5 clubs with the worst transfer balance this summer transfer window (2021)
The transfer window represents a great avenue for football clubs to strengthen their squad. Clubs often splash the cash in the transfer market to reinforce their ranks and thereby improve their chances in the upcoming season.
This summer transfer window has been quite an exciting and entertaining one. Many clubs opted to tread the summer with caution due to the financial strain caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Several teams were hit so hard that they had to part with some of their best players in order to balance their books.
As we all know by now, the Premier League is the most followed league in the world. This also means that English top-flight clubs are usually much better placed in a financial sense than the rest. So it's never a surprise when a Premier League club decides to break the bank to land their targets during a transfer window.
Giant Premier League clubs have the freedom to spend without being too bothered about their net expenditure. This is because they can make up for the deficit elsewhere. But it's not just Premier League clubs that populate this list. Without further ado, let's take a look at the five clubs with the worst transfer balance this summer.
#5 Paris Saint-Germain (-€74 million)
Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain have a net spend of -€74 million this summer. But that's a small price to pay for the kind of personnel they've been able to rope in as free agents. PSG needed to strengthen at right-back and they spent €60 million on Achraf Hakimi, who is one of the most promising full-backs in the world.
They also made permanent the signing of Danilo Pereira from FC Porto for a sum of €16 million. But PSG signed the likes of Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos and Georginio Wijnaldum on free transfers. They also spent €7 million to sign Nuno Mendes on loan from Sporting Lisbon.
The French giants sold Mitchell Bakker for €7 million and shipped goalkeeper Alphonse Areola out on loan to West Ham United for a loan fee of €2 million. In total, Paris Saint-Germain only spent €74 million but strengthened their ranks considerably this summer.
#4 Manchester City (-€88.7 million)
Manchester City won the Premier League and the League Cup in the 2020-21 season. The Cityzens also made it to the final of the Champions League last term. They have one of the strongest squads in Europe and it didn't really require much of a touch up but they went and got reinforcements anyway.
Manchester City signed Jack Grealish for a record €117.5 million. They also added 18-year-old winger Kayky from Fluminese for €10 million. Manchester City recouped €38.8 million through player sales as well. They made Angelino's move to RB Leipzig permanent for €18 million.
Jack Harrison has been permanently sold to Leeds United for €12.8 million and Lukas Nmecha was sold for €8 million.