An in-depth study led by a former executive of FC Barcelona has confirmed that the club, alongside English sides Arsenal and Manchester United, leads the way in player development amongst Europe's elite soccer clubs.

The Football Transfer Review 2010, developed by Prime Time Sport and led by the company's chief executive, Esteve Calzada, the former chief marketing officer at FC Barcelona, is an in-depth study into player transfers and club revenues across Europe. However, it also focuses on player development, and the possibility of clubs saving multi-million sums by using home-grown players.

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The study found that 41.7 per cent of Barcelona's players in the Uefa Champions League were homegrown, having spent at least years at the club between the ages of 15 and 21 - more than any other club in the competition. Arsenal and United followed in second and third places, with 39.6 per cent and 37.5 per cent respectively.

The numbers make particularly interesting reading given that United and Barcelona are the two latest winners of the Champions League, and competed for the trophy last May. Barcelona also beat Arsenal in the Champions League final in 2006.

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Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao is the European team that fields the highest number of club-trained players, with a 52.4 per cent figure. The club has a strong tradition of only employing players native to the greater Basque Country.