It’s a difficult time for Chelsea fans, who have had to watch their team lose game after game despite being one of the highest spenders in world football in the past few years. The saddest part is that the club won the UEFA Champions League in 2021 under Thomas Tuchel, leaving many wondering what may have gone horribly wrong in the past two seasons.
The same can be said of Manchester United, who have gone through five permanent managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, with only the Europa League and two League Cups to show for it. How much exactly have these two Premier League giants spent in the last five years?
How much have Chelsea, Manchester United spent in the last five years?
Chelsea are considered one of the biggest teams in the Premier League, and they’ve maintained that status since Roman Abramovic’s reign in the early 2000s. The Russian billionaire was forced to leave his investments in the club, paving the way for Todd Boehly and his American consortium to purchase the club. The purchase has proven that the American businessman is not afraid to spend big, and since he joined, he has taken Chelsea on the biggest spending spree in the history of the sport.
According to ESPN, Chelsea have spent €1.49 billion on transfers in the last five years, making them the absolute top spenders in this period. They’ve spent huge on new talents in these seasons under review, with Todd Boehly sanctioning the transfers of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, with the former holding the title of the most expensive transfer in Britain’s history.
Manchester United have also found themselves in the same boat, spending €908.18 million on new players in the last five years, most notably a former club record on Paul Pogba, before splashing out more cash on Antony in the summer of 2022.
Erik Ten Hag’s men found themselves with the Carabao Cup trophy last season, with a third-place finish to accompany the League Cup victory. However, it’s been a different story this season, as they’ve been hit by inconsistent performances and injuries.
Chelsea and Manchester United are mid-table in Premier League
Despite spending a fortune in the past few years, Chelsea have performed below expectations this season. The Blues brought in Mauricio Pochettino, who had been out of a job since being axed by PSG last year. The London club also signed some of the most excited youngsters in the game, including Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Nicholas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, and Axel Disasi.
Sadly, those players have hardly made any impact, with Chelsea languishing 10th on the Premier League table, an embarrassing position for a club of Chelsea’s stature and talent pool.
Manchester United’s position on the table hasn’t particularly told the story of how much they’ve spent in the past few seasons. In the last transfer window, United spent big on Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund, and Andre Onana. Despite the arrival of these incredible talents, United lie 8th in the Premier League table, losing to the likes of Bournemouth, Newcastle, West Ham, Brighton, Manchester City, Tottenham, and Arsenal.
United also embarrassingly crashed out of the Champions League group stage after losing four of their six games.
Can Chelsea and Manchester United save their seasons and move higher up in the Premier League table? Tell us your predictions for the current season in the comments section.
