February 22 – Chelsea FC are the biggest money movers in world football, according to the latest data report from the CIES Football Observatory.
They sit top of the ranking, having ‘shuffled’ €2.57 billion in transfer fees in and out of the club in the last five seasons, recording a net spend of -€782 million in the process. This averages out at a net spend of €156 million in the red per season.
CIES’s study ranks the 169 clubs in the world whose volume of incoming or outgoing player transactions over the last five seasons exceeded €100 million.
In terms of the volume of money exchanged, Chelsea are followed in the ranking by Manchester City (€1.726) billion and Paris St-Germain (€1.404 billion).
The Blues, currently in the middle of the Premier League table, have been subject to widespread scrutiny for their high-profile spending with little to show for it – but it has slipped under the radar quite how much Chelsea have shifted in player sales in the same time frame.
The West London club will be hoping their investment pays off in the EFL cup final versus Liverpool on Sunday afternoon as possibly the club’s only chance of silverware this season.
SL Benfica and AFC Ajax are the only teams inside the top ten to record a positive net spend – a testament to the selling and scouting ability of both clubs.
Benfica in particular are the kings of the transfer market, having sold hundreds of millions worth of player assets whilst maintaining a competitive squad in both domestic leagues and continental tournaments.
Since 2019, the club has seen record fees generated for Enzo Fernandez (€120 million to Chelsea), Joao Felix (€100 million to Atletico Madrid) and Darwin Nunez (€80 million to Liverpool), amongst a host of other lucrative player sales.
With an eye on the Premier League, title hopefuls Liverpool are the only top six side to ‘shuffle’ less than a billion euros in the past five years. Liverpool, who have won a host of trophies during that period, have mostly relied on players secured before the five year cutoff such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
In total, 14 teams from seven countries have seen cash movement of more than a billion euros in five seasons: five from England, two from Spain, two from Germany, two from Italy, one from France, one from Portugal and one from the Netherlands.
Twenty-four countries, including five outside Europe, are represented among the 169 teams whose volume of transactions exceeded €100 million, with 30 clubs from England alone.
To see the full data, click here.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1714384540labto1714384540ofdlr1714384540owedi1714384540sni@g1714384540niwe.1714384540yrrah1714384540