Top five clubs with most money spent on transfer fees in football history

Chelsea have remained one of the most high-spending clubs in the transfer window.

The costs associated with football transfers have skyrocketed in recent years, and exorbitant fees are now the rule rather than the exception. Due to the infusion of huge media earnings and affluent club owners, transactions of hundreds of millions of pounds have become commonplace.

These spending binges, which range from outrageous prices paid for well-known athletes to bold bets on spotting future stars, show the financial might and calculated strategy of some of the biggest names in the sport. Which clubs have spent the most money? We present you with this list below.

Top five clubs with most money spent on transfers of all time

5. Real Madrid: €2.9 Billion

Given that Real Madrid have been the dominant force in Europe for the last five years, Madrid haven’t spent much in comparison to the titles they have won during that time. But they were the first-ever club to set a mega transfer record when they bought Cristiano Ronaldo €94 million.

Since then, the club continued to spend heavily as they bought the likes of Gareth Bala and Eden Hazard. Their most recent expensive signing has been Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, for whom the Spanish team paid €103 million.

4. Manchester United: €3.02 Billion

Paul Pogba, who rejoined Manchester United from Juventus in 2016 for $118 million, was one of the team’s most well-known acquisitions in the previous ten years. However, since then, the club’s overspent on many new signings, who have barely lived up to the price.

Antony was another of their most costly acquisitions, when the club bought him for €95 million, but the forward was a disappointment. But like a lot of other costly acquisitions, Pogba fell short of expectations. Even with such exorbitant spending habits, United have only won six trophies in the last ten years: one Community Shield, two FA Cups, two EFL Cups, and one Europa League.

3. Juventus: €3.18 Billion

Juventus, the only Italian team in the top five, smashed their record when they paid $122 million to Real Madrid to get Cristiano Ronaldo, which was their last most lucrative purchase. Their lavish spending has helped them win 12 trophies, including two Italian Super Cups, five Coppa Italia crowns, and five Serie A titles.

However, since their financial scandal, the club have not spent big money on new signings and have also lost their dominance in the league and European competitions.

2. Manchester City €3.23 Billion

Jack Grealish from Aston Villa was the most costly addition to Manchester City in the last ten years, costing €117.5 million. Their most recent expensive signing was Josko Gvardiol, who cost the club €90 million.

Their signings have paid off as the players have contributed to the club’s success. The club have won 19 trophies, including six Premier League crowns, two FA Cups, five EFL Cups, three Community Shields, one Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup, as a result of their significant investment over the years.

1. Chelsea: €4.18 Billion

Todd Boehly, the new owner who took over in 2022, has been responsible for the majority of this club’s expenditure. Chelsea’s $127 million acquisition of Enzo Fernandez from SL Benfica set a Premier League transfer record. The team has continued to spend heavily; they also bought Moises Caicedo for a record transfer fee of £115 million from Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, most of Chelsea’s success has come under the previous owner, Roman Abramovich. The new owners’ spending did pay off slightly as they tasted glory after the Blues won the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Conference League.

Chelsea have spent more on transfers than any club in football history 😳 💰🔵 pic.twitter.com/pQ6aZMglcL

— LiveScore (@livescore) July 29, 2025

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