Hey big spenders – Liverpool lead top-four domination of £1bn deals

There has already been an unparalleled transfer window.

Premier League clubs have until September 1 to strengthen their squads, and there have been numerous, significant deals still to be made.

Victor Gyokeres’ signing for Sporting is on the verge of completion, according to Arsenal’s Newcastle team-mate Alexander Isak, who revealed on Thursday that he is considering leaving.

The 25-year-old forward, who is currently the top spender this summer, is still interested, with reigning champions Liverpool still holding out for the sum.

The top four of the previous season’s top five make up the top five spending categories, with Manchester United looking to make up ground after finishing 15th overall.

The only significant signings for the Anfield outfit were goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and forward Federico Chiesa, who both signed for less than £40 million overall.

Chelsea spent just over £212 million this summer, which was the second-highest total overall last season. Their biggest moves include the signings of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town for £30 million, Joao Pedro from Brighton, Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund, and Liam Delap from Ipswich for a sum of £60 million.

Arsenal have won the previous three games, and they have already spent the previous £137 million on their arrival. They would also surpass the $ 200 million mark with the signing of Gyokeres. Real Sociedad’s £60 million acquisition of Spain’s Martin Zubimendi and Chelsea’s Noni Madueke for less than £50 million have been two of their biggest purchases.

Manchester City spent about £127 million on the acquisitions of left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves, left-back Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan, and French attacker Rayan Cherki from Lyon, who finished third last year.

When Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League, they had their worst campaign. The only team outside of Manchester City’s top four this summer to have spent more money than them, but Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Brazilian Matheus Cunha, both from Cameroon, have made the majority of their £133.5 million investment.

Tottenham finished 17th in the table, but they saved a disappointing campaign by winning the Europa League and beating Manchester United in the final, but it was not enough to oust manager Ange Postecoglou.

Liverpool is currently tied for sixth in the world for the most money that a club has spent during a transfer window.

The top three players in that statistic came from last summer’s window, when Chelsea spent $404.4 million (463 million euros), Al-Hilal, Saudi Arabia, and Paris St-Germain, which won the Champions League, paid out $305.1 million (353 million euros).

Real Madrid’s transfer outlay in the 2019-20 summer window was £288.6m (331m euros), while Chelsea spent £287.7m (330m euros) in the winter transfer window of the 2022-23 campaign.

Arne Slot’s side would be at the top of the list for most money spent in a single transfer window if Liverpool purchased Isak for £135m or more.

However, when “football inflation” is taken into account, their spending does not appear to be as extravagant, with Chelsea claiming the record for transfers in 2003-2004 when compared to the annual increases in Premier League revenue.

“Liverpool’s transfer spending, cash, and PSR (profit and sustainability rules) may have two potential limitations.” The club are in a strong position financially, Maguire said.

No issues here because the group accounts show that Liverpool generated more than £80 million in each of its previous two seasons, and new signings will be paid for instalment.

Add in the extra revenue from the Premier League victories in 2024 and 2025 (prize money, an expanded Anfield that generates more than £100 million a season from ticket sales), new kit deals with adidas, expansion of Champions League participation, and revenue that is likely to exceed £700 million.

“Some players have left, which has freed up money on the payroll,” according to Taylor Alexander-Arnold and Jarell Quansah, who are both academy graduates. Other players could also be sold to help with the finances.

Burnley, Leeds United, and Sunderland are the top ten most-spended teams this summer, with each of the three newly promoted teams making the top 10.

Sunderland sold Jobe Bellingham and Tom Watson for about £37 million, leaving them seventh overall and spending just over £100 million on six new players.

Leeds have paid just over £60 million for their six new signings, while Burnley have added ten players for a total of just under £70 million.

The only Premier League team with no plans to spend money this summer is Fulham, whereas Borna Sosa, a left-back from Ajax, has made the only paid acquisition.

Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa both qualified for Europe, but they haven’t yet made significant signings. Teenager Turkish defender Yasin Ozcan has been added as Villa’s only addition in a $6.7 million deal from Kasimpasa.

What does the division’s competitiveness mean when less than a third of the league’s total summer spending is made up of nearly two thirds?

Fans and pundits argued that the Premier League was now as open as it has been in a while, with Forest and Bournemouth both holding the Champions League spots at the time.

Former Premier League striker Dion Dublin stated on Final Score in February, “I’m looking at Forest, Bournemouth, Fulham, Fulham, Brentford, Brighton… they’re not the biggest clubs in stature,” but what a job they’ve done.

They all rank among the top ten, in my opinion, is outstanding.