Premier League clubs have collectively invested more than £1.4bn in new players this summer through disclosed fees alone. That figure is roughly £303m more than the combined spending of 76 clubs from the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.
The gross spend does not account for player sales. When net spend is considered, the divide widens further. Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga are in credit by £203.4m and £72.2m respectively from their transfer dealings. La Liga (£163.1m) and Serie A (£124.1m) have spent more than they have earned, but the Premier League’s net spend of £523.6m dwarfs them all.
Gap may widen further
Despite the enormous outlay, English top-flight teams have spent about £230m less than Premier League clubs had at this point last year. However, only 25 deals were completed by the end of 1 July, roughly half the 47 that occurred by that date in summer 2025. The expanded World Cup may have delayed some deals, creating a potential backlog of transfer spending.
Individual club activity
Aston Villa, Brighton and Tottenham have already spent more in gross terms than in the entire summer 2025 transfer window. Unai Emery has a net £109.6m following the departures of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans. Brighton will need a larger squad for their Conference League campaign, while Tottenham hope to improve after consecutive 17th-place finishes – their net spend of £149.7m is the highest in Europe’s big five leagues.
Chelsea also have a higher net spend than last year, even before a reportedly agreed deal for Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix. Danny Welbeck has been linked to Stamford Bridge. Everton, Fulham, Manchester City and Newcastle have also invested more than on this day last year, with further incomings possible.
Promoted sides and top clubs
The three promoted teams have spent only £8m more between them than Sunderland alone had at this point in 2025. Ipswich have seven new players, Hull four and Coventry three – all need to recruit further. By contrast, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have collectively spent two-thirds of a billion less than last summer. Rumours suggest the champions may move for Vinícius Júnior or Bradley Barcola, with Liverpool also pursuing the PSG winger. United are targeting Ollie Watkins.
Clubs yet to spend include Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland. Palace and Sunderland are in European competition this season, so investment is likely. Forest, after selling Elliot Anderson for a large fee, will need replacements.
It is notable that the Premier League may not be halfway through its summer outlay despite £1.4bn already spent. Last summer, top-flight clubs spent £3.1bn, with over £600m in the final week alone. That figure could be surpassed when the transfer window closes on 3 September.
