Breaking Down the Top Spenders in This Summer’s Champions League

PSG is leading the investment game in the Champions League this season, having spent a whopping 345 million euros. In total, all 32 participating teams have invested 2,417 million euros in the summer transfer window.

Paris Saint-Germain’s ambition to win their first UCL trophy is evident in their significant expenditure of 345.5 million euros. Additionally, they will pay 65 million euros for Goncalo Ramos once the purchase option is activated. Following closely behind is reigning champions Manchester City with a hefty investment of 239.1 million euros. Together, these two clubs account for 16% of the total transfer investment by the Champions League teams.

Other teams in the top 10 in terms of transfer spending are Arsenal (234.94 million), Manchester United (206.7), RB Leipzig (157), Bayern Munich (155), Newcastle (145.2), Real Madrid (128.5), AC Milan (112.5), and Napoli (85). These teams have been determined to strengthen their squads not only to dominate their domestic leagues but also to compete in Europe’s top club competition.

However, PSG stands out as the biggest spender. Under the leadership of Luis Enrique Martinez, who previously guided Barcelona to Champions League victory in 2015, PSG is yet to achieve the same feat. They have reached the semi-finals in the previous edition but failed to progress beyond the round of 16 in the last two seasons. Their closest encounter with the UCL trophy was in 2020 when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Bayern in the final. So close, yet so far for PSG.

PSG’s investment is unparalleled, amounting to 345.5 million euros. This figure increases to 410.5 million euros when considering the purchase option for Goncalo Ramos, who is on loan from Benfica for this season. The option can be activated by either club, as confirmed by the Portuguese club. PSG has also strengthened their squad with the signings of Kolo Muani, Manuel Ugarte, Ousmane Dembele, Lucas Hernandez, Bradley Barcola, Kang-In Lee, Hugo Ekitike, and Marco Asensio. They are placed in a challenging group alongside Borussia Dortmund, Milan, and Newcastle.

Reigning champions Manchester City are the second-highest spenders, investing 239.1 million euros. Their new signings include Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku, Matheus Nunes, and Mateo Kovacic, along with 112.5 million euros spent on transfers to other clubs.

It is clear that both PSG and Manchester City have made significant investments in pursuit of Champions League glory. Time will tell if their spending pays off in the competition.