Chelsea lead 2000s net spend table: Premier League dominates top 20 ranking

Featuring 10 Premier League clubs, here is a ranking of the top 20 teams with the largest net spend since 2000.

Figures are via Transfermarkt , which deals in Euros. It didn’t make much sense to convert it into sterling because of inflation and all that jazz.

20) Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia)
Expenditure: €771.87m
Income: €384.53m
Net spend: €-387.34m

Lots of Brazilians have come and gone.

19) Fulham (England)
Expenditure: €791.90m
Income: €399.37m
Net spend: €-392.54m

Yep, bloody Fulham.

18) Inter (Italy)
Expenditure: €1.99bn
Income: €1.52bn
Net spend: €-461.76m

Boy, have this lot been busy.

17) Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Expenditure: €560.85m
Income: €52.32m
Net spend: €-508.53m

Being so high after only three transfer windows showing ambition emphasises the power of the Saudi Pro League.

16) Napoli (Italy)
Expenditure: €1.38bn
Income: €829.85m
Net spend: €-553.66m

Their income might have hit a billion if Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia left in the summer window.

15) West Ham (England)
Expenditure: €1.36bn
Income: €771.95m
Net spend: €-591.37m

Over half of their expenditure went on terrible strikers. Ish.

14) Aston Villa (England)
Expenditure: €1.32bn
Income: €700.11m
Net spend: €-614.94m

Villa spent an awful lot of wonga in the 2024 summer transfer window but made nearly as much through player sales.

13) Newcastle United (England)
Expenditure: €1.34bn
Income: €669.18m
Net spend: €-674.10m

This summer was meant to be more fun.

12) Bayern Munich (Germany)
Expenditure: €1.6bn
Income: €847.12m
Net spend: €-749.82m

Pretty good going for three Champions League titles since the turn of the century. Bayern were pretty busy this summer and Newcastle were not, so they have leapfrogged them in this ranking.

11) Liverpool (England)
Expenditure: €2.02bn
Income: €1.23bn
Net spend: €-798.39m

FSG out.

10) AC Milan (Italy)
Expenditure: €1.76bn
Income: €894.32m
Net spend: €-865.16m

Milan have as many arrivals and departures (818).

9) Juventus (Italy)
Expenditure: €2.67bn
Income: €1.77bn
Net spend: €-902.74m

Is Juventus the richest Old Lady in the world?

8) Tottenham (England)
Expenditure: €2.04bn
Income: €1.11bn
Net spend: €-931.62m

Look at Spurs rolling with the big boys. Surely they have some trophies to show for it, right? Right?

7) Barcelona (Spain)
Expenditure: €2.5bn
Income: €1.5bn
Net spend: €-998.36m

It’s surprising they are not in the top five given the fact they are crippled financially thanks to a number of stupidly expensive signings.

6) Arsenal (England)
Expenditure: €1.92bn
Income: €899.49m
Net spend: €-1,016.13m

Arsenal placed 14th with a net spend of €-280.98m between 00/01 and 17/18 – the season Arsene Wenger left.

5) Real Madrid (Spain)
Expenditure: €2.47bn
Income: €1.42bn
Net spend: €-1,045.15m

Real Madrid do not tend to get big fees for players as the natural end goal for them.

4) Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Expenditure: €2.48bn
Income: €937.04m
Net spend: €-1,507.82m

That is a big ol’ jump from fifth.

3) Manchester United (England)
Expenditure: €2.69bn
Income: €939.01m
Net spend: €-1,748.36m

They are horrible when it comes to signing players . Oh, and when it comes to selling them .

2) Manchester City (England)
Expenditure: €2.8bn
Income: €1.19bn
Net spend: €-1,606.63m

They bought their success and really do not care. Well, they might if they are found g-g-g-guilty.

1) Chelsea (England)
Expenditure: €3.85bn
Income: €1.9bn
Net spend: €-1,948.67m

The Blues have always been a bit gung-ho in the transfer market, but they have taken things to a whole new level under Todd Boehly. How are you supposed to compete with that?! Quite easily by the looks of it.

READ MORE: Premier League five-year net spend table: Chelsea ahead of Man Utd