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#3 Leeds United | Net spend: £84.5m
After an absence of 16 years in the top-flight of English football, Leeds United made a historic return to the Premier League after winning the Championship. Marcelo Bielsa's side went into the summer window like a club with great purpose and strengthened their squad substantially.
Leeds broke their transfer record to seal the signature of Spain international Rodrigo Moreno for £27m. They also made other impressive big-name signings such as Diego Llorente from Real Sociedad for £20m and, more recently, Brazilian attacker Rafinha from Rennes for £17m.
Although they did not oversee any noteworthy departures, Bielsa's side made several astute acquisitions in the market to cap off a commendable window. They also made Helder Costa's loan move from Wolves permanent, and the winger has been impressive upon their Premier League return.
#2 Aston Villa | Net spend: £85m
A relatively surprising name at such a high spot on this list, last season's relegation battlers Aston Villa conducted some very impressive business in the window this summer. Dean Smith's men saw a huge spend even during the summer before, but several of those signings failed to leave a good account of themselves at Villa Park.
Heading into their second straight year in the top-flight, Villa opted for quality over quantity and despite having spent big, they only made four major signings in the window.
They purchased English defender Matty Cash (£16m) from Nottingham Forest, keeper Emi Martinez (£17m) from Arsenal, Olympique Lyon attacker Bertrand Traore (£19m) and broke their club transfer record for Championship hero Ollie Watkins, who arrived for £33m from Brentford. Additionally, they also sealed the services of Ross Barkley on a season-long loan.
#1 Chelsea | Net spend: £212.6m
Who else but Chelsea were expected to top this list? The Blues recorded one of the most stunning transfer windows in football history after making up to seven additions in the summer. Lampard's men were forced to remain quiet on the recruitment front after they got into trouble with FFP (Financial Fair Play) regulations.
However, they marked their return to the market in an explosive fashion as they addressed several key positions in their squad and gifted Lampard with an abundance of attacking options.
Edouard Mendy (£22m), Hakim Ziyech (£33.3m), Timo Werner (£45m), Ben Chilwell (£50m), and arguably their most high-profile signing since Eden Hazard back in 2012 — Kai Havertz (£75.8m) of Bayer Leverkusen — all arrived at the club for a combined total of over £200m. Additionally, they also signed PSG veteran Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr on free transfers to bolster their defensive options.
Chelsea have had exciting transfer windows in the past, but even by their standards, the summer of 2020 has been a monumental one for the Blues.
Also read: 10 Biggest Ballon d'Or wins in football history
