Benfica, Ajax, Porto the experts: 21st century net spend champions table features no English clubs | OneFootball

Benfica and Ajax are two of the best clubs when it comes to selling players.

These 20 are the best in the world when it comes to buying players and flipping them for profit. Here is the ranking of the clubs with the lowest net spend since the summer of 2000.

Figures are via Transfermarkt, which deals in Euros. Converting into sterling makes no sense and would frankly take too much effort.

The 20 biggest net spenders are here…

20) Empoli (Italy) Expenditure: €106.01m Income: €323.84m Net spend: €217.82m

Empoli’s record sale is actually Guglielmo Vicario, who recently joined Tottenham for €20million. They would be 22nd without that transfer.

19) Gremio (Brazil) Expenditure: €84.76m Income: €310.15m Net spend: €225.39m

Only two clubs in the top 25 have spent under €100m since the turn of the century. Gremio are obviously one of the two. The other is Argentine outfit Velez Sarsfield.

18) AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) Expenditure: €152.82m Income: €380.77m Net spend: €227.96m

Dutch clubs are pretty good at this. You’ll see.

17) Atalanta (Italy) Expenditure: €656.26m Income: €897.27m Net spend: €241.01m

Having spent a fair whack themselves, to be that far in the green is very impressive. Wondering who Atalanta have sold in that time? Me too.

16) PSV (Netherlands) Expenditure: €404.97m Income: €663.53m Net spend: €258.57m

PSV have made big money from the sales of Hirving Lozano, Cody Gakpo, Memphis Depay, Noni Madueke and Ibrahim Sangare.

15) Boca Juniors (Argentina) Expenditure: €193.57m Income: €456.6m Net spend: €263.03m

Some great players have played for Boca over the years. Carlos Tevez was sold twice for over €10m.

14) SC Braga (Portugal) Expenditure: €112.10m Income: €381.25m Net spend: €269.15m

Braga have signed 669 players and sold 667 this century.

13) Internacional (Brazil) Expenditure: €111.15m Income: €392.89m Net spend: €281.74m

Their profit would be even greater if Leandro Damiao joined Spurs.

12) Lyon (France) Expenditure: €850.99m Income: €1.15bn Net spend: €297.24m

The first of four clubs in the top 20 with over £1billion in income, Lyon have actually received less money from player sales than Ligue 1 rivals Monaco, who have raked in €1.46bn (€208.16m net spend in 22nd place).

11) Sao Paulo (Brazil) Expenditure: €162.68m Income: €463.49m Net spend: €300.82m

Sao Paulo received a world-record €31.5m from Real Betis for Denilson back in 1998.

10) Santos (Brazil) Expenditure: €120.75m Income: €435.45m Net spend: €314.70m

Neymar. Rodrygo. Robinho. This club love a techy winger.

9) Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) Expenditure: €108.46m Income: €453.22m Net spend: €344.75m

Fair play to Dinamo Zagreb, who have a great record when it comes to developing youth players.

8) River Plate (Argentina) Expenditure: €205.09m Income: €564.33m Net spend: €359.24m

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South American clubs know what they’re doing, don’t they?

7) Udinese (Italy) Expenditure: €463.34m Income: €830.21m Net spend: €366.88m

So do Italian clubs apparently.

6) Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) Expenditure: €268.43m Income: €650.72m Net spend: €382.29m

We all know about Salzburg and their incredible philosophy. €20m for a 19-year-old Erling Haaland does not look that great on reflection.

5) Sporting (Portugal) Expenditure: €490.54m Income: €915.27m Net spend: €424.73m

The summer sale of Manuel Ugarte was not enough to leapfrog Bruno Fernandes as Sporting’s record sale.

4) Lille (France) Expenditure: €471.54m Income: €906.23m Net spend: €434.69m

Nicolas Pepe and Victor Osimhen brought in €155m alone.

3) Ajax (Netherlands) Expenditure: €679.72m Income: €1.27bn Net spend: €586.03m

Ajax probably have the best reputation for selling players but they are third best when it comes to net spend.

2) Porto (Portugal) Expenditure: €749.89m Income: €1.44bn Net spend: €685.18m

Being second comes down to consistently getting between €25-45m for their best players. Otavio became their record sale this summer, joining Al-Nassr for €60m.

1) Benfica (Portugal) Expenditure: €878.39m Income: €1.60bn Net spend: €722.53m

Benfica are selling extraordinaires.