Two European clubs are currently the continent’s biggest spenders – until the Premier League giants start throwing their weight and cash around…
The transfer window is officially open and clubs across the world are starting to do business.
So here are the teams who have spent most so far this summer…
All fees and figures are taken from Transfermarkt. The 20 biggest deals of the summer are here.
10) Marseille – £34.5m
You wouldn’t think that OM are facing UEFA sanctions over their finances given how they have started the summer, but their three recruits consist of two obligations to sign loanees Hamed Traore and Timothy Weah, and the acceptance of an option to sign Facundo Medina.
9) Brighton – £35.2m
The Seagulls have snared winger Zadok Yohanna and defender Costinha, and they want to spend the same again on Luka Vuskovic if Tottenham will let them. Knowing Brighton, all three will be worth £200million inside a year.
8) Juventus – £41.1m
The bulk of Juve’s spend has gone on Lois Openda due to an obligation they wish they had never agreed when they signed the Belgian forward from RB Leipzig last summer. Since then, Openda has scored a total of one goal for the Old Lady. But still there are Premier League clubs – Leeds and Everton among them – keen to bail Juve out.
7) Arsenal – £45m
All of Arsenal’s cash spent so far has gone on Pierro Hincapie, though reports suggest they could sell the Ecuadorian almost as soon as the cash has cleared in Bayer Leverkusen’s bank account.
6) Real Madrid – £47.6m
Real have been busy already this summer, signing three Premier League stars – Ibrahima Konate, Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella – the latter being the only one to command a fee. Florentino Perez has also secured himself another term as president and a new manager.
5) Sporting Lisbon – £53.4m
Sporting may have spent but they are the only club on this list in the black this summer to the tune of almost £10million.
4) Chelsea – £54.5m
Chelsea aren’t far off from breaking even so far – that’ll change – but whether we’ll see in the first team the three players they have spent money on so far this summer, it remains to be seen. Geovany Quenda, Denner and Dastan Satpaev sound right up Strasbourg’s street.
3) Liverpool – £55m
Liverpool’s outlay was agreed in January when they arranged the deal to sign Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes. It might cost them double that to land Yan Diomande, especially if his World Cup form continues.
2) Napoli – £57.5m
Around £38million of Napoli’s summer spend so far was trousered by Manchester United, who were lucky to get half of their money back for Rasmus Hojlund. Approximately £14million also went to Sporting Lisbon after Napoli exercised their option to sign on-loan winger Alisson Santos permanently.
1) Barcelona – £70m
Barca being Barca, they chucked a huge wad at Newcastle for Anthony Gordon then went to Manchester United pleading poverty over Marcus Rashford. Their interest in Julian Alvarez suggests there are still levers unpulled, but Real and Floretina Perez may have stitched up the Catalans with their definitely genuine, in no way a sham offer for the Atletico Madrid striker.