Chelsea’s $689m Spending Spree Results In Worst Value For Money In EPL

LONDON — Chelsea’s crazy year of spending under Todd Boehly saw them cough up £12.3million for every point they gained in the Premier League last season.

As this summer’s transfer window opened this week, analysis from Action Network has shown just who were the most efficient in the top flight over last season – with Chelsea way worse than the rest when it comes to value for money.

The Blues spent a combined £542 ($689) million across the 2022 summer window and the 2023 January window, as Boehly splashed out money on a madcap spending spree which resulted in a 12th place finish at the cost of £12,318,182 per point.

This is over £7 million per point more than any other top flight club – with relegated Leeds and Southampton the next worst performing. Along with West Ham, the hapless pair spent more than £4 million per point on transfers–although West Ham did win the UEFA Europa Conference League, and will be playing in Europe for a third-straight season.

“The Chelsea squad was a complete disaster last year,” M.J. Johnson, Action Network spokesperson said. “They spent like crazy in both windows. But they are selling well so far this summer, and now have Mauricio Pochettino in charge. That spending might well end up as a boon to the squad in 2023-24. They have a lot of ground to make up on the top six, though.”

Manchester City performed best of the major clubs when it came to efficiency and value for money, returning £1,485,393 per point in a year when they completed the Treble.

At the other end of the spectrum, Brentford spent less per point than any other side in the Premier League. The Bees returned £784,746 per point, after splashing more than £46 million and earning 59 points. Only Crystal Palace and Brighton joined them in spending less than £1 million per point.

“When you look at what some of the “smaller” clubs in the Premier League did last season, it is very impressive,” Johnson said. “Maybe the ‘brightest’ example is Brighton & Hove Albion, which has joined the European elite now as part of the UEFA Europa League. Brighton has shown–and in fact, Tony Bloom’s other club Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium–that if you can scout well, and sell well, you can break into the top six. But Fulham was very good for most of the season, as were Brentford, and Crystal Palace has a ton of talent. You don’t have to spend like crazy to have success in England”

Edited by Rachmad Imam Tarecha and Joseph Hammond