Jurgen Klopp net spend: How Liverpool compare to Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City
Robin Bairner
- 16 Jun 2022 13:00 BST
- 4 min read
Darwin Nunez’s transfer to Liverpool for €100 million has put the issue of the club’s net spend back on the agenda.
Jurgen Klopp has often been hailed to fans of the Anfield club for his shrewd business in the transfer market, whereas fans of rivals point out that he has made numerous big signings, including Alisson and Virgil van Dijk.
What is the reality of the situation, though? Is Liverpool’s net spend markedly healthier than that of Manchester City, Man Utd or Chelsea.
Jurgen Klopp took charge at Liverpool in 2015 and has lifted the club back up to a level not seen since the 1980s, with Premier League title challenges and long runs in the Champions League now coming as standard.
During his first full season in charge at Anfield, he actually ran a transfer surplus, despite signing Sadio Mane and Gini Wijnaldum, two players who would underpin his side for years to come. Similarly, in 2017/18 Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson all arrived as the Reds again ran a surplus, largely funded by Philippe Coutinho’s transfer to Barcelona.
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That Coutinho money – and a little more – was blown away the following summer as a string of big deals were conducted, although the 2019/20 season was relatively quiet.
In both 2020/21 and 2021/22, meanwhile, Liverpool’s transfer deficit has totalled well over £100m.
Jurgen Klopp’s net spend as Liverpool manager, therefore, stands at approximately £433m.
Klopp's net spend by season
| Season | Estimated net spend (£m) |
|---|---|
| 2015/16* | 5 |
| 2016/17 | 4 |
| 2017/18 | 58 |
| 2018/19 | 163 |
| 2019/20 | 0 |
| 2020/21 | 93 |
| 2021/22 | 41 |
| 2022/23 | 69 |
| *Only Jan transfers |
How this compares with Premier League rivals
This is a figure that compares positively with the club’s Premier League rivals, and in particular Manchester City, whose net spend over the course of the last five years is £656m – the highest figure in the league.
Manchester United, meanwhile, have the second highest net spend in this time – despite having precious little success to show for their investment. They have spent £630m.
In that period, #MCFC have reported £656m net spend, averaging £131m a year, which is over twice as much as #LFC £318m (£64m average). In fact, Liverpool have also been outspent in this period by #MUFC £630m, #CFC £465m, #AFC £428m and #EFC £359m. pic.twitter.com/I7z28EEiuR
— Swiss Ramble (@SwissRamble) June 16, 2022
Chelsea (£465m) and Arsenal (£428m) follow in third and fourth, while Everton are remarkably fifth in this metric, having spent £359m.
These figures used above come from club accounts and therefore do not include either the 2021/22 season or the beginning of the 2022 summer transfer window. For these purposes, the Reds' deficit runs at £318m.
The net spend of Liverpool and Klopp, therefore, is favourable, but it should be pointed out that this does not take into account wages and other associated costs with star players.
