Comparing every Premier League club’s squad cost to its 2024-25 league position

Manchester United Casemiro Brentford Bryan Mbeumo feature in Premier League squad cost table

Manchester United are by some distance the Premier League’s worst underperformers when you compare every club’s total squad cost in transfer fees to their position in the league table.

That’s no great surprise, ultimately resulting in Erik ten Hag getting the boot – but what about the rest? Who are the sides punching above their weight and which chairmen ought to feel they should be getting more bang for their buck?

Brentford and Fulham are the biggest overachievers, given that they spent in the region of €300million on transfer fees on their squads, placing them just 17th and 18th respectively in the squad cost table – so they’re certainly doing well to sit comfortably in midtable, looking set to consolidate their top-flight status for another year.

Nottingham Forest and Brighton are also doing well to sit in the top half of the table as things currently stand, given they’ve been outspent considerably by a number of teams they’re currently ahead of.

Towards the top end of the table, Liverpool and Aston Villa are performing well up in 2nd and 4th respectively, relative to the money invested in their squads.

Even perennial champions Manchester City, top of the table once more, are estimated to have built Pep Guardiola’s squad for less in transfer fees than both Manchester United and Chelsea.

At the other end of the scale, Tottenham – down in eighth – ought to be disappointed in their results so far this season, given that Ange Postecoglou’s squad has been built at greater expense than Liverpool’s and Villa’s.

Surprisingly enough, Spurs’ squad is the fifth most expensively assembled in the English top flight.

Chelsea, who have taken great strides forward to be in the mix for Champions League qualification under Enzo Maresca, arguably ought to consider that the least of their ambitions given they possess the Premier League’s most expensive squad, built way in excess of €1billion.

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We’ve listed every Premier League single club by their league position in comparison to their squad’s cost in transfer fees, ranking them in order of the biggest overperformers down to the biggest underperformers.

1. Brentford

League Position: 9th

Squad cost: 17th

Total squad cost: €306million

Difference: +8

2. Fulham

League Position: 10th

Squad cost: 18th

Total squad cost: €293million

Difference: +8

3. Nottingham Forest

League Position: 7th

Squad cost: 12th

Total squad cost: €398million

Difference: +5

4. Liverpool

League Position: 2nd

Squad cost: 6th

Total squad cost: €735million

Difference: +4

5. Aston Villa

League Position: 4th

Squad cost: 8th

Total squad cost: €475million

Difference: +4

6. Brighton

League Position: 6th

Squad cost: 9th

Total squad cost: €433million

Difference: +3

7. Everton

League Position: 16th

Squad cost: 19th

Total squad cost: €291million

Difference: +3

8. Manchester City

League Position: 1st

Squad cost: 3rd

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: +2

9. Bournemouth

League Position: 11th

Squad cost: 13th

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: +2

10. Ipswich Town

League Position: 18th

Squad cost: 20th

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: +2

11. Arsenal

League Position: 3rd

Squad cost: 4th

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: +1

12. Leicester City

League Position: 15th

Squad cost: 14th

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: -1

13. West Ham

League Position: 13th

Squad cost: 11th

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: -2

14. Crystal Palace

League Position: 17th

Squad cost: 15th

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: -2

15. Tottenham

League Position: 8th

Squad cost: 5th

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: -3

16. Chelsea

League Position: 5th

Squad cost: 1st

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: -4

17. Southampton

League Position: 20th

Squad cost: 16th

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: -4

18. Newcastle United

League Position: 12th

Squad cost: 7th

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: -5

19. Wolves

League Position: 19th

Squad cost: 10th

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: -9

20. Manchester United

League Position: 14th

Squad cost: 2nd

Total squad cost: €million

Difference: -12