Chelsea sets record for most expensive soccer squad in history
Chelsea officially has the most expensive soccer squad in the history of the sport. According to the CIES Football Observatory, the Blues have spent $1.4 billion on combined transfers to compile their current roster. The organization researches and analyzes statistical data in soccer. Created in 1995 in partnership with FIFA, CIES mostly focuses on transfer deals and player valuation.
The latest report bumps Chelsea up from second in the financial table to first. Fellow Premier League side Manchester United previously had the most expensive squad during last year’s review. The Red Devils, however, did not drop far in the new rankings as they are now second only to Chelsea.
The Blues have spent lavishly on player transfers under new ownership. While the club has freely splashed the cash since 2003, billionaire Todd Boehly and company have only increased this spending. With the American at the helm, Chelsea spent nearly $700 million on players in the first financial year alone. They then followed this up by shelling out another $777 million in the transfer market since 2023.
Premier League clubs unsurprisingly dominate spending list
Chelsea and United are just two of the top spenders in the Premier League. The top five most expensive squads in soccer all come from the English top flight. Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City are third on the list, only just narrowly behind their crosstown rivals. United’s squad cost $1.15 billion, while City’s is $1.12 billion. North London sides Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur rounded out the top five.
Liverpool ($814 million) and Newcastle ($756 million) are also included in the top 10 of the CIES Football Observatory. Five more clubs, including Aston Villa and Brighton, finished among the top 20 most-costly squads in the sport.
To put the Premier League’s domination into perspective, Wolves and Nottingham Forest both spent more to compile their rosters than 2023/24 Serie A winners Inter Milan and Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund. Both English clubs recently narrowly avoided relegation to the second-tiered Championship.
In total, 24 of the top 100 spenders come from England. This includes all 20 Premier League sides, as well as four Championship teams. Recently relegated clubs Burnley, Sheffield United, and Leeds all feature in the list, as does Middlesborough.
Just five clubs from outside of Europe crack the top 50 of list
Paris-Saint Germain, Real Madrid, and Juventus were the only non-English clubs among the top 10 most expensive squads. Fellow European powerhouses Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid also finished just outside of this particular portion of the list.
Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal was the only club outside of Europe to crack the top 30. The reigning Saudi champions recently spent major money in the transfer market to help bring in stars such as Neymar, Ruben Neves, and Aleksandar Mitrovic. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr spent almost $300 million to compile their roster, good enough for 34th in the rankings.
Tigres spent the most money ($114 million) on their squad among teams from CONCACAF. Four Liga MX teams were included in the top 100 list, but there are no Major League Soccer teams to be found. Inter Miami did not make the big spenders list because they brought in high-profile stars such as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets as free agents.
Most expensive soccer squads in the world (add-ons included):
- Chelsea – $1.4 billion
- Manchester United – $1.15 billion
- Manchester City – $1.12 billion
- Arsenal – $884 million
- Tottenham Hotspur – $872 million
- Paris Saint-Germain – $855 million
- Liverpool – $814 million
- Real Madrid – $797 million
- Newcastle – $756 million
- Juventus – $693 million
PHOTOS: IMAGO