The transfer window is shut and the CIES Football Observatory in Switzerland has produced a list of the top 100 teams with the most expensive assembled squads in world football.
Although we feel as football fans we fought off the idea of a European Super League, but I fear that is just a can that has been kicked down the road for now.
Anyone not living in the Premier League circle sees the Premier League as an already established Super League as it is. That is why it has not come as a surprise to see the Premier League occupy a chunk of the high places on the list.
A range of different leagues are represented too, of course, including Spain’s LaLiga, the Italian Serie A, France’s Ligue 1 and the German Bundesliga among others.
As stated by CIES Football Observatory, the findings were all presented in Euros and all transfer fees committed include any contractural add-ons (whether they have been triggered or not) and the payment of loan fees.
Manchester United are on top as the most expensively assembled squad in world football heading into the 2023/24 season, with a figure of €1.15 billion hanging over our squad.
Moreover, nine of the top 11 clubs in the CIES list are from the Premier League. The other exceptions include Paris Saint-Germain (4th) and Real Madrid (8th).
Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal are the only club from outside the big European leagues in the list’s top 20, having spent €382m on their squad. They signed big names over the summer like Neymar, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
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