Top 10 clubs with highest net spend in the last decade

Premier League clubs unsurprisingly dominate the list. 

A football club competing at the highest level must spend a lot of money in order to stay competitive. Signing the best players and hiring the best staff requires investment. A club’s net spend could go extremely high if they sign expensive players and fail to sell them for a decent amount.

Some of the elite clubs in Europe have spent a lot of money in order to sign expensive players. However, they have been unable to sell them for a profit or at the face value at the least. This results in a high net spend over multiple transfer windows. A club like Manchester United investing heavily in Paul Pogba and seeing him leave for free is one such example. 

Experts at the CIES Football Observatory took a look at the past decade and gauged which clubs went on to have the highest net spend. On that note, here are the top 10 clubs with the highest net spend in the past 10 years.

10. Chelsea - £413m

Chelsea recently broke the record of becoming the first Premier League club to spend the most money in a single transfer window. The Blues have, over the years, spent large amounts of money on players like Kai Havertz (£72m) and Romelu Lukaku (£101.7m). They recently spent £72.36m to get Wesley Fofana from Leicester City FC.

9. Aston Villa - £424m

Aston Villa have invested a lot of money into the squad over the years to retain its status as a Premier League team. While their most expensive arrival is Emiliano Buendia (£34.56m), they have made a lot of signings without notable player sales. Despite such a hefty net spend, the team is struggling in the 2022-23 league season under Steven Gerrard. 

8. Everton - £430m

Everton have a higher net spend than their neighbors Liverpool and the fortunes of these two teams could not be more different. Unlike the Reds, who have won the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League under Jurgen Klopp, EFC is struggling to stay in the Premier League despite a net spend of £430m in the last decade.

7. AC Milan - £432m

AC Milan’s rise to become Serie A champions was not without investing smartly in the squad. The Rossoneri had to purchase several high-profile players such as Leonardo Bonucci (£37.8m) and Andre Silva (£34.2m) among others to stay on the toes of teams like Inter Milan and Juventus.

6. Juventus - £560m

Juventus FC won nine Serie A titles in a row from 2011-12 to 2019-20. To be able to stay on top on a regular basis, the Old Lady had to keep investing and sign quality players. Some of the key signings the club made in the past decade include individuals like Cristiano Ronaldo (£105.3m), Gonzalo Higuain (£81m), Matthijs de Ligt (£76.95m) and more. They have the highest net spend for an Italian club.

5. Arsenal - £583m

Arsenal are one of the most decorated English clubs and are a big spender in the transfer market. Over the past decade, the Gunners have had a net spend of £583m. This is the highest amount for a London-based club. Players like Nicolas Pepe (£72m), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£57.38m) and Ben White (£52.65m) are some of their most expensive arrivals in the past few years.

4. FC Barcelona - £650m

FC Barcelona have the highest net spend for a Spanish club. In fact, it is the only club from La Liga on this list. The Blaugrana have a net spend of £650m in the past decade when players like Ousmane Dembele (£126m), Philippe Coutinho (£121.5m) and Antoine Griezmann (£108.00m) have come into the team.  

3. Paris Saint-Germain - £940m

The top three clubs with the highest net spend are in a league of their own compared to others. Paris Saint-Germain’s net spend (£940m) would be high since the new owners have invested a lot of money in order to sign players like Neymar (£199.8m, a world record), and Kylian Mbappe (£162m) in the last decade to become an undisputed giant in French football. Despite the net spend, the club is still chasing its first-ever UEFA Champions League title.

2. Manchester City - £985m

Manchester City’s story is very similar to PSG's. Thanks to the arrival of the new owners and major investment into the squad, MCFC is now an unstoppable force in the English domestic circuit following a net spend of £985m. The club has won multiple trophies such as the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Community Shield thanks to the arrival of players like Jack Grealish (£105.75m), Kevin De Bruyne (£68.40m) and more.

1. Manchester United - £1.1b

Manchester United is the only football club in the world with a net spend of a billion pounds in the past decade. The difference between MUFC and MCFC is the proper usage of the money. Despite a net spend higher than any club in the world, the Red Devils have not won the Premier League since 2013. Some of their most expensive signings include Paul Pogba (£94.5m), Antony (£85.5m), Harry Maguire (£78.3m) and more. The net spend is particularly high because MUFC is poor at selling their players.