Chelsea is the club that spent the most on reinforcements in the last decade

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A study by the Football Observatory (CIES) points to three Brazilian teams in the Top 20 with the most favorable transfer balance in the period

Chelsea is the club that spent the most on reinforcements in the last decade
No one in world football has spent more than Chelsea in the last decade on signings. The English team has spent €2.78 billion on players since 2015, according to a study by the Football Observatory of the Centre for International Studies in Sport (CIES Football Observatory ).
The Blues, who topped the list of biggest spenders in the last window , are ahead of the second-placed side in the CIES rankings with almost €1 billion more. Manchester City are below Chelsea, with €1.96 billion spent on reinforcements in the period.

Clubs that spent the most on reinforcements in the last decade (2015-24)

  • Chelsea: €2.78 billion
  • Manchester City: €1.96 billion
  • Manchester United : €1.95 billion
  • PSG: €1.9 billion
  • Juventus: €1.77 billion
  • Barcelona : €1.67 billion
  • Tottenham: €1.41 billion
  • Arsenal: €1.4 billion
  • Atlético de Madrid: €1.24 billion
  • Liverpool: €1.24 billion
Having won five Champions League titles in the last decade, Real Madrid is only 12th on the list of biggest spenders in the period, with €1.16 billion, less than half of that spent by Chelsea.
The Top 20 in the CIES rankings only includes clubs from the five major leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France). According to the study, they accounted for around 70% of all the money spent on transfers in football over the last 10 years. The Premier League alone was responsible for €23 billion , or 28% of the total.
The Football Observatory report also shows the trade balance of leagues and clubs. The calculation is the difference between the amount spent on signings and everything that was raised from player sales. Brazil is mentioned in this regard. The Brasileirão is the fourth league with the most positive balance.

Leagues with the best transfer balances in the last decade:

  • Portugal (1st division): €2.34 billion
  • Championship (2nd English): €1.5 billion
  • Netherlands (1st division): €1.49 billion
  • Brazil (1st division): €1.47 billion
  • Argentina (1st division): €1.29 billion
In the same calculation, three Brazilian clubs are in the Top 20 of those with the most positive balance between player entries and exits in the last decade: Athletico-PR (16th), Palmeiras (17th) and Fluminense (20th). Benfica is the clear leader of this list, with almost double the number of players in second place.

Clubs with the best transfer balances in the last decade:

  • Benfica: €816
  • Ajax: €473
  • RB Salzburg: €401
  • Lille: €391
  • Sporting: €345
  • Monaco: €305
  • Porto: €296
  • Braga: €279
  • Dinamo Zagreb: €255
  • PSV: €250
  • AZ Alkmaar: €224
  • Nordsjaelland: €219
  • Genk: €211
  • Udinese: €208
  • Atalanta: €206
  • Athletico-PR: €200
  • Lyon: €196
  • Palmeiras: €194
  • Shakhtar Donetsk: €190
  • Fluminense: €186