Which clubs earned the most from player sales in summer 2022?

These teams sold their players for massive transfer fees

The summer transfer window brings new spending records every year. It is becoming increasingly common for clubs to spend more than $100 million every year with the increasing commercial value in the sport. In particular, there’s a big difference between Premier League teams and all other leagues when it comes to spending as Premier League clubs are most cash-laden. There are also some clubs that have established themselves as talent-producing factories. Clubs such as Ajax, Monaco and Borussia Dortmund enjoy big cash inflows through sales each year. 

The summer window for the 2022/23 season ended recently, and these clubs’ players were again in high demand. So let's round-up and look at the Top 10 clubs with the biggest cash inflows through sales this summer.

10. LOSC Lille- €99 Million

LOSC Lille had an outstanding 2022/23 transfer window in terms of departures. The French Club had 12 departures which included big names like Renato Sanchez and Sven Botman, who were the main architects behind their French League's title triumph in the 2020-21 season. Over the course of the summer, they collected a total of €99 million in sales and spent the majority of it, replacing their outgoing players.

9. Juventus- €103 Million

This summer window was kind of a bit stop-start for the Italian giants. They started off really strong with the signings of Angel Di Maria and Paul Pogba on free transfers, but couldn't move forward. They lost key players such as Paulo Dybala, Giorgio Chiellini, and Matthijs de Ligt in a disappointing transfer window. However, they made a mammoth €103 million in sales despite most of their departures being free transfers. 

8. FC Bayern- €104 Million

In recent years, the German giants have been one of the most successful clubs when it comes to transfer strategy, and this year was no exception. In spite of signing Matthijs de Ligt for a club-record €67 million, they still managed to incur a net loss of just €26 million. One of the main departures this summer from Bayern was Robert Lewandowski, who left for FC Barcelona in a deal worth €45 million.

7. Leeds United- €108 Million

Throughout the entire transfer window, Leeds United was one of the busiest clubs with transfers. Even on the last day, they saw Daniel James leave for Fulham. The Elland Road-based club made departures worth €108 million this summer and the biggest name was Kalvin Phillips, who joined Manchester City in a club record £42 million transfer.

6. Brighton- €113 Million

This summer was one of the busiest transfer windows for Premier League clubs. Unlike most Premier League clubs, Brighton was completely opposite as they earned a lot. With more departures than incoming this summer, the Seagulls collected a record €113 million in sales.

5. AS Monaco- €119 million

AS Monaco is considered an established factory for producing hot prospects, and their players were in high demand yet again. In every season, there's always a Monaco player who sets big clubs like Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United among others on fire. Keeping with the trend, it was Aurelien Tchouameni this summer who was sold to Real Madrid for €80 Million. In total, AS Monaco enjoyed an income of €119 million through sales.

4. Sporting CP- €119 Million

If Monaco is a talent-producing factory from France, Sporting CP is its counterpart from Portugal. The Portuguese club earned a good deal of money by selling some of their biggest names this summer. Among their departures, key players were Matheus Nunes, who joined Wolves for €45 million, Joao Palihinha, who joined Fulham for €20 million, and Nuno Mendes, who joined Paris Saint-Germain for €38 million.

3. SL Benfica- €127 Million

Let's move on to Sporting's competitor and another talent-producing club, Benfica. In one of the most surprising signings of the summer, the Portuguese club sold Darwin Nunez, their hero of last season and breakthrough superstar. With Darwin Nunez joining Liverpool for €75 million, Benfica set a new record for the highest transfer fee it has ever received. In addition to Nunez, Benfica sold 19 players for a total of €127 million.

2. Manchester City- €159 Million

The name Manchester City would come as a shock to many fans. Cityzens are famous for their spending habits, but this summer, they also made big money through sales. Manchester City sold some of the big names this summer who were unsatisfied with the amount of game time they were receiving. On that list were Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who joined City's direct rivals Arsenal and Chelsea. Gabriel Jesus, too, left for Arsenal.

1. Ajax- €216 Million

This summer, Ajax made the most money through player sales, with a significant chunk coming from Manchester United alone. They had already lost their manager Erik Ten Hag before the start of the window, and then lost key names like Lisandro Martinez, Antony, and Sebastian Haller during the window. Antony and Martinez, both now at Old Trafford, continue their allegiance with gaffer Erik ten Hag.