Premier League spending table: Arsenal finish top as Chelsea make profit
Robin Bairner
- 1 Sept 2021 10:09 BST
- 4 min read
The transfer window for summer 2021 has shut, with Arsenal having spent more money than any other Premier League club.
The Gunners have made six major signings this summer but each has a question mark over him, and with the club bottom of the standings with no goals and no points, there is a great deal of pressure on Mikel Arteta to turn the situation around.
Equally, Manchester United, who have spent the second most of any Premier League team, will be expected to mount a greater challenge for the title than in previous seasons.
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Which Premier League team has spent the most?
In total, Premier League clubs spent an estimated £1.2 billion over the course of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal have finished top of the spending table, having spent £149m spread over six players, including Ben White, who has arrived for £50m from Brighton.
They are not streaks ahead of anyone in the league, however. Manchester United and Manchester City both spent in excess of £100m, albeit the approach these clubs took was to sign fewer players for greater sums.
Everton were notably frugal, with their expensive signings in recent years taking their toll on the Goodison Park club.
| Estimated expenditure (£m) | |
|---|---|
| Arsenal | 149 |
| Man Utd | 126 |
| Chelsea | 108 |
| Man City | 106 |
| Aston Villa | 95 |
| Crystal Palace | 66 |
| West Ham | 65 |
| Leicester | 61 |
| Tottenham | 60 |
| Norwich | 60 |
| Leeds | 53 |
| Brighton | 51 |
| Southampton | 39 |
| Liverpool | 36 |
| Brentford | 34 |
| Burnley | 29 |
| Newcastle | 26 |
| Wolves | 24 |
| Watford | 17 |
| Everton | 2 |
Manchester City, meanwhile, have spent over £100m to bring Jack Grealish from Aston Villa.
Chelsea are the other side to have topped £100m in player purchases, nipping ahead of the Etihad club at the last due to Saul Niguez's loan fee.
Which Premier League club has the highest net spend?
| Estimated net spend (£m) | |
|---|---|
| Arsenal | 121 |
| Man Utd | 100 |
| Man City | 71 |
| Crystal Palace | 66 |
| West Ham | 63 |
| Leicester | 57 |
| Leeds | 53 |
| Brentford | 34 |
| Tottenham | 31 |
| Newcastle | 26 |
| Norwich | 25 |
| Burnley | 20 |
| Liverpool | 11 |
| Watford | 4 |
| Chelsea | -2 |
| Wolves | -4 |
| Brighton | -5 |
| Everton | -5 |
| Southampton | -19 |
| Aston Villa | -19 |
Negative value indicates profit
Just as Arsenal topped the table for raw spend, they have moved to the summit of the net spend standings, heaping more pressure on Arteta.
Indeed, it proved to be a rather messy transfer window in this regard for the Gunners, too. Not only did Ainsley Maitland-Niles fire a very public shot at the management via social media, so too did Willian's agent, who claimed after the player ripped up a £20m contract that there is no clear project at the club.
Manchester United come in second, having barely seen anyone leave over the course of the summer, while Manchester City complete the podium.
Remarkably, Chelsea have posted a £2m net profit this summer, which is further evidence of their excellent transfer policy.
