Chelsea's £1.3bn squad was named the most expensive ever assembled in a Uefa report
Some disgruntled Chelsea fans protested outside Stamford Bridge before their recent victory over Southampton, with frustration aimed at co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s management of the club.
The feeling that the Blues have underperformed relative to their significant investment has all but been confirmed as a Uefa report revealed their £1.3bn squad is the most expensive ever assembled.
They are not alone in frivolous spending. In the report, which looked at over 700 European clubs, the four most expensive squads based on combined transfer costs were English as Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal made the top four.
But in a season of turmoil, this spending spree has not paid off as Liverpool, the comparatively frugal and seventh most expensive squad at £728m, lead the pack.
Chelsea (£1.33bn)
Enzo Fernandez was an expensive buy for the Blues at £105m (Photo: Getty)
Currently fifth in the Premier League, Chelsea are out of both domestic cup competitions, and since the takeover in May 2022 have yet to win any silverware.
The owners spent £1.33bn on transfers, which comfortably surpassed Real Madrid’s previous record of £1.18bn in 2023.
While this is not the only reason behind fans’ dissatisfaction, poor decision-making and squad planning has led to an injury crisis – notably losing both Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke in recent months.
Manchester City (£1.07bn)
With a combined cost of £1.07bn, City fell just shy of becoming the third most expensive squad ever assembled.
This season, fans have seen the defending champions falter in their bid to defend their title, with Rodri’s season-ending injury a key example of their over-reliance on certain players.
As a result, Pep Guardiola’s side are fighting for a place in the top four – a far cry from their Treble-winning heroics of 2023.
Manchester United (£911m)
United’s £911m squad is an eye-watering amount at the best of times, but it is clear their on-field results have not matched the level of investment.
Although a reduction on squad expenditure the previous year, United’s crippling debts are not going away as the club recently reported losses before tax of £312m over the past three years.
Understandably fan frustration has reached boiling point, following ticket price increases and mass redundancies, with supporters planning a protest against owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe on the weekend before United’s match against Arsenal.
Arsenal (£835m)
While a 7-1 dismantling of PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League has quietened Arsenal’s striker debate for now, their season so far and their position on this list also shows an over-reliance on individuals.
In their 24-player squad, almost a fifth are injured, with their most valuable asset Bukayo Saka (valued at £150m) out for the rest of the season.
While Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have been bright sparks this season, when Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli are all injured, it is clear the Gunners have suffered from a lack of investment.