Superkids help Barcelona pip Manchester United in global popularity stakes

The University of Navarra have released the latest version of their highly-respected study into the media popularity and value of clubs and individual players.
Barcelona have dislodged Manchester United in the global popularity stakes - thanks in part to their thriving youth system - reveals the 2008 release of the University of Navarra's highly respected study into the media popularity of clubs and players.
Thanks to the emergence of Spanish teenager Bojan Krkic, Barca have become the most-talked about club this season - ahead of Manchester United, AC Milan and Chelsea. Barca's Spanish Liga rivals Real Madrid have dropped to fifth place on the table.
The study reveals that homegrown players can prove more valuable for selling the club than outside signings. Footballers that breakthrough into the first team from a respective club's junior setup enjoy 16.6 per cent of total media exposure.
With the likes of Krkic, Giovani dos Santos and Lionel Messi all coming through the system at Barca, this enabled the Catalan giants to dominate the global media in the past year. The Navarre study rates Barca's youth system as the most valuable at £120 million. Real Madrid's is rated No2 at £50 million and Roma's third at a value of £40 million. The report notes clubs "harm their own interests" by valuing their big-money signings more highly than homegrown players when it comes to marketing appeal.