The 2025 summer transfer window was the biggest in football history. European clubs spent €9.1 billion and generated €9.3bn in sales, both record-breaking totals.
The Premier League was the driving force, with nine of the ten biggest spenders coming from England.
Chelsea lead both spending and selling
Chelsea dominated headlines by topping both charts. The Blues invested €485m in new players, more than any other club, while also generating €340m from player sales.
This double role reflects Chelsea’s aggressive approach to squad rebuilding, with significant churn in and out of Stamford Bridge.
Premier League spending power
Manchester City (€328m) and Manchester United (€294m) joined Chelsea in the top three spenders, each targeting signings to compete on multiple fronts.
Liverpool (€289m) and Newcastle United (€251m) also crossed the €250m threshold. Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Aston Villa ensured the Premier League filled nine of the ten spots.
The only non-English club to break through was Bayer Leverkusen (€188m), underlining their ambition to stay competitive in the Bundesliga and Europe.
Selling clubs from across Europe
While Premier League clubs dominated spending, the selling table was more diverse. Alongside Chelsea’s €340m in sales, Portuguese giants Benfica (€238m) and Sporting CP (€155m) reaffirmed their reputations as elite talent exporters.
Germany’s Borussia Dortmund (€233m) and RB Leipzig (€221m) also featured, continuing the Bundesliga’s trend of developing and selling young stars.
Elsewhere, Ajax (€177m), Atalanta (€156m), Real Sociedad (€160m) and Monaco (€138m) highlighted the strength of Europe’s wider player-trading model.
Youth at the centre of investment
A key trend was the focus on youth. More than 55 percent of all spending went on players aged 23 or under, while nearly 10% was spent on teenagers.
For the first time, all ‘Big Five’ leagues devoted the majority of their transfer budgets to U23 players, emphasising long-term potential and resale value.
Conclusion
The 2025 summer transfer window reinforced the Premier League’s unmatched financial power, but also showcased the resilience of Europe’s talent pipeline.
Clubs such as Benfica, Ajax, and Dortmund continue to thrive by producing and selling future stars, while English clubs remain the biggest buyers.
As revenues rise and investors expand their reach, the market appears poised to remain youth-driven, globally connected and dominated by Premier League spending power.
Data from UEFA.com’s European Club Landscape (2025) report.
