ASTON VILLA recorded a higher net spend than Barcelona and Manchester United in the last two transfer windows with only Real Madrid losing more money overall.
The relegation threatened Midlands side spent a whopping £145million on new signings and only recouped a measly £3m from player sales.
Net spend in the last two transfer windows
Wesley was Aston Villa’s most expensive signing while Real Madrid’s deal for Eden Hazard saw them move to the top of the list for biggest net spenders
Villa were joined in the top ten in terms of negative balance by Manchester United and Tottenham – in fourth and fifth respectively – who spent £127m and £119m more than they earned.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, underachieving Arsenal were in 11th place, having spent £72m more than they received.
The CIES Football Observatory found the only team worse off than Villa were Real Madrid – who paid Chelsea an initial reported £84m plus add-ons for Eden Hazard last summer.
Los Blancos were £153m in negative balance overall.
Astonishingly, Premier League new boys Villa were second to the Spanish giants having spent big on flop striker Wesley, Tyrone Mings and Douglas Luiz.
The trio arrived from Club Brugge, Bournemouth and Manchester City respectively and they were also joined by Matt Targett, Ezri Konsa and Marvelous Nakamba who all signed for eight figure sums.
Wesley has notched just five Prem goals in 21 appearances since since his £22m summer move.
Mings also arrived for slightly more than £20m and has been somewhat of a success having bagged his first England cap while at Villa Park.
But despite the huge outlay, Dean Smith’s side still find themselves 17th in the league just one point above West Ham in 18th.
Overall, Prem clubs had the biggest net deficit of Europe’s big five leagues, spending £713m more than they earned.
Chelsea were the only Premier League team in the top ten in terms of net earners, something which should help them post improved financial figures for the 2019-20 season.
This will be a welcome boost for the Blues, having recorded a loss of £96m for the year ending June 30, 2019.
Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku shows off his new slim look as he talks to Victor Moses in the changing room
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
