Net spend is often used to determine how lavish a Premier League side has spent in the transfer market, the difference between a club’s spending on new players (transfer fees paid) and the revenue generated from player sales (transfer fees received).
We’ve decided to look at the current top-flight clubs and rank them in order of net spend across the last five transfer windows.
Incredibly, just two teams in the Premier League have made a profit during that time period. Everton and Leicester City are the two sides in the black across the last five transfer windows, as both clubs have tightened previously lavish budgets following Premier League Profit and Sustainability (PSR) concerns.
Manchester City have often been accused of buying their way to success but the Citizens’ new-found status as super sellers is evident with their placing at 17th. The champions have invested just €11m net across the last five transfer windows, with the £82m club-record sale of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid this summer a big boost to their finances.
At the other end of the table, it’s no surprise to see the teams leading the way for spending. Manchester United sit second with a mammoth €475m invested across the last five transfer windows, with Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte all arriving for sizeable fees this summer.
However, even that outlay is dwarfed by Chelsea’s €812m invested as Todd Boehly has gone bonkers in the transfer market. Chelsea’s incredible outlay is more than the next two highest Premier League clubs combined.
Premier League Net Spending – Last five transfer windows
20. Everton – +€96m
19. Leicester City – +€42m
18. Wolves – €6m
17. Manchester City – €11m
16. Brighton – €19m
15. Southampton – €57m
14. Crystal Palace – €86m
13. Fulham – €93m
12. Brentford – €131m
11. Ipswich Town – €132m
10. Aston Villa – €156m
9. Liverpool – €171m
8. Bournemouth – €247m
7. West Ham United – €249m
6. Nottingham Forest – €260m
5. Newcastle United – €271m
4. Arsenal – €354m
3. Tottenham Hotspur – €386m
2. Manchester United – €475m
1. Chelsea – €812m
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