Barcelona and Chelsea lose €1bn in transfers

Debt-ridden Barcelona and nouveau riche Chelsea have lost the most money through player transfers in world football since 2014, according to research group CIES Football Observatory

CLUBS GENERATING HIGHEST LOSS (€M)
Balances for non-academy players signed and transferred between 2014-23

Team Spending Receipt Loss 
Barcelona ESP 1244 613 631
Chelsea  ENG  1213 730  483 
Arsenal  ENG 584 148 436
PSG      FRA 825 415 410
Man Utd  ENG 726 398 328
AC Milan  ITA 625 327 298 
Aston Villa ENG 366 110 256
Everton ENG 657 406 251

Barcelona signed Philippe Coutinho (inset) for €135m from Liverpool in 2018, before selling to Aston Villa in 2022 for just €20m

CLUBS GENERATING MOST PROFIT (€M)
Team Spending Receipt Profit

LOSC Lille FRA 241 627 386 
Ajax NED  313 630 317
Salzburg AUT 84 317 233
Monaco FRA   588 806 218
Leipzig GER  329 545 216
Sassuolo ITA 227 435 208 
Benfica POR  340 540 200
Atalanta ITA  293 493 200
 
Lille bought Victor Osimhen for €22.4m in 2019, before Napoli swooped one year later in €75m deal
   

Sources: CIES Football Observatory, Transfermarkt
Picture: Getty Images
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