Deloitte: Premier League spending record eclipsed as clubs spend more than £3bn for the first time

Premier League spending record eclipsed as clubs spend more than £3bn for the first time

Premier League clubs’ gross summer transfer window spend of £3.0bn is c.£650m higher than the previous record of £2.4bn set in the 2023 summer window;

Gross spend in the 2025/26 season is already the highest ever, exceeding the previous record set in the 2022/23 season £2.7bn, with the January transfer window still to come;

Premier League clubs’ net spend of £1.2bn is also the highest ever, a 114% increase on the previous summer (2024: £570m) and 13% higher than the previous record (2022: £1.1bn);

Premier League clubs’ gross spending outstripped that seen across the rest of the ‘big five’ leagues in Europe, making up 51% of total gross spend among this group;

Premier League clubs’ net spend of €1.4bn contrasted with an average net receipt of €90m across the rest of Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues (Serie A: net spend €90m; La Liga: net spend €40m; Bundesliga: net receipt €180m; Ligue 1: net receipt €305m);

Championship clubs’ gross spend (£240m) is £95m higher than the previous season (£145m). Overall receipts (£355m) also increased, demonstrating a pickup in transfer activity;

Transfer receipts from sales by the sides relegated from the Premier League to the Championship for the 2025/26 season increased by 123% (2025: £225m; 2024: £100m). Expenditure among these sides totalled £90m, up 274% on the gross spend of the sides relegated in the previous summer (2024: £25m) and making up 36% of Championship clubs’ total gross spend.

The 2025 summer transfer window saw Premier League clubs spend a record £3.0bn, according to the Deloitte Sports Business Group. This marks the third consecutive summer in which gross spend has exceeded £2bn, and the first in which it has reached £3bn.

Premier League clubs’ spending outstripped that seen across the rest of the ‘big five’ leagues in Europe, making up 51% of total spend among this group. This marks a 5-point increase on the average for the previous five summer windows (46%).

Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group, commented: “A third record-breaking summer of Premier League spending in four years sends a strong signal that, despite subdued spending across the rest of the continent, clubs have no plans to slow down their investment in the on-pitch product. With more English teams than ever competing in European competitions - more than any other league across Europe – Premier League clubs are looking to attract the best talent and further cement the league as the most competitive in world football.

“There continues to be a complex regulatory landscape from both domestic and European governing bodies, however there is clearly still strong appetite for recruitment, acknowledging the need to maintain investment to remain at the top. However, financial sustainability should still be at the heart of all business to encourage the long-term success of any football club.”

ENDS

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