Which clubs have spent the most cash the past 28 years?

[StephenH]

Sky are fudging obsessed aren’t they!

No big money transfers to toss over 24*7 with the window closed, so they have to go back to the dawn of time (start of Prem) and reinvent every transfer ever made to fill some air time with some new big massive huge super large transfer deals!

International week*

 

[jts1882]

In fairness even from 95-2002 Utd didn’t have the highest net spend in the PL. (Appreciate this doesn’t cover wages though)

Edit: Also appreciate that he spent big in the late 80s / early 90s

Wages play a big role. All transfers are a lottery to some extent, as the failures of Veron and Torres in that list illustrate. That list also illustrates that three of United's big buys became established in their team for a decade: Keane, Rio, Rooney (I could add Carrick to that). We don't get that stability, as when we do get a transfer right it is only for a short time, due to wage demands beyond our means. We might get a good transfer fee but we can't afford to buy ready made replacements (the wages, again) and we are forced to play the lottery again.* In addition, United were able to keep Beckham, Scholes, Giggs, Butt and the Nevilles as long as they wanted them. We can't keep the players we develop the same way, unless they have a debilitating injury. It's a virtuous circle for the rich as the stability of core players means they can focus their transfer budget on fewer positions.

I think Levy's strategy has recognised this. Rather than regular net transfer spends he has focused on regularly renewing player contracts. Players like Kane and Alli get multiple extensions in a short period of time, which means they feel wanted and that when/if we finally can't meet their demands we get a big transfer fee.

*Imagine if lottery winners were repeatedly forced to put their winnings on the lottery, they would eventually lose.

 

[Bullet]

You would have to include wages and adjust everything for inflation, to get any meaningful figures