staggering amount of money each year in the NBA

Mega money: Adrian Gonzalez runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team

The sole representative of the NBA in the top 12 are basketball team the LA Lakers, who are placed seventh on the list. The average of the Lakers is propped up by superstars such as Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol.



Figures used in the survey are from the 2012-13 seasons in the NBA, NHL and NFL seasons and for seasons completed during or at the end of 2012 in other leagues.



The report features average wage information from the 12 most popular sports leagues in the world (based on average attendance).



The leagues are the NFL, Bundesliga, Premier League, AFL, MLB, La Liga, CFL, NPB, Serie A, IPL, NHL and NBA.

Splashing the cash: Bayern Munich's players proved their worth after winning the treble this season

Show me the Messi: Barcelona's stars have dropped from first place in last year's survey

Superstar: Cristiano Ronaldo draws in the crowds at the Santiago Bernabeu for Real Madrid

See more details of the report on Nick Harris's website sportingintelligence.com















