Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have posted the biggest net losses of any clubs in world football this summer, underlining once again the spending power of the Premier League’s elite.
According to figures from the CIES Football Observatory, Pep Guardiola’s side recorded a deficit of around £314million, narrowly ahead of Arsenal on £311m and Liverpool on £208m.
Six English clubs appear in the global top 10 loss-makers, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray and Italian outfit Como.
It has been another record-breaking summer with CIES estimating that clubs worldwide spent £12.1billion on transfers, 14 per cent more than the previous high set in 2023.
The Premier League once more drove much of the market with English sides dominating the list of negative balances.
Liverpool were the headline act. The Reds smashed the British transfer record twice in the same window, first by landing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for more than £100m, then by forcing through the arrival of Alexander Isak from Newcastle for £125m.
Manchester City , Arsenal and Liverpool have posted the biggest net losses of any clubs in world football this summer
The Reds smashed the British transfer record twice in the same window, first by landing Florian Wirtz and then Alexander Isak from Newcastle for £125m.
Arsenal also plunged deep into the red after a £267m spree that brought in Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi
The Isak saga became one of the dramas of the summer with the striker refusing to play and posting a pointed message on social media before finally sealing his move to Anfield.
Arne Slot, fresh from winning the title in his debut season, also recruited Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez in what has been described as one of the most ambitious windows in Anfield history.
The result is a squad brimming with talent but also a balance sheet showing the third largest net loss in the world. Slot now faces the pressure that comes with such lavish backing, with supporters and owners alike expecting another title challenge and a deep run in the Champions League.
Arsenal also plunged deep into the red after a £267m spree that brought in Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi.
The Gunners were widely praised for strengthening across the pitch but managed to generate only £10m in sales, leaving them with a deficit of more than £300m. For Mikel Arteta the question is whether the heavy outlay will finally push his side over the line in the title race.
City, by contrast, were less eye-catching in terms of individual deals but still finished with the biggest net loss worldwide. Guardiola oversaw a rebuild that included the arrival of Tijjani Reijnders while allowing several established names to depart.
With spending of more than £460m and only £94m recouped, the champions ended the summer with the most negative balance sheet in football.
United also ranked among the worst performers financially, finishing deep in the red after a £200m spend to transform their attack. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo added proven Premier League quality, while the capture of Benjamin Sesko offered long-term potential.
Pep Guardiola oversaw a rebuild that included the arrivals of Rayan Cherki (left) Tijjani Reijnders (middle)
Chelsea were again one of the most active clubs, committing more than £390m to new signings including Liam Delap and Joao Pedro
The presence of Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the top 10 highlighted the continued, if slowing, impact of Saudi investment
With little money recouped in sales, United ended the summer with another sizeable deficit on their books.
Perhaps the biggest surprise on the list were Sunderland, who posted one of the largest net losses anywhere in Europe after a lavish summer outlay. The Black Cats spent heavily on the likes of Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele and Simon Adingra, while also pulling off a dramatic deadline day with Brian Brobbey and Lutsharel Geertruida arriving.
It marked one of the most ambitious windows in the club’s modern history but left them with one of the heaviest negative balances on the continent.
While the Premier League’s leading clubs haemorrhaged money, Chelsea managed the rare feat of spending big and still finishing in profit.
The Blues were again one of the most active clubs, committing more than £390m to new signings including Brighton forward Joao Pedro, but they also brought in £420m from sales. That left them £25m in credit, a remarkable contrast to their fellow Big Six rivals.
Critics point out that Chelsea’s squad remains bloated and chaotic, but financially they are one of the few elite sides to emerge from the summer in the black.
Elsewhere in Europe, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid both registered heavy net losses while Turkish giants Galatasaray and Italian Como also featured among the biggest spenders.
The presence of Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the top 10 highlighted the continued, if slowing, impact of Saudi investment in the transfer market.
The biggest surprise on the list were Sunderland, who posted one of the largest net losses anywhere in Europe after a lavish summer outlay
When it came to profits, Aston Villa led the way in the Premier League with a net profit of £73m after selling Jacob Ramsey and others
The other end of the table told a very different story. French clubs were the big winners financially with RC Lens posting a profit of £96m, Lyon clearing £91m and Monaco £80m.
Ligue 1 has long been a selling league and this summer underlined that reputation, with clubs cashing in on talent to balance their books while still remaining competitive.
In the Premier League, Aston Villa led the way with a net profit of £73m after selling Jacob Ramsey and others, though their inability to move on Emiliano Martinez prevented an even stronger return.
In total, 121 clubs worldwide recorded more than £42m worth of transfer activity this summer.
Spending at the top end of the English game has reached unprecedented levels and the gaps between the haves and have-nots continue to grow. City, Arsenal and Liverpool may have taken the biggest financial hits but they are banking on their new recruits delivering silverware, while further down the ladder clubs in France and Germany have used the market to secure their futures.
