Manchester United assembled the most expensive squad on record prior to winning the Carabao Cup last season, a UEFA document states. The Red Devils spent £1.21billion to piece together a team that finished third in the Premier League, 14 points behind champions Manchester City, and lost to their rivals in the FA Cup final.
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That figure smashes the previous record held by Real Madrid. The Los Blancos squad of 2020, which won La Liga in 2019-20, was assembled at the staggering sum of £1.13bn (€1.33bn).
A UEFA document, titled European Club Finance and Investment Landscape Report, also highlights the turmoil at Chelsea. The Blues are one of three teams who have spent over £855million (€1bn) on assembling their squad, alongside Manchester City and Real.
The data does not cover the January 2023 transfer window in which Chelsea spent upwards of £320m. A huge under-achievement, given the vast resources, saw the west Londoners finish 12th in the Premier League.
Neither United nor Chelsea have been able to build on the pitch this season despite their heavy spending over the past few years. Erik ten Hag’s side endured a dismal start to the campaign and were dumped out of the Champions League at the group stage, finishing bottom and failing to even qualify for the Europa League play-off round.
United found themselves in mid-table prior to Christmas, despite adding an extra £180m worth of talent to their squad last summer. A positive recent run has seen them go unbeaten since the turn of the year, and they are now within six points of the top four.
Chelsea continued to spend big in the summer, with little relative success. Figures separate to UEFA’s report show that nearly £400m was spent at Stamford Bridge on transfers alone, while Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as head coach.
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The sum of that outlay sees Chelsea sit 10th in the top-flight with almost no chance of qualifying for European competition next season. Victory in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, who are the strong favourites, would see Pochettino’s side land a place in the 2024-25 Europa League.
Meanwhile, in an intriguing development, UEFA's report says that United have become one of 15 Premier League clubs who are now part of a multi-club ownership system. Investment by INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has finally been ratified by the Football Association and the Premier League.
INEOS, who also have stakes in French club Nice and Swiss outfit FC Lausanne, will purchase 25 per-cent of the Old Trafford side. They are widely reported to be set to control the sporting department of the club, while the Glazer family continue to oversee the commercial arm.
