Premier League breaks spending record as Chelsea lead the way

Karan Tejwani

20 Aug 2022 16:45 BST
3 min read

The Premier League, are unsurprisingly, the biggest spenders out of any European league in this summer transfer window, bolstered by purchases made by Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.

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The two clubs have spent big this summer – the first and third-highest out of any European club (Barcelona are still in second) – and that has contributed to the Premier League breaking an all-time record.

This summer, clubs across the Premier League have spent a total of £1.465 billion, beating the previous record of £1.43 billion from 2017, according to data compiled by Nick Harris.

That is a big amount, and it could well increase as clubs look to wrap up their transfer business with a little over 11 days left before the window is shut for the summer on August 31.

Spending set to continue in the final days of the window

Seven clubs out of the 20 have spent over £100 million already, and that is excluding Manchester United’s transfer of Casemiro, who is set to join from Real Madrid for a fee over £60 million.

The seven clubs include Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, West Ham United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City.

Out of all the clubs, there are only four that have a positive net spend: City, Brighton, Leeds and Leicester – the latter of whom are the only club yet to spend this summer.

Spending is set to continue in the final days of the window: Chelsea want Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Wesley Fofana, Nottingham Forest are still after Houssem Aouar and Newcastle want new faces.

Premier League clubs have today (Friday) broken the record for one summer's transfer spending, with 12 days of this window remaining.

The £1.465bn so far beats the £1.43bn from 2017. Seven of the 20 clubs have spent £100m+ each, led by Chelsea & Forest. pic.twitter.com/AJyq1Y4KmM
— Nick Harris (@sportingintel) August 19, 2022

Manchester United, meanwhile, have reportedly been given the green light to chase Antony, Cody Gakpo and Frenkie de Jong, who on their own would cost well over £200 million.

Arsenal, too, may chase another midfielder, while Liverpool are considering options to help them battle through their injury crisis for the rest of the season.

The record-figure is very likely to have an even bigger increase, showing that Premier League clubs have a massive financial advantage over the rest of Europe’s top leagues.