Chelsea rewrite transfer history with record-breaking outlay

The CIES Football Observatory has released its latest findings in Issue No. 513 of its Weekly Post, unveiling the top 100 football clubs worldwide based on total transfer fee commitments made to assemble their current first-team squads.

The report, which includes all add-ons and loan payments regardless of actual disbursement, places Chelsea Football Club at the summit of global spending.

Chelsea leads the rankings with a staggering €1.314 billion invested in building its current squad, including a record €134 million spent on Ecuadorian midfielder Moisés Caicedo, who alone accounts for 10% of the club’s total outlay.

Joining Chelsea at the top of the global spending podium are fellow English Premier League giants Manchester City and Manchester United, with respective investments of €1.128 billion and €1.071 billion.

The top five is rounded out by Liverpool FC (€1.065 billion) and Arsenal FC (€1.001 billion), underscoring the financial dominance of English clubs in the global transfer market.

Notably, no club outside England has surpassed the €1 billion mark.

Paris Saint-Germain, reigning UEFA Champions League holders, lead the non-English contingent with €873 million, placing seventh overall, just ahead of Real Madrid (€854 million). Al-Hilal SFC of Saudi Arabia emerges as the highest-spending non-European club, ranking 19th globally with €451 million committed.

The report highlights a significant year-on-year increase in transfer spending. The top ten clubs collectively raised their investment by 15%, from €8.44 billion in 2024 to €9.67 billion in 2025.

Across the top 100 clubs, the total commitment rose by 12%, reaching €29.42 billion, a reflection of the record-breaking transfer activity witnessed in the 2025 window.