By Kenneth Madaki

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‎Chelsea FC have emerged as the most expensively assembled squad in world football heading into the 2025/26 season, with its team built at a transfer cost exceeding €1.1 billion, according to industry estimates.

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‎They are narrowly ahead of Manchester City FC, who also cross the €1 billion threshold, placing both Premier League giants in a category of their own when it comes to squad-building investment.

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‎Years of aggressive recruitment and squad reshaping have pushed both clubs to the top of the global spending hierarchy.

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‎According to a post obtained from Planet Football’s website on Saturday, these are the clubs with the most expensive net spend on players in the 2025/2026 season.

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‎The Top 10 list include: Chelsea FC – €1.18 billion, Manchester City FC – €1.1 billion, Liverpool FC – €990.4 million, Manchester United FC – €947.5 million, and Arsenal FC – €924.1 million,

‎Other are: Tottenham Hotspur FC – €870.2 million, Paris Saint-Germain FC – €822.5 million, Newcastle United FC – €724.5 million, Real Madrid CF – €710 million, and Juventus FC – €523.3 million.

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‎The rankings are based on Transfermarkt’s estimates of total transfer fees paid to assemble current squads.