Explore the Top 20 Leagues!
Since its reformation in 1992, the Premier League has become one of the most followed leagues in global football. Top talent from around the world has joined the English top division, which has evolved into the wealthiest league, particularly in recent years, with record spending on player transfers. The Premier League currently boasts a market value of €11.49 billion across its 20 clubs, significantly ahead of La Liga, valued at €5.37 billion.
Since 2020, Premier League clubs have invested over €10 billion in new signings—more than double the amount spent by any other league during this time. Curious about where this spending goes? Excluding transfers between Premier League clubs, we’ve analyzed the leagues from which Premier League sides have acquired players since the 1992/93 season, and there are quite a few surprises!
Leagues Where Premier League Clubs Spend the Most on Players
The league from which Premier League teams have invested the most is France’s Ligue 1, totaling €3.38 billion on 322 players. The most significant transfer was Nicolas Pépé’s €80 million move from Nice to Arsenal in 2019. Following closely is the Championship, where Premier League clubs have spent €3.22 billion on players; Archie Gray’s €41.25 million transfer from Leeds to Tottenham last summer is a notable example. A total of 515 players have made the switch from the Championship to the Premier League.
Next is La Liga, with Premier League clubs spending €3.13 billion on 228 signings; the highlight being Chelsea’s €80 million acquisition of Athletic Club keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in 2018. Fourth on the list is the Bundesliga, where €2.77 billion has been spent on 176 players, including Liverpool’s record Premier League signing of Florian Wirtz for €125 million this summer. Rounding out the top five is Serie A, with €2.75 billion spent on 214 players, the top deal being Chelsea’s re-signing of Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan for €113 million.
In sixth place is Liga Portugal, where Premier League clubs have invested €1.62 billion on 110 players. Seventh on the list is the Netherlands’ Eredivisie, with a total of €1.44 billion spent on 148 players. Next is the old English First Division, where Premier League sides have spent €576 million on 289 players since its closure in 2003/04. Ninth is the Belgian Jupiler Pro League, with €541 million spent on 70 players since 1992. Finally, the top 10 culminates with Brazil’s Serie A, where €453 million has been invested on 46 players.