Manchester United has invested more money in building their current squad than any other football club worldwide, according to a recent report from the CIES Football Observatory.
The report reveals that the total cost of assembling the team at Old Trafford stands at an impressive £991.7 million, surpassing the £977.9 million spent by their Premier League rivals, Chelsea.
Following closely behind, Manchester City ranks third with a squad valued at £898.5 million, followed by Paris Saint-Germain (£862.3 million), Arsenal (£720.9 million), Tottenham (£714.9 million), Liverpool (£664 million), Real Madrid (£610.5 million), Newcastle (£570 million), and West Ham (£435.5 million).
The report provides a breakdown of expenditures by player positions, highlighting that only PSG has spent more than Manchester United on their current forwards. Real Madrid, on the other hand, leads in investment for their revamped midfield, having splurged £115 million on Jude Bellingham alone during the recent summer transfer window.
Notably, newly-promoted Luton is the sole Premier League club that did not make it into the top 100 rankings. Meanwhile, several Championship sides, including Leicester (26th, £242.3 million), Southampton (34th, £196.6 million), Leeds (35th, £194.9 million), and Norwich (80th, £65.5 million), secured spots on the list. Italian side Parma (£89.7 million) is the only other second-tier team featured.
In terms of league representation, Italy’s Serie A takes second place with 15 teams in the rankings, followed by Europe’s remaining ‘big five’ leagues: La Liga in Spain (12), Ligue 1 in France, and the Bundesliga in Germany (both 11).
Furthermore, the Saudi Pro League made a significant impact, tying for the sixth spot in the rankings alongside the EFL Championship. This surge is attributed to an explosive summer transfer window in which all four participating clubs are owned by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which also owns Newcastle United. Collectively, these Saudi clubs spent an impressive £685.3 million on new recruits, as reported by Transfer market figures.