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Football is the world's most beautiful game and it's a lucrative sport for obvious reasons. European football is followed by fans all across the globe and there is never a shortage for sources of income as far as top football clubs and players are concerned.
To remain at the top, clubs have to furnish or reinvest funds in order to secure the best available personnel that could buoy them towards greater success. Some of the best performing teams in the 21st century are those that have been prepared to break the bank in order to improve their side.
On that note, let's take a look at the 10 clubs with the highest transfer spending since 2000.
#10 Atletico Madrid - €1.35 billion
Atletico Madrid have become or have been forced to become big spenders in a bid to upset the Real Madrid-Barcelona duopoly in the La Liga. After breaking their transfer record in the summer of 2018 to sign Thomas Lemar from AS Monaco, they paid almost double that amount in order to secure the services of Joao Felix.
Felix was bought for a sum of £113.40 million. But they have conducted their business rather responsibly and have bought players who have helped transform the side like Antoine Griezmann, Radamel Falcao, Diego Costa and Rodri to name a few.
#9 Liverpool - €1.48 billion
Liverpool tasted Premier League glory for the first time in the Premier League era and that is, in no short measure, thanks to the wise investments they have made towards improving their squad.
Liverpool's transfer business in recent years have been spot on. Klopp has been able to identify the right players to bolster his side and the board has backed him by spending heavy in the transfer market.
They have bought the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Alisson, Naby Keita, Fabinho, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane over the course of the last five years and though these players have cost a fortune, they have helped the Reds become a juggernaut of sorts.
#8 Paris Saint-Germain - €1.55 billion
Paris Saint-Germain were catapulted back into relevance when Qatar Sports Investment took over the club in 2011. They started spending heavily almost immediately and signed the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva for a combined £56.7 million.
For a club that has only spent massively in the second decade of the 21st century, Paris Saint-Germain have made this list thanks to two of their most expensive acquisitions Neymar and Mbappe.
They initially bought Neymar from Barcelona for £199.4 million and followed it up next summer by making Mbappe's loan move from AS Monaco permanent for £130.5 million.
They have also spent heavily on players like Angel Di Maria (£56.7 million), Edinson Cavani (£58.05 million), Mauro Icardi (£45 million) and David Luiz (£44.55 million) to name a few.
#7 Inter Milan - €1.58 billion
Inter Milan has been run by four different regimes in the last decade. However, the Nerazzurri have not lavishly thrown money around for the biggest stars or made the biggest waves in any transfer window. They have adopted a more sustained approach in the transfer market until lately.
Inter Milan made their most expensive signing last summer, bringing Romelu Lukaku from Manchester United for a whopping £66 million. It is interesting to note that their second most expensive signing was Christian Vieri, who was bought in the 1999-00 season for £41.83 million.
This summer they signed Achraf Hakimi from Real Madrid for £36 million and are now looked at as heavy spenders.
#6 Manchester United - €1.78 billion
Manchester United seem to be steadying their ship at the beginning of a new decade after drawing a lot of ire for their profligacy in a turbulent post-Ferguson phase where they changed three managers.
Manchester United threw money at quite a few top players who did not come close to performing at the levels they were expected to and their underperforming sales department did hardly anything to recoup the lost cash.
United bought Paul Pogba fom Juventus for £94.5 million. Their other expensive signings include Harry Maguire (£78.3 million), Romelu Lukaku (£76.23 million), Angel Di Maria (£67.5 million), Anthony Martial (£54 million), Fred (£53.2 million) and Bruno Fernandes (£49.5 million).
They are looking set to become more cautious spenders in the transfer market as evidenced by the cut-price deals they were able to strike for the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek. However, it remains to be seen whether those are exceptions or the new rule under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
#5 Juventus - €1.90 billion
Juventus have been running away with the spoils in Italy and clinched their ninth successive Serie A title last season. However, despite all the money they've spent, they haven't been able to achieve success in Europe.
It would be fair to say that the Bianconeri surprised everyone by buying Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid for a whopping £105.3 million. Some of their most expensive signings are Gonzalo Higuain (£81 million), Matthijs De Ligt (£76.95 million), Arthur (£64.8 million) and Gianluigi Buffon (£47.6 million).
#4 Manchester City - €2.05 billion
No surprises here. Manchester City have been among the biggest spenders in almost every transfer window since the Abu Dhabi United Group took over in 2008. They have spent and spent well. Manchester City rode their way to the top of the Premier League thanks to their newly endowed riches.
Pep Guardiola is responsible for spending a large chunk of that money and it's hard to make an argument against the effectivity of the arrivals under him.
Kevin De Bruyne, bought for £68.4 million, is City's most expensive signing of all time.
The other expensive arrivals include Rodri (£63 million), Riyad Mahrez (£61.02 million), Joao Cancelo (£58.5 million), Aymeric Laporte (£58.5 million), Raheem Sterling (£57.33 million), Benjamin Mendy (£51.75 million) and John Stones (£50.04 million).
#3 Barcelona (€2.06 billion)
The most notorious spenders among the elite, Barcelona's transfer business over the past few seasons is a masterclass on how not to spend the big bucks. They have been one of the biggest spenders in football over the last two decades but of late, their big signings have all proven to be ill-advised.
After getting close to £200 million from the sale of Neymar, Barcelona bought Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool for £130.5 million and Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund for £124.2 million. In the 2019 summer transfer window, they signed Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid for £108 million.
None of these signings have been able to justify their price tags so far. Some of the other expensive deals that the Blaugrana have pulled off include Neymar from Santos (£79.38 million), Luis Suarez (£73.55 million), Frenkie De Jong (£67.5 million), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (£62.55 million) and Miralem Pjanic (£54 million).
#2 Real Madrid - €2.14 billion
When you build your brand around 'Galacticos' who cost a fortune to buy and pride yourself on fielding the most star studded lineups in Europe, you are bound to spend a ridiculous amount of money. Can you really fault them though after winning 13 Champions League titles?
No eyebrows are raised anymore when Los Blancos start spending ridiculous sums on some of the biggest stars in the world. They have consistently been able to sign some of the best players in the world.
Their most expensive signings in the last 20 years are Eden Hazard (£103.5 million), Gareth Bale (£90.90 million), Cristiano Ronaldo (£84.6 million), Zinedine Zidane (£69.75 million), James Rodriguez (£67.5 million) and Kake (£60.30 million).
#1 Chelsea - €2.16 billion
Chelsea have been the team to observe in this transfer window. Roman Abramovich has proved once again that he has not lost any interest in the club and continues to back his managers in the transfer market by breaking the bank time and again.
Chelsea's fortunes took a turn for the better after the Russian took over at the helm shortly after the turn of the millennium and brought Jose Mourinho to transform a mid-table side to world beaters.
The Blues have been able to lure some world-class players and continue to do so thanks to their financial clout. Some of Chelsea's most expensive signings are Kai Havertz (£72 million), Kepa Arrizabalaga (£72 million), Alvaro Morata (£59.4 million), Christian Pulisic (£57.60 million), Fernando Torres (£52.65 million) and Jorginho (£51.3 million).
