How have Burnley spent over the last five years in comparison to their Premier League peers?
Burnley are circling the Premier League relegation drain as the season enters its final sprint, but it’s not for the want of financial trying.
The Clarets have parted with €93.65m across the course of the last two transfer windows in a bid to become Premier League-competitive. Of course, the vast majority of that was spent in the summer, bringing in the likes of Lesley Ugochukwu (€28.7m), Armando Broja (€23m), Marcus Edwards (€10m) and Quilindschy Hartman (€10m). The winter was far more reserved, with Burnley only signing James Ward-Prowse on loan from West Ham.
None of that has paid dividends in the table, with Burnley 19th after 29 games and nine points adrift of safety after back-to-back defeats to Brentford and Everton. But where has all that left Burnley in comparison to their Premier League rivals when it comes to five-year net spend?
Burnley’s five-year net spend compared to Premier League rivals
1. Manchester United - €-782.92m 2. Arsenal FC - €-768.61m 3. Chelsea FC - €-738.41m 4. Tottenham Hotspur - €-665.78m 5. Newcastle United - €-492.44m 6. Liverpool FC - €-487.85m 7. Manchester City - €-459.55m 8. Nottingham Forest - €-379.51m 9. West Ham United - €-368.35m 10. Crystal Palace - €-233.61m 11. Fulham FC - €-165.62m 12. Sunderland AFC - €-162.38m 13. AFC Bournemouth - €-150.61m 14. Burnley FC - €-123.28m 15. Brentford FC - €-118.79m 16. Aston Villa - €-109.82m 17. Leeds United - €-87.23m 18. Everton FC - €-14.31m 19. Brighton & Hove Albion - €510k 20. Wolverhampton Wanderers - €32.66m
Burnley sit 14th among their current Premier League peers for net spend over the last five years at €123.28m. The Clarets are ahead of some established sides, too, with Aston Villa, Everton and Brighton all spending less. In fact, the latter are one of just two sides to have made a profit during this period, fuelled by the massive sales of Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Alexis Mac Allister and others.
Burnley’s spending has fluctuated depending on whether or not they’re a Premier League side, with the 2022/23 and 2024/25 Championship campaigns seeing them make profits of €30.45m and €56.07, respectively, while the following top-flight seasons have once again seen them open the chequebook. Of course, none of this has really helped the Clarets, who look set to suffer their third straight relegation in a Premier League campaign, with their 2020/21 17th-place finish the last time they avoided the drop in a top-flight season.
At the top of the spending pile, there are no surprises, with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur splashing the most cash over the last five years - the latter only serving to land themselves in a relegation battle alongside Burnley.
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