Here is a ranking of the top 20 teams with the largest net spend since 2000. Ten Premier League clubs feature.
Figures are via Transfermarkt, which annoyingly deals in Euros. It didn’t make much sense to convert it into sterling because of inflation and all that nonsense.
The 20 lowest net spenders are here…
20) Fulham (England)
Expenditure: €791.90m
Income: €399.37m
Net spend: €-392.54m
Yep, bloody Fulham kick things off.
19) Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
Expenditure: €506.89m
Income: €35.93m
Net spend: €-470.96m
Cristiano Ronaldo’s side have very little income this century, unsurprisingly.
18) Inter (Italy)
Expenditure: €2.03bn
Income: €1.56bn
Net spend: €-476.82m
Boy, these guys have been busy.
17) Napoli (Italy)
Expenditure: €1.4bn
Income: €912.35m
Net spend: €-484.91m
Their income could hit a billion if Victor Osimhen is sold in the summer.
16) Aston Villa (England)
Expenditure: €1.37bn
Income: €812.28m
Net spend: €-560.62m
Villa spent an awful lot of wonga in the 2024 summer transfer window but made nearly as much through player sales.
15) Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Expenditure: €640.47m
Income: €54.74m
Net spend: €-585.74m
Being so high after only a couple of years showing ambition emphasises the power of the Saudi Pro League.
MORE: Bespoke Premier League tables | How Premier League teams qualify for Europe | Most expensive January 2025 transfers
14) West Ham (England)
Expenditure: €1.36bn
Income: €773.35m
Net spend: €-589.97m
Over half of their expenditure went on terrible strikers. Ish.
13) Newcastle United (England)
Expenditure: €1.34bn
Income: €699.73m
Net spend: €-638.10m
Last summer was meant to be more fun.
12) Bayern Munich (Germany)
Expenditure: €1.6bn
Income: €860.17m
Net spend: €-743.77m
Pretty good going for three Champions League titles since the turn of the century. Bayern were pretty busy last summer and Newcastle were not, so they leapfrogged them in this ranking.
11) Liverpool (England)
Expenditure: €2.03bn
Income: €1.23bn
Net spend: €-798.29m
FSG out.
10) AC Milan (Italy)
Expenditure: €1.83bn
Income: €949.10m
Net spend: €-882.15m
Milan have 832 arrivals and 831 departures.
9) Barcelona (Spain)
Expenditure: €2.49bn
Income: €1.54bn
Net spend: €-952.60m
It’s surprising they are not in the top five given the fact they are crippled financially thanks to a number of stupidly expensive signings.
8) Juventus (Italy)
Expenditure: €2.74bn
Income: €1.78bn
Net spend: €-963.64m
Is Juventus the richest Old Lady in the world?
7) Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Expenditure: €2.09bn
Income: €1.11bn
Net spend: €-983.12m
Look at Spurs rolling with the big boys. Surely they have some trophies to show for it, right? Right?
6) Arsenal (England)
Expenditure: €1.92bn
Income: €900.38m
Net spend: €-1,015.24m
Arsenal placed 14th with a net spend of €-280.98m between 00/01 and 17/18 – the season Arsene Wenger left.
5) Real Madrid (Spain)
Expenditure: €2.48bn
Income: €1.42bn
Net spend: €-1,055.15m
Real Madrid do not tend to get big fees for players as the natural end goal for them.
4) Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Expenditure: €2.55bn
Income: €1.04bn
Net spend: €-1,514.97m
That is a big ol’ jump from fifth.
3) Manchester United (England)
Expenditure: €2.72bn
Income: €939.11m
Net spend: €-1,781.06m
They are horrible when it comes to signing players. Oh, and when it comes to selling them.
2) Manchester City (England)
Expenditure: €3.01bn
Income: €1.23bn
Net spend: €-1,782.88m
They bought their success and really do not care. Well, they might if they are found g-g-g-guilty.
1) Chelsea (England)
Expenditure: €3.86bn
Income: €1.96bn
Net spend: €-1,899.67m
The Blues have always been a bit gung-ho in the transfer market, but they have taken things to a whole new level under Todd Boehly. How are you supposed to compete with that?! Quite easily by the looks of it.
READ MORE: Premier League five-year net spend table: Arsenal £200m more than Liverpool