5 clubs with the highest net spend since 2012
Over the last decade, we have seen the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain dominate the headlines due to their aggressive transfer market activities.
These clubs have changed the footballing world as we know it, making it a high-stakes, high-rewards playground.
Below, we will check out the teams who have spent the most to get to glory, and whether their attempts reaped the rewards they craved.
Here are the top five European teams with the highest net spending since the summer of 2012:
Data courtesy: CIES Football Observatory
#5 Arsenal (-€583 million)
Premier League giants Arsenal are struggling for relevance at the moment. They can play a good brand of football from time to time, but they rarely produce the goods in the most crucial matches.
Over the last decade, the Gunners have only won four FA Cups and four Community Shields, which is disappointing for a club of their stature and history. Their Premier League challenges have mostly been underwhelming, fizzling out before the business end of the season. Moreover, they missed out on European football this season for the first time in over two decades.
4 hours to go until the transfer window shuts... ⏳
#Arsenal #Arteta #AFC https://t.co/QFkCwkIt7P
Fans have also complained about not spending enough on big players. And while there is some truth to the story, the Gunners have hardly been slouches in the transfer market.
The north Londoners have spent €1.029 billion on transfers over the last decade, but have only earned €446 million from player sales.
They are reportedly gearing up to spend big in the upcoming summer transfer window. It will be interesting to see if they can lure big-name players, with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool being more attractive destinations lately.
#4 Barcelona (-€650 million)
From being a European powerhouse to being knocked out of the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, Barcelona have experienced it all over the last few years.
Since Lionel Messi’s departure at the start of the 2021-22 season, the Blaugrana have seemingly hit rock bottom. However, that does not mean they did not endure difficult spells with the Argentine in their ranks.
They were mauled by Bayern Munich in 2019-20, outclassed by Liverpool in 2018-19, and embarrassed by Roma in 2017-18, all in the Champions League.
Calling the last decade a disappointment won’t be right either. They also enjoyed the unprecedented high of winning their second treble in the 2014-15 campaign. Barca have dominated La Liga, bagging five Spanish top-flight titles.
For all intents and purposes, it has been a mixed bag for Barcelona, and the trend extends to their balance sheet as well.
In the Winter Transfer Window, Barcelona signed:
1. Dani Alves — Player with most trophies
2. Ferran Torres — Market Value of €48m
3. Adama Traoré — Market Value of €30m
4. Pierre-Emeric Aubameyang — Market Value of 16m.
All this with NO Salary margin
Awks...👀 https://t.co/kPeTqPOhqm
The Catalan giants have spent a whopping €1.63 billion on transfers over the last decade. Unfortunately for them, both of their biggest acquisitions, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho, have failed to justify their billing.
They have earned €980 million selling their players, with Neymar alone fetching €222 million for his transfer to PSG.