The Premier League’s Big Six have spent about $745 million on players from other league clubs this summer. That puts them only around $15 million short of last summer’s record under the same rules.
The count covers Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. It includes eight permanent transfers from clubs that are still in the Premier League. The clubs haven’t disclosed the fees, so every figure is based on reported prices.
Arsenal signed Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle. Chelsea bought Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace and Danny Welbeck from Brighton. Manchester City added Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, while Manchester United signed Youri Tielemans from Villa. Tottenham bought Sandro Tonali from Newcastle and Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton. Liverpool hasn’t made a qualifying signing.
Rogers is the biggest deal at about $158 million, followed by Anderson at up to $157 million and Tonali at up to $135 million. Those fees sit near the top of football’s 10 most expensive summer transfers ever. Welbeck’s roughly $7 million move is one of summer 2026’s quieter transfer deals.
The comparison is deliberately narrow. It leaves out free transfers, loans, swaps, moves between Big Six clubs and signings from overseas or the English Football League. It also excludes players bought from clubs that had just been relegated.
Using those same rules, the Big Six spent about $760 million across 10 deals last summer. The comparable total was roughly $263 million in 2024 and between $515 million and $542 million in 2023. This summer is already second in that four-year run, even though the window remains open until Sept. 1.
Newcastle and Villa lead the sales
Most of the money has gone to five clubs. Newcastle’s sales of Guimarães and Tonali are worth about $236 million. Villa’s deals for Rogers and Tielemans total roughly $205 million.
Forest could receive up to $157 million for Anderson. Brighton’s two sales are worth about $77 million, while Palace’s deal for Lacroix is reported at $69 million to $70 million. Newcastle and Villa account for almost 60 percent of the total. Add Forest, and the three clubs account for about 80 percent.
The reported fees don’t necessarily arrive all at once. Buyers often spread payments over several years. In their accounts, they also divide a player’s cost across the length of his contract, up to five years under league rules.
Sellers can use the money for replacements, but a large fee doesn’t guarantee a stronger squad. Newcastle, Villa and Forest now face the harder part: replacing important players without losing too much on the field.
For the Big Six, the appeal is clear. They’re paying a premium for players who already know the league. Whether those signings justify nearly $745 million will depend on what they deliver, not the size of the fees.
