By Milcah Tanimu
New research from the CIES Football Observatory has unveiled that Manchester United’s current squad is the most costly ever assembled among football clubs. The findings, released on Wednesday, indicate that United has invested a staggering €1.15 billion (£989 million) in their current squad, with a substantial portion of nearly £400 million spent on transfer fees since Erik ten Hag took over as manager in May of the previous year.
Ten Hag’s tenure saw significant signings, including Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, and Tyrell Malacia, with a combined expenditure exceeding £120 million. The acquisition of Antony for £85 million also added to the list, making him the third-most expensive player in the club’s history, following Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku.
This summer, United further bolstered their squad with the £72 million signing of Rasmus Hojlund and the acquisition of Mason Mount from Chelsea for a deal worth up to £60 million. Andre Onana was also secured from Inter Milan for £47 million.
Chelsea closely trails Manchester United, having spent £975 million on players since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over from Roman Abramovich 18 months ago. In recent months, Chelsea set a British record by signing Moises Caicedo from Brighton for £115 million, surpassing the £105 million record they had set in January when they signed Enzo Fernandez.
Rounding out the top three is Manchester City, which has invested £900 million in assembling its squad. A significant portion of this sum was allocated to four summer signings, including Josko Gvardiol, Matheus Nunes, Jeremy Doku, and Mateo Kovacic. City’s investments have yielded impressive returns, with three consecutive Premier League titles and a historic treble in the previous season.
Notably, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is the only non-Premier League club to secure a spot in the top five. The Ligue 1 champions boast a squad worth a combined £860 million, with a significant focus on investment in their attacking lineup, totaling £480 million on strikers.
