The 12 football clubs that have spent the most money on transfers over the last six years have been revealed, and it makes for fascinating reading, with Premier League sides dominating the list.

Indeed, since 2020, English clubs have ruled the roost in the transfer market, flexing their financial muscle like no other league in world football. While La Liga was once the benchmark for success, the pendulum has swung, with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City becoming the teams to beat in the Champions League.

However, splashing the cash is only half the battle. As the following list shows, money may make the world go round, but it doesn’t buy guaranteed happiness in the beautiful game.

For every club that has struck gold, another has been left counting the cost, proving there is no substitute for smart recruitment and getting the right pieces of the puzzle in place.

12. Bayern Munich – €798 million

Bayern Munich’s two best signings over the last six years have both arguably been made during a 12-month window, with Michael Olise following Harry Kane through the door in 2024. Together, they have been tearing the Bundesliga apart, but perhaps the German giants need to start dipping into their pockets a little more before their super team paves the way for continental glory.

11. West Ham – €824 million

West Ham are paying the price for having all the gear, but clearly no idea. Last season, they were relegated into the Championship, with their constant turnover of players perhaps more the issue than their spending itself, having too easily let go of Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus.

10. Aston Villa – €845 million

Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

There’s a perception as of late that Aston Villa have been unable to spend as much as they deserve due to PSR issues. The fact they have spent nearly a billion euros across the last six summers suggests otherwise, but at least they’ve seen progress to warrant such spending unlike their claret and blue rivals, as they won the Europa League just a few months ago, before then spending a club record fee on World Cup star Johan Manzambi for good measure.

9. Juventus – €935 million

The Old Lady haven’t been able to win the Serie A title at all since last doing so in the 2019/20 campaign. That’s despite them being the boot-shaped country’s highest spenders by a landslide, with notable incomings including Dusan Vlahovic, who is considered among the best young players in world football.

8. Newcastle United – €1 billion

via Reuters

Newcastle have the richest owners in world football through their Saudi PIF hierarchy, and so it’s only right that they rank high on this list. But they, too, have the same issue as West Ham with retaining their most-prized assets – selling Alexander Isak on deadline day in 2025, before then letting go of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali this year.

7. Liverpool – €1.12 billion

Last season, Liverpool broke the bank twice to sign Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, breaking the British transfer record twice in the process. Not prepared to rest on their laurels, they also added the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez to their books, meaning nearly a quarter of their spend over the last six years came in just one explosive transfer window.

6. Paris Saint-Germain – €1.12 billion

Perhaps no club on this list has got more bang for their buck than Paris Saint-Germain, who retained their Champions League title last summer under Luis Enrique. They were the number-one spenders for years just a decade ago, but realised that superstar names aren’t the only ingredient needed for success and have since been far more savvy with their business rather than blindly signing the lieks fo Neymar and Lionel Messi just because of their reputations rather than how they can fit in with the current squad.

5. Arsenal – €1.16 billion

Reuters/Matthew Childs

Like PSG, Arsenal are another team that has benefitted from refusing to let their heads drop too low when it seemed like all their big-money moves were failing them. Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have had to be extremely patient, but Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Viktor Gyokeres were all among those to come good and win them a first Premier League title in 22 years last season.

4. Manchester United – €1.28 billion

Via REUTERS/Scott Heppell

Manchester United have had seven different managers (including permanent, interim, and caretaker bosses) since 2020, spending an absolute fortune on paying them compensation when things haven’t gone to plan, and they’ve been forced to sack them early. The hierarchy continues to rack up debt, but that hasn’t pulled the plug on transfer expenditure, with Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Andre Onana among the most costly missteps over a six-year period that has only reaped one FA Cup and one League Cup.

3. Tottenham – €1.38 billion

REUTERS/Hollie Adams

Over the last few years, genuine questions have been asked about whether Tottenham justify their place among the Premier League ‘Big Six.’ Now under Roberto De Zerbi, the north Londoners must take their significant spending and start to achieve something to prove they still belong in the elite, with brand-new arrivals like Mateus Fernandes and Marcos Senesi surely capable of turning around their fortunes.

2. Manchester City – €1.45 billion

Rivals can say what they like about Manchester City’s spending, but at least their seemingly-endless pit of gold has been converted into silverware. They have blown much of their competition out of the water over the last decade, with far more hits than misses in the transfer market. Perhaps Pep Guardiola’s only real downfall is the time it took him to get a good defence, while one Champions League title is slightly sub-par.

1. Chelsea – €2.41 billion

Who else could it be? There’s not enough room on the internet to list Todd Boehly’s issues at Chelsea, with his careless spending – mostly on failed wingers – costing the Blues any sort of direction. Three of their transfer windows under the American have wound up on the list of most expensive ever, but they have nothing to show for it – Xabi Alonso has an almighty task on his hands now, but at least he will be backed.

All statistics courtesy of Pop Foot (correct as of 02/07/2026)

Although he is still technically a Chelsea player, it doesn’t seem as though Alejandro Garnacho will play for the Blues again. After his recent comments, many fans might not want him back.

The Argentine only arrived at Stamford Bridge from Manchester United last summer, but after one season in West London, he’s now been loaned out to Aston Villa. The winger is set to make the move permanent if certain clauses are met during the upcoming 2026/27 campaign.

With eight goals and four assists in 43 games, Garnacho never quite seemed to find his best form at Chelsea. He scored just once in the Premier League and managed just as many goals in the Champions League. Now at Villa, he will hope to do better.

Alejandro Garnacho Makes Chelsea Dig After Aston Villa Debut

Garnacho made his unofficial Aston Villa debut in a 3-1 victory against an Indonesia XI over the weekend, but it doesn’t sound as though he had the best of games. While no player should ever be judged too strongly in a pre-season friendly, his new fans weren’t exactly blown away.

After footage emerged of his performance, many were underwhelmed, with some suggesting he played too ‘safe’. The mood was summed up, with a supporter saying: “Can’t beat his man, always passes back, can’t take a shot.”

After the game, Garnacho has managed to annoy many Chelsea fans, as he has been accused of taking a dig at his former club. He wrote online:

In particular, his ‘happy to be enjoying football again’ comment has caused a stir. Many have interpreted it to suggest he wasn’t very content playing for Chelsea.

Taking to social media, many Blues fans expressed their anger at the player, which could make it awkward if he does end up back at Chelsea after his loan at Villa. One said:

A second wrote: “This is his problem, it’s everyone else’s fault,” while another concurred: “He didn’t like it at Manchester United either. I think he is the problem.”

Other were fuming, as they said, “He’s never gonna learn!” And: “Absolutely garbage player … Was very angry when we signed this shit.”

Someone else added: “I think it’s a habit at this point, Manchester United fans were right.” Another bluntly stated: “We didn’t like him either.” One more concluded: “And people say he fixed his attitude.”

Five nations have now come to Gianni Infantino’s defence, despite the outspoken FIFA president being forced into a U-turn over his plans to sell stakes in the World Cup this week.

Infantino, who has held his position since succeeding Sepp Blatter in 2016, was eyeing a ‘£15 billion sell-off’ to private investors. In exchange for allowing private investors the opportunity to pay billions for involvement in the planning of future World Cups, he offered each of FIFA’s 211 member associations the chance to make £15 million ($20 million) instantly if they vote through his plans. A further £50 million ($66 million) would’ve be given to each association before 2038.

The 56-year-old has become the centre of fierce backlash for the now-defunct plan, with UEFA among his most vocal critics. Aleksander Ceferin has urged European nations to withdraw their support for football’s current leader in the hope that he will either resign or lose an election he was once tipped to win by a landslide next March.

CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and the AFC have since joined the chorus of criticism by releasing statements of condemnation of their own. However, despite the mounting pressure and growing calls for change, Infantino still has a handful of supporters willing to stand by him.

Five Nations Who Still Support Gianni Infantino Despite Failed World Cup Plot

REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake

Only one of Europe’s 55 members rocked the boat by going against UEFA’s stance that Infantino’s vision was against the sport’s principles, with the president of the Czech Republic’s football association, David Trunda, believing it would provide valuable additional funding for grassroots football and infrastructure development in the country.

Since then, four other nations have joined forces with him, with Qatar – the 2022 World Cup host nation – also issuing an eye-opening statement which “applauded his wisdom” and stated that they full support his “efforts to continue growing and strengthening the game globally.”

Europe’s ploy to depose the Swiss football administrator has hit a roadblock after Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Lebanon have also reiterated their confidence in his leadership, according to the Daily Mail.

UEFA and CONCACAF make up 90 of FIFA’s 211 member associations. Although that is above the 20 per cent threshold to trigger a vote of no confidence, it falls short of the majority needed to topple Infantino.

What It Will Take For Infantino To Resign Before March Elections

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

The other 40 AFC member associations have yet to comment publicly, implying they are content with the confederation’s stance, which stops short of challenging Infantino’s presidency. Australia, also an AFC member, welcomed the decision to abandon the investment plan, saying: “Attention must now turn to the future.”

Although UEFA and CONCACAF have enough backing to trigger a vote of no confidence, they currently fall short of the numbers needed to remove Infantino from office. As things stand, public opposition accounts for 43 per cent of FIFA’s membership, below the majority required to unseat him.

That said, the undeclared associations are under no obligation to vote in line with their confederations. If just 16 nations were to break ranks and side with the opposition, Infantino’s presidency would suddenly be hanging by a thread.