Premier League clubs spent more than 3,800 million euros in this summer's transfer window, shattering the division's own spending record, according to the news agency Efe. Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur each completed transfers worth more than 100 million euros as the league's biggest clubs moved to keep pace with Arsenal and try to reclaim the European dominance English football has lost over the past three years.
Manchester City spend the most
Manchester City spent more than any other club, 450 million euros, recouping 340 million in sales as they rebuilt the squad following Pep Guardiola's departure to give new manager Enzo Maresca a side capable of competing at the highest level. City have won only two trophies in the last two years.
Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Rodrigo Hernandez, Manuel Akanji, Savio, Omar Marmoush, James Trafford and several others left the club. Leading the incoming signings were Enzo Fernandez (145 million euros), Elliot Anderson (138 million), Ayyoub Bouaddi (96 million) and Ilman Ndiaye (75 million), as City look to close the gap on Arsenal.
Arsenal spend 220 million despite deepest squad
Arsenal already have the most complete squad in the league but still spent 220 million euros to reinforce Mikel Arteta's team. New arrivals included Bruno Guimaraes (87 million), Ezri Konsa (64 million) and Christos Tzolis (40 million), while the club also converted Piero Hincapie's loan into a permanent 40 million euro deal.
Arsenal sold several squad players, including Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli. Martinelli's move to Al Hilal for 65 million euros was the most expensive sale in the club's history.
Chelsea and Tottenham chase the leaders
Chelsea, managed by Xabi Alonso after failing to qualify for Europe, and Tottenham Hotspur, who have finished 17th in the league in each of the last two seasons, both spent hundreds of millions of euros trying to close the gap on the leading clubs.
Tottenham spent 350 million euros and will have to pay a further 70 million next summer under a mandatory option to sign Omar Marmoush. New arrivals Sandro Tonali (120 million), Savio (100 million), Mateus Fernandez (100 million) and Jan Paul Van Hecke (60 million) are meant to give manager Roberto De Zerbi the tools to lift a struggling team that has started the league season with two heavy defeats.
Chelsea paid 136 million euros for Morgan Rogers and reinforced key positions with Maxence Lacroix (59 million) and Marco Palestra (50 million). Smaller but significant signings included Pep Chavarria, who replaces Marc Cucurella, and goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martinez, a late addition who sent Robert Sanchez out on loan to Como. Chelsea brought in more than 400 million euros in sales, needing to comply with financial fair play rules after being fined by the Premier League, the Football Association and UEFA in recent years.
Liverpool and Manchester United fall short
Liverpool have had an unusual summer following Arne Slot's departure, a trophyless season and the arrival of new manager Andoni Iraola. Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all left on free transfers, and Iraola struggled to find replacements. He brought in Ronald Araujo on loan and signed Bradley Barcola, who arrived after the season had already started, for 140 million euros. Victor Munoz, signed from Osasuna for 40 million, has settled in well.
Liverpool hope this outlay, combined with the 500 million euros spent last summer on players such as Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, pays off after a disappointing 2025-2026 season.
Manchester United were only the ninth-highest spenders in the league, putting in 170 million euros, all on midfielders: Carlos Baleba (81 million), Andrey Santos (58 million) and Youri Tielemans (41 million). The team does not appear to have made significant progress on last season and remains far from title contention.
Aston Villa bank on another Emery miracle
Aston Villa, Europa League champions and fourth-placed finishers in the Premier League last season, lost many of last year's regular starters under manager Unai Emery, including Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Martinez.
In their place arrived Nicolas Jackson, Ibrahim Mbaye, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes. The club is now relying on another Emery turnaround to stay competitive within the financial fair play restrictions imposed by the Premier League and UEFA.
Promoted clubs spend big too
The three clubs promoted from the Championship also spent heavily, boosted by the financial windfall of reaching the Premier League. Ipswich Town spent 200 million euros, the eighth-highest total in the league, Coventry City spent 150 million, and Hull City, who have won their first two league matches, spent 130 million. Combined, the three newly promoted clubs spent 480 million euros.
It is the second consecutive summer the Premier League has broken its own spending record, underlining that no league can match it financially. Premier League spending this summer exceeded the combined outlay of the top divisions in Spain, France, Germany and Italy.
