5 managers who generated highest income from player sales in the last decade

Conte and Simeone have acquired massive income through player sales
Conte and Simeone have acquired massive income through player sales

The ever-spending transfer market has exploded in recent years with managers having loads of money to buy players in the market. As such, there has been a lot of money spent on transfers by managers in order to achieve success. The likes of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola have even crossed the €1 billion mark in terms of transfer spending in the last decade.

Managers have also earned a lot for their club from player sales

But apart from spending, some managers have also earned decent sums in terms of transfer income from player sales. Many of them have even maintained their success after seeing their best players leave.

So here we take a look at the five managers who generated the most income for their clubs from player sales in the last decade:


#5 Antonio Conte - €573.73 million

Conte has been one of the most successful managers in the last 10 years
Conte has been one of the most successful managers in the last 10 years

One of the best tactical managers of the last decade, Antonio Conte ranks fifth among the managers who generated the most income from player sales in the last decade.

Conte has spent heavily in the last few years, bringing in the likes of Alvaro Morata (€66m) and Romelu Lukaku (€74m) at Chelsea and Inter respectively. In fact, he also ranks fifth among the managers who have spent the most on transfers in the last decade.

But Conte has balanced it out by making player sales worth €573.73 million in the last decade. He did not make any major sales during his time at Juventus. But at Chelsea he sold Oscar to Shanghai (€60m), Diego Costa to Atletico Madrid (€60m) and Nemanja Matic (€44.7m). At Inter his most noteworthy sale was Mauro Icardi to PSG (€50m).

Even with all the player sales, Conte has managed to win a trophy at all three clubs where he was the manager in the last decade. He won three back-to-back Serie A titles and two Italian Super Cups during his time at Juventus. His time at Chelsea was also a fruitful one, winning the Premier League and the FA Cup. His latest achievement was winning the Serie A title with Inter last season.

Conte is currently without a club after leaving Inter this summer due to a reported fallout with the board.


#4 Jorge Jesus - €616.63 million

Jesus has overseen the sale of several top talents at Benfica
Jesus has overseen the sale of several top talents at Benfica

One of the low-profile managers on this list, Jorge Jesus has managed to earn €616.63 million from 100 player sales in the last decade.

Jesus has managed Benfica, Sporting CP, Flamengo and Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal. Yet his most notable income from player sales came during his time with Benfica.

The Portuguese club have been home to some of the best talents in European football. Many big name players have either come through the academy or have plied their trade at the club before moving elsewhere. So it is no surprise that Jesus and Benfica have earned a lot from player sales.

The most recent noteworthy sale made by Jesus is that of Ruben Dias, who was sold to Manchester City for €68 million. Other big sales from his time at Benfica include Axel Witsel (€40m), Fabio Conetrao (€30m), Nemanja Matic (€25m), Jan Oblak (€16m) and Bernardo Silva (€15.75m).

Jesus has also overseen the sale of Joao Mario (€40m) and Islam Slimani (€31m) when he was the manager of Sporting CP. At Flamengo his biggest sale was that of Reinier, who was sold to Real Madrid for €30 million.

While Jesus has sold so many big name players, he has managed to win 13 trophies during the last decade with the four clubs he was in charge of. He is currently the manager of Benfica after having short spells with Al Hilal and Flamengo.

#3 Massimiliano Allegri - €680.26 million

Juventus have dominated Serie A under Allegri
Juventus have dominated Serie A under Allegri

Like Conte, Massimiliano Allegri is another manager who features in the top five of both transfer income and transfer expenditure in the last decade.

Allegri has managed to sell 97 players during his time with AC Milan and Juventus in the last 10 years, earning an income of €680.26 million. The transfer of Paul Pogba from Juventus to Manchester United for €105 million is the biggest sale he has overseen during this time. Other players who left Juventus under his watch for a good transfer fee were Leonardo Bonucci (€42m), Arturo Vidal (€39.25m), Mattia Caldara (€36.40) and Alvaro Morata (€30m).

At Milan, his most notable sales were that of Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to PSG for €42 million and €21 million respectively.

While Allegri has sold so many players, he has also spent a lot on transfers, most notably at Juventus. He has brought in the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain for hefty sums.

But the manager has delivered success with all this transfer activity as he has won five consecutive Serie A titles and four Italian Cups during his time in Turin. Allegri left Juventus in 2019 but the Italian giants struggled to find the right replacement for him and hence re-appointed him as manager this summer.


#2 Diego Simeone - €944.95 million

Simeone has transformed Atletico Madrid in a La Liga powerhouse
Simeone has transformed Atletico Madrid in a La Liga powerhouse

Since Diego Simeone became manager of Atletico Madrid in 2011, they have been one of the best teams both domestically and in Europe. He took over Los Colchoneros when they finished seventh in La Liga the previous season and had been knocked out in the group stages of the Europa League. The Argentine transformed them into one of the best teams in Spain alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Under his tenure, Atletico Madrid have won several major honors, including two Europa Leagues, two La Ligas, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and two UEFA Super Cups.

As a manager, Simeone has spent a lot of money to achieve this success. He ranks third on the list of managers who have spent the most on player transfers in the last decade, spending €977.72 million. Joao Felix is the manager's biggest purchase, bringing him in from Benfica for €127.20 million.

However, the Argentinian manager also seems to be efficient at raising funds, making €944.95 million from player sales, thereby almost balancing the income and expenditure.

Simeone's biggest sale was that of Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona for €120 million in 2019. His other big sales include Lucas Hernandez to FC Bayern (€80m), Rodri to Manchester City (€62.70m) and Thomas Partey to Arsenal for (€50m).

Simeone won his second La Liga title with Atletico last season, pipping Real Madrid on the last day of the league. With both Real Madrid and Barcelona's squad weakening in the summer, the manager will surely be hoping to retain the title this season as well.


#1 Leonardo Jardim - €963.06 million

Jardim had sold many young talented players during his time at Monaco
Jardim had sold many young talented players during his time at Monaco

Leonardo Jardim ranks first on the list of managers who have generated the most income from player sales in the last decade. He has sold 62 players earning €963.06 million in the process. Without a doubt it's his Monaco team of 2016-17 that has helped him generate the majority of this income.

During that season, Monaco exploded onto the scene, defeating the riches of PSG to win Ligue 1 while also making it to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

The manager assembled a dazzling squad primarily built on attacking flair but with searing pace and incredible power that proved too good for most teams across the continent.

But Monaco's excellence proved too costly as several of their stars departed in the next two seasons. Kylian Mbappe went on loan to PSG before joining them for €145 million in the following season. The likes of Thomas Lemar (€72m), Benjamin Mendy (€57.5m), Bernardo Silva (€50m), Fabinho (€45m) and Tiemoue Bakayoko (€40m) also headed for the exit.

Prior to this, Jardim also sold James Rodriguez to Real Madrid for €72 million in 2014 while Anthony Martial joined Manchester United for €60 million the following year.

Jardim has had managerial stints at Olympiacos and Sporting CP, but it's his time with Monaco that he is well and truly known for. He left Monaco in 2019 and was recently appointed manager of Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal.

Quick Links

App download animated image Get the free App now