Money talks in football – so loudly it fuels debate among fanbases season after season. One of the hottest off-season topics is how a squad’s value stacks up against its performance. The conversation usually ignites after a giant-killing, when a quick glance at the numbers reveals the losing side’s bench cost more than the entire starting eleven that beat them.

In the Premier League, squad values are ballooning. Each year brings bigger fees, bolder spending, and bloated budgets. And while the 2025/26 transfer window isn’t closed yet, now’s the perfect time to size up the most stacked – and expensive – squads heading into the new campaign.

For newly promoted clubs, chances of survival are laid bare. Their hopes are dwarfed not just by experience gaps, but by financial ones. Meanwhile, champions Liverpool boast one of the priciest squads in the league – proof that, sometimes, money really does buy success.

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Sunderland, Leeds, and Burnley unsurprisingly prop up the rest of the table

The three newly-promoted squads, somewhat unsurprisingly, prop up the table. Championship winners Leeds United have a £180m squad valuation as they prepare to return to the Premier League following a two-year absence from the division they so dearly class as their rightful place.

Burnley are marginally behind at £159m after losing out on last season’s second division title on the final day, while Sunderland are way behind with £116m, which is of little surprise given the Black Cats’ recent venture into League One. And that will likely make their task of survival next season even more difficult, especially since the most valuable squad in the topflight is worth ten times more than theirs.

Everton will head into next season with a fresh chapter on multiple fronts – under new ownership, at a new stadium, in their first full campaign back under David Moyes, and with renewed ambition to claw their way back to the glory days. But a squad value of just £219 million casts a bit of a shadow over those hopes, suggesting there’s still a long road ahead.

Wolves, meanwhile, sit just a fraction ahead with a squad valued at £235 million, as they continue their slow bleed of talent, selling off their best players while trying to stay competitive in an unforgiving league.

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Nottingham Forest, Fulham, and Crystal Palace are outperforming their squad values

It wouldn’t be outlandish at all to say that Crystal Palace, Fulham, and Nottingham Forest all established themselves as enjoyable teams to watch during the 2024/25 season. Each of their squads boast several household names instantly recognisable to the average fan. Yet, as it turns out, all three rank in the lower half of the table when it comes to squad value.

Palace lifted the FA Cup last season to claim their first-ever major honour, and while they boast England internationals Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi, their squad is valued at just £362 million. Meanwhile, the Tricky Trees looked nailed on for a Champions League spot for much of the campaign before a late-season slump saw their £378 million squad settle for Europa Conference League football. Fulham’s squad, meanwhile, comes in at a comparatively modest £270 million.

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With the likes of Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen, and Mohammed Kudus on their books, West Ham fans might be surprised to learn that their current side is valued at only £315 million, despite so many great expectations set on them. As for Brentford – who are adjusting to life after the widely loved Thomas Frank left to take the reins at Tottenham – their squad value stands at £368 million, though their future remains worryingly uncertain now that it appears Bryan Mbeumo is also soon to leave the Gtech Community Stadium.

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Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Brighton feature

The sheer amount of money pumped into football these days means the beautiful game is in a constant state of flux – so much so that even a single year can feel like a lifetime. Back in 2009, Bournemouth were teetering on the edge of liquidation and stuck in the relegation zone of League Two. Few could have imagined that, fast forward to today, they’d be an established Premier League side with a squad worth just under £400 million, pushing for European football under Andoni Iraola.

On the flip side, when Newcastle United were taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, many expected the richest club in English football to shoot straight to the top of the financial charts. But instead of a meteoric rise, the Magpies have opted for patient, calculated growth. Their squad now sits eighth in the Premier League in terms of value, at £508 million, though they did mark a milestone last season by winning their first trophy in 70 years with a League Cup triumph over Liverpool.

Sandwiched between those two sides are Aston Villa, whose £489 million squad has consistently disrupted the Premier League’s old guard under the sharp stewardship of Unai Emery. Meanwhile, Brighton – famed for turning raw talent into polished gems – have amassed £623 million worth of squad value, just shy of Tottenham’s £686 million, as the north Londoners will be hoping for a much more successful league season next time out after finishing one place above the relegation zone.

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Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool make up the top three

Coming in at fifth, Manchester United’s near-£700 million squad is certainly not living up to its price tag. Last season, Ruben Amorim famously labelled his adopted side as the worst in the club’s history – an ominous warning that proved prophetic. United slumped to their lowest league finish since the relegated 1972/73 campaign, which was a nadir compounded by a Europa League final defeat to Tottenham.

Arsenal’s £861 million squad is also falling short, though not quite on the same scale. In the context of their long-term ambitions, the Gunners are still underdelivering. They haven’t won a trophy since the behind-closed-doors FA Cup triumph in 2020, and their status as the Premier League’s perennial bridesmaids – after finishing second for a third straight season – suggests they too aren’t getting enough bang for their considerable buck.

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Liverpool, just ahead with a squad value of £929 million, smashed the British transfer record to bring in Florian Wirtz for £116 million. They’ve chosen to fix the roof while the sun of their recent success under Arne Slot is still shining. The most daunting part, however, is that reports suggest they could still spend up to £200 million more this summer without breaching PSR limits after only signing one player last year.

Gary Neville once dubbed Chelsea the “blue billion-pound bottlejobs” – a tag that still lingers, with their current squad valued at a staggering £1 billion. Yet even that doesn’t eclipse Manchester City’s embarrassment of riches. Pep Guardiola’s squad, assembled via a ruthless trial-and-error model, is worth £1.15 billion. With 115 financial breaches still hanging over their heads, it’s little wonder they continue to dominate domestic football while raising the eyebrows of their rivals.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt (correct as of 25/06/2025)