Manchester United boasted the most expensive football squad ever assembled last season, according to a recent UEFA report.
The study discloses that Erik ten Hag's team incurred an astonishing £1.2 billion in transfer fees during the previous term, during which they secured a third-place finish in the Premier League, clinched the Carabao Cup, and ended as runners-up in the FA Cup.
However, the current season has proven challenging for United, as they were eliminated from the Champions League and presently hold the sixth position in the Premier League standings, despite a recent improvement in performance.
The record-breaking sum includes substantial fees spent on players such as Antony (£86 million), Harry Maguire (£80 million), Jadon Sancho (£73 million), and Casemiro (£70 million). Notably, it excludes several costly acquisitions signed last summer, who joined after the 2022/23 financial year.
In terms of squad cost, Manchester City, the reigning European and domestic champions, rank second with a total of £1.1 billion. They are followed by Chelsea (£927.2 million, *2021/22 financial year), Real Madrid (£881.9 million), and Paris Saint-Germain (£802.4 million).
Concerning Chelsea, this figure is expected to surge for 2022/23 due to the club's £1 billion expenditure on new signings since the calculation, following Todd Boehly's acquisition of the club.
Liverpool (£774.1 million) occupies the sixth spot in the table, with other Premier League clubs like Arsenal (seventh with £761.3 million), Tottenham (ninth with £569.7 million), Newcastle (12th with £464.5 million), Aston Villa (15th with £427.7 million), and West Ham (17th with £378.9 million) also featuring in the top 20.
Top 20 European squad transfer costs in 2022/23
Shifting to revenue, Real Madrid leads with £719 million over the financial year, trailed by Manchester City (£715 million), Barcelona (£697 million), and Paris Saint-Germain (£690 million).
Manchester United (£639 million) maintained their presence in the top echelons, securing the fifth position – a slight slip from the previous year. Liverpool (£584 million), Tottenham (£541 million), Chelsea (£504 million), Arsenal (£458 million), Newcastle (£246 million), West Ham (£235 million), and Brighton (£226 million) are all included in the top 20 revenue earners.