The Premier League net spend table since Man Utd appointed Erik ten Hag | OneFootball

Only Chelsea have spent more money than Manchester United since Erik ten Hag was appointed Red Devils boss in 2022.

Ten Hag has been criticised for failing to get a tune of United’s players, despite having been backed heavily in the transfer market across his three windows at the helm.

Manchester United have spent almost £400million new signings, a number of whom had worked under Ten Hag before elsewhere – Antony, Andre Onana and Lisandro Martinez chief among them.

“The matches were dull and the supporters restless as they could see how quickly rivals were upgrading as we first stood still and then regressed on the back of a couple of poor transfer windows,” Jamie Carragher wrote in a recent Telegraph column, comparing Ten Hag’s side to Liverpool in the miserable days when Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benitez were approaching the end.

“Everything felt like a grind.

“Such days are supposed to be typical for a coach several years into his tenure. It must be worrying for United fans that they are still spending so much time seeking excuses for this low standard. Mitigating factors such as boardroom uncertainty can only stretch so far.”

However, Chelsea – who have spent almost £1billion under Todd Boehly over the same period time – are another strong argument that it’s not what you spend, it’s how you spend it. The Blues finished nine places and 31 points behind Ten Hag’s men last season and are once again below them in the table.

Elsewhere, Brighton – who currently find themselves ahead of United – have made a profit in each of the last three transfer windows, totalling up to £166million in total.

It’s remarkable that Roberto De Zerbi’s are playing in Europe and challenging in the top half of the table given that they’ve consistently cashed in big on their best players – but that’s exactly why they’re known as the poster boys for smart recruitment and canny long-term planning.

Treble winners Manchester City have a net spend of over £250million less than their city rivals since Ten Hag arrived. They’ve also spent considerably over that period, but they’ve also sold a number of high-profile players for large fees.

That’s another area in which United have struggled – raising funds for unwanted players. The rest of their traditional ‘big six’ rivals have recouped considerably more by selling players in recent years gone by.

Here’s how the Premier League’s net spend table stacks up since Ten Hag’s appointment in the summer of 2022:

1. Chelsea

Money Spent – £966.9m Money Received – £274.4m Net Spend – £692.4m

2. Manchester United

Money Spent – £384.2m Money Received – £51.4m Net Spend – £332.8m

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3. Arsenal

Money Spent – £375.6m Money Received – £100.2m Net Spend – £275.4m

4. Newcastle United

Money Spent – £296.7m Money Received – £42.2m Net Spend – £254.5m

5. Tottenham

Money Spent – £373.3m Money Received – £144.4m Net Spend – £228.9m

6. Nottingham Forest

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Money Spent – £265.4m Money Received – £61.6m Net Spend – £203.8m

7. Bournemouth

Money Spent – £183.7m Money Received – £1m Net Spend – £182.7m

8. West Ham United

Money Spent – £294.2m Money Received – £156.1m Net Spend – £138.1m

9. Liverpool

Money Spent – £259.7 Money Received – £124.6 Net Spend – £135.1m

10. Brentford

Money Spent – £101.7m Money Received – £8.4m Net Spend – £93.2m

11. Aston Villa

Money Spent – £174m Money Received – £89.9m Net Spend – £84.1m

12. Crystal Palace

Money Spent – £77.7m Money Received – £5.7m Net Spend – £72m

13. Manchester City

Money Spent – £343.3m Money Received – £279.5m Net Spend – £63.8m

14. Fulham

Money Spent – £124.6m Money Received – £68.8m Net Spend – £55.8m

15. Wolves

Money Spent – £236.8m Money Received – £196.8m Net Spend – £40m

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16. Everton

Money Spent – £113.6m Money Received – £150m Net Spend – £36.4m (PROFIT)

17. Brighton

Money Spent – 135.8m Money Received – £302.4m Net Spend – £166.6m (PROFIT)