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The Premier League is blessed to have witnessed one of the greatest managers in the world - Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He won the league thirteen times, which no manager has been able to come close to.
Since the Scotsman retired, the Red Devils have struggled immensely. They have failed to win the league even once and at times failed to even book a place in the Champions League.
Sir Alex Ferguson dominated the Premier League
While Manchester United haven't been that successful, the same hasn't been the case for their rivals. Manchester City and Liverpool have enjoyed their football and have done very well in the top division.
Sir Alex Ferguson retired after the 2012-13 season. Since then, a lot of money has been spent in the transfer market by English clubs. Here, we take a look at the top net big-spenders in the Premier League.
#6 Tottenham Hotspur £234.67 million
Since Sir Alex retired, Tottenham Hotspur have improved comparatively. They finished second in the 2016-17 season and have finished third twice in the past nine seasons.
In the process, they have spent £723.54 million in buying players, with Son Heung-min being the best of the lot. They have also sold players worth £488.87 million, out of which the sale of Gareth Bale played a massive contribution.
Overall, Spurs have a net-spend of £234.67 and have failed to qualify for the Champions League on four occasions in the last nine years.
#5 Liverpool £286.51 million
Manager Jurgen Klopp has changed the face of Liverpool ever since he joined the club in the 2015-16 season. With his attacking and direct approach, the Reds have looked pretty entertaining on the pitch.
In the last nine years, Liverpool have gone on to win the Premier League once and are looking strong contenders this season. In the process, they have spent £855.06 million, with Mohamed Salah being one of their best signings.
They have let go of players worth £568.55 million which involves the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona. With a net-spend of £286.51 million, Liverpool have had quite the success post Sir Alex's retirement.
#4 Chelsea £310.72 million
In the Roman Abramovich era, Chelsea were never shy of spending big when it came to getting the best players. In the last nine years, they have won the Premier League twice but have struggled to put up a strong fight lately.
That being said, they have spent £1.24 billion to bring players to Stamford Bridge. They have sold £928.45 million worth of players, which includes the sale of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid. With a net-spend of £310.72, they got a decent return for their money.
#3 Arsenal £569.93 million
Arsenal last won the Premier League in the 2003-04 season. Since then, it has been a massive task for them and more so since the retirement of Arsene Wenger in 2018.
The Gunners have missed out on a place in the Champions League since the 2016-17 season but are close to booking one at the end of the ongoing campaign.
In the last nine years, they have spent £865.24 million and made £295.31 million from player sales. With a net-spend of £569.93 million, Arsenal should have been doing better.
#2 Manchester United £854.4 million
Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement has been hard for Manchester United and their fans. The club has immensely struggled since the 2012-13 season despite having some of the finest managers at the helm.
United have been wrong on multiple fronts, including the types of players they have signed. They have spent £1.21 billion and made £363.47 million from the sale of their players.
With a net-spend of £854.4 million, it is a pity that the Red Devils have not managed to have any success in the Premier League.
#1 Manchester City (£881.44 million)
The fact that Sir Alex Ferguson would hate the most post his retirement would be the rise of Manchester City. Manchester United's arch-rivals have done exceptionally well in the last decade.
Since Sir Alex's retirement, Manchester City have won the Premier League four times, out of which three have come under current manager Pep Guardiola. They are on course to win one more league title should they successfully keep Liverpool at bay at the end of the season.
Since the 2012-13 season, Manchester City have spend £1.36 billion on the purchase of players, with Kevin De Bruyne easily being one of their best signings. Their sales revenue saw them earn £481.32 million, which took their net spend to £881.44 million. Given City's dominance in the league over the past few years, there has been a worthy return on the investment made.
