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Premier League clubs smashed the top flight's transfer record this summer after collectively spending a staggering £3.55 billion on strengthening their squads.
Five players have entered the top 10 list of the most expensive signings in the league's history, including Enzo Fernandez, who joins Alexander Isak at the very top. The Argentine midfielder joined Manchester City from Chelsea in a £125m deal.
Fernandez appears twice in the list as he also arrived in England at Stamford Bridge from Benfica back in February 2023 for £106.8m. He's one of three big-money midfield signings City made as they prepare for life without Rodri following his move to Barcelona.
Football money expert Kieran Maguire has given the ranking of Premier League squads based on the transfer fees of their players. It makes for interesting reading, especially when considering where defending champions Arsenal sit compared to their big six rivals.
20–16
xhaka sunderland
David Moyes looks on during Everton vs Bournemouth
Hull City players vs Man Utd
Only one of the three newly promoted clubs isn't among the bottom three, as Hull City ranks bottom with a squad worth £160m. That's just £35m shy of the money City paid for Fernandez and speaks volumes of the remarkable start the Tigers have made to the campaign.
Last season's Championship play-off winners were certainly busy during the window, and Nobel Mendy, Konstantinos Tzolakis, and Ilyas Ansah have become their three most expensive signings in history. Just ahead of the Yorkshire outfit are Coventry City, who are back in the big time with a squad consisting of £174m players.
Frank Lampard's Sky Blues haven't made the best of starts to the season but perhaps he's waiting for his new signings to click into gear. One of them is Ghanaian midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi, who became their club record signing in a £26m deal.
Sunderland's major squad overhaul last summer paid off as Regis Le Bris guided the Black Cats to Europa League qualification. Surprisingly, they still have one of the least expensive squads in the top flight, with their players costing £232m.
Granit Xhaka proved to be an absolute bargain at £17m and the club refused to sell to Chelsea at the start of this summer. Ahead of them are Leeds United, who many are tipping to be this season's surprise package.
The Peacocks' squad is worth £240m, and that includes the arrivals of James Trafford (£40m) and Tarik Muharemovic (£34.1m). The Elland Road outfit fared well in their first season back in the top flight, and the addition of Harry Wilson on a free transfer could turn out to be a masterstroke.
Folarin Balogun's Everton Transfer Collapsed
Folarin Balogun's Everton Transfer Collapsed
It's fair to say Everton fans are the most frustrated fanbase following deadline day drama, which saw Folarin Balogun's move to Hill Dickinson Stadium collapse. Missing out on the AS Monaco striker means David Moyes has a £268m squad to compete with this term.
Moyes' only center-forward option is Thierno Barry, and you have to sympathise with the Toffees' support. When Brennan Johnson is your most expensive signing at £21.7m there are clear issues.
15–11
Ismaila Sarr in action for Crystal Palace
Julio Enciso
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis
Steve Parish opted not to go crazy in the window despite Crystal Palace winning the Conference League last season and Pierre Sage's appointment as Oliver Glasner's successor. Perhaps he's burned by Johnson's struggles at Selhurst Park and Jorgen Strand Larsen's woeful form since arriving from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £48m in January.
The Eagles' squad comes in at £281m and the sale of Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea for around £52m is why they just miss out on the £300m mark. Fulham don't, as new manager Alvaro Arbeloa has turned to three of his former Real Madrid youngsters, including Gonzalo Garcia.
The Spanish striker joined the Cottagers for £34m, a club-record fee, bringing Arbeloa's squad total to £311m. That's the same amount Ipswich Town's squad costs, as they are one of the biggest surprises on this list in 13th place.
Fernandez and Barcola
Fernandez and Barcola
It's worth noting that the Tractor Boys have kept most of the squad that was in the top flight the season before last. Still, they spent more than ever before, including on Dutch forward Zon Flemming from Burnley for £20m.
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis hasn't just been busy constantly splashing the cash on new signings at the City Ground. He's been paying significant compensation to managers, having been through four managers throughout the 2025-26 campaign.
Glasner's appointment is an ambitious one and the Austrian has a £347m squad to try and replicate his Palace success with. That fee would be much more had Elliot Anderson not headed to City, which we'll get to much later on.
Another club entering the season with a new coach is Bournemouth and Marco Rose has big shoes to fill following Andoni Iraola's departure. He takes charge of the Cherries at the most exciting period in the club's history with Europa League football just weeks away.
Rose, unlike Iraola, retained his star players, including Alex Scott, who had been linked with pretty much every big six club. As a result, his squad is sitting mid-table with an overall worth of £378m.
10–6
Arsenal lift the Premier League trophy
Mamadou Sangare, Brentford
Matthias Jaissle
While you still have to tip your hat off to Brentford for their incredible growth in the Premier League, they are now putting their money where their mouth is. But some of the top-flight clubs' biggest spenders need to look at their strategy because £40m for Mamadou Sangare already looks a steal.
Keith Andrews is exceeding expectations just as much as his players, who are collectively worth £379m. Fans will be buzzing with the Bees' business and start to the season, and maybe Europe is on the cards at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Another one of English football's most highly admired clubs in the transfer window is Brighton & Hove Albion. The Seagulls have Conference League football on the way and Fabian Hurzeler will have a £421m squad to try and take the trophy off Palace hands.
The south coast outfit were willing to snub a £60m offer from Liverpool for Yakuba Minteh in the final week of the window. That came after selling Carlos Baleba to Manchester United in a £70m deal.
You have to feel for Unai Emery, who built a Europa League-winning squad, only for his top stars to head elsewhere soon after he achieved European glory. Morgan Rogers (£117m), Youri Tielemans (£35m), Ezri Konsa (£50m) and Ollie Watkins (£50m) have all departed Villa Park.
Aston Villa's transfer chiefs did do plenty of business with the likes of Nicolas Jackson arriving from Chelsea in a £65m deal and Johan Manzambi earning a £59.5m move to the Midlands. The Villans' return to Champions League football comes with a £495m squad.
Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins
There's a massive gap between Villa and Newcastle United, who still possess the most expensive squad outside of the big six despite selling Bruno Guimaraes (£75m), Sandro Tonali (£100m) and Anthony Gordon (£69m).
Matthias Jaissle replaced Eddie Howe, and he's getting the best out of last summer's arrivals, Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa. If the Magpies continue as they have under the German coach, the higher-ups might have no choice but to increase their current £705m squad value.
Just missing out on the top five is Arsenal and Mikel Arteta's Premier League champions is a squad packed with talent but worth significantly less than last season's title rivals City. At £848m they are even below their neighbours Tottenham Hotspur.
That might explain why the Gunners were ready to go all out to sign Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid. Instead, no new marquee attacker arrived this summer but it doesn't look to be too consequential given their red-hot start.
5–1
Enzo Fernandez Cups his Ears
Paris Saint Germain's Achraf Hakimi and Bradley Barcola
Jason Wilcox and Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Tottenham shattered their transfer window record by forking out £334m on 10 new signings. On the evidence of their dismal opening two defeats, perhaps paying your way out of trouble isn't the answer.
There is still a long way to go for Roberto De Zerbi, but he does need to reward his hierarchy with a turnaround now that he has a squad worth £852m. It's hard not to question the decision to spend £85m on Savio while the jury is out on making Tonali the joint-10th most expensive signing in top-flight history.
INEOS acted in contrast to the Lilywhites' bosses, choosing to add just three new midfielders to Michael Carrick's squad. Baleba, Tielemans, and Andrey Santos collectively cost £155m, bringing the overall worth of Red Devils players to £852m.
A new left-back seemed a must for Carrick but Manchester United couldn't persuade Newcastle to sell Lewis Hall. Having seen how much was spent on the likes of Savio and Tonali, you have to wonder why they didn't at least put in a big-money offer for the Englishman.
Chelsea are the best-selling club in world football and smashed the all-time record for player sales, bringing in over £400m. A deadline day sale of Fernandez to City helped but the Blues were left furious after AS Monaco pulled the plug on a formally agreed deal for Lamine Camara.
Xabi Alonso seems pleased with the £918m squad he's ended up with at Stamford Bridge. Could he be the one to turn BlueCo's project into a title-challenging one? Rogers' arrival will be hugely important if they are to explore a potential battle with Arsenal and Manchester City at the top of the table.
Speaking of the Cityzens, if it weren't for Fernandez's move to the Etihad, their squad would sit below the west Londoners. But he wasn't the only expensive midfield arrival, having joined Anderson (£116m) and Ayyoub Bouaddi (£89m) in Enzo Maresca's squad.
You can't say Maresca hasn't been backed to ensure City don't stumble like United after losing their greatest ever manager. He'll be working with a squad worth £959m to try and become a Premier League-winning manager.
Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez
Liverpool take top spot with Iraola swapping perennial wheeler and dealer Bournemouth for the Premier League club with the most expensive squad. That's because of Bradley Barcola's initial £106m arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, meaning the Reds now possess three players who cost over £100m.
Isak is still their club record signing, while Florian Wirtz cost £166m including add-ons. Those three alone would put the Merseysiders mid-table, but instead, they and their teammates finish first at a whopping £980m.