Net spending, the difference between transfer fees paid and received, has seen Man Utd splash out 1.561 billion USD since the 2016-2017 season, according to Transfermarkt. The club spent 2.18 billion USD on new players while only recouping 619 million USD from sales.

Man Utd’s three new attacking signings in the summer of 2025, Bryan Mbeumo (left), Benjamin Sesko (center), and Matheus Cunha (right), before the match against Arsenal at Old Trafford, Manchester, UK, in the first round of the Premier League on 17/8/2025. Photo: MUFC

Man Utd's most expensive acquisition during this period was midfielder Paul Pogba from Juventus for 122 million USD in 2016. Their largest sale was forward Romelu Lukaku to Inter for 86 million USD in 2019. Man Utd last won the Premier League 12 years ago.

Arsenal, who haven't won the league since 2004, are the second highest net spenders in the Premier League over the past decade, trailing Man Utd with 1.289 billion USD.

In terms of overall transfer expenditure, Arsenal's 1.833 billion USD ranks 4th behind Chelsea (3.178 billion USD), Man City (2.274 billion USD), and Man Utd (2.18 billion USD). However, the Emirates club only generated 544 million USD from player sales, ranking 15th among Premier League clubs over the past 10 years. Man Utd only ranked 11th in transfer income.

Chelsea topped the list for transfer income with 1.96 billion USD, followed by Man City (1.074 billion USD) and Liverpool (950 million USD). These three teams have also shared 9 of the most recent Premier League titles: Man City with six, Liverpool with two, and Chelsea with one. This suggests a correlation between strong league performance and higher player sale values.

Due to their substantial income, Chelsea's net spending is only the third highest at 1.217 billion USD, followed by Man City (1.198 billion USD), Tottenham (1.020 billion USD), and Liverpool (758 million USD).

This summer, Liverpool spent 560 million USD, equivalent to 49% of their total transfer spending over the previous 9 seasons combined, and they may acquire more players in January 2026. After years of more frugal spending compared to other top clubs, Liverpool is going all-in to maintain their Premier League dominance. They are currently the only team with three wins from the first three matches of the season, and are considered the favorites to win the title by statisticians and bookmakers.

Xuan Binh