Cost per point won - which Premier League clubs are the most efficient spenders this season?

With another international break well and truly underway, Premier League clubs and their respective fans have an opportunity to take stock of how their teams are doing after 11 matchdays. While we’re not quite at the half-way point of the league campaign, enough football has certainly been played to begin noting some patterns of play and deciphering which clubs are over and under performing in the English top-flight. And whether fans of said clubs should be toasting to a great start to the new season or fearing for the worst. 

While the league table is the best indicator of a club’s performances on the pitch, here at Transfermarkt we track plenty of data that can also show whether the top-flight clubs are making the most of the money they have spent in the transfer market or are simply wasting their budgets on players that aren’t up to the necessary standard. By calculating the total cost of each Premier League squad based on the initial transfer fees paid for each player and dividing that by the points won in the Premier League this season, we can quickly see how much each club has spent for each point won. And it certainly makes for interesting reading for any fan of the English top-flight. 

Which Premier League clubs have spent the least for the most points? 

The graphic above ranks Premier League clubs based on their total transfer fees paid per league point earned so far in the current season. Fulham surprisingly sit top of the table, having spent the least on transfer fees per point at €13.6 million. This indicates that Fulham have managed to achieve relatively high performance in the league with minimal financial investment in transfers, due their current squad costing just €244.7m in transfer fees. Brentford and Nottingham Forest follow closely, with costs per point at €16.6m and €16.7m, respectively, showcasing similar financial efficiency and success in the English top-flight this season. Ipswich Town, newly promoted to the Premier League, hold fourth spot with a cost of €16.9m per point. This suggests that, despite being new to the league, Ipswich have quickly adapted and are achieving a respectable points return on their limited transfer spend. However, it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to keep them up this season. Brighton and Bournemouth round out the top six with figures of €20.2m and €20.7m per point, respectively. Brighton, known for their well-structured scouting and recruitment strategy, have consistently performed well despite spending relatively modest amounts in comparison to some of the league’s top teams.

Liverpool and Everton occupy the seventh and eighth positions with €23.7m and €23.9m spent per point, which will undoubtedly underline the impress returns the Anfield side have seen on the players they’ve signed in recent years, while also pointing to the money wasted by their Merseyside rivals to very little success in the Premier League. Aston Villa and Leicester City complete the top ten, with Villa spending €24.3m and Leicester spending €28.3m per point. In contrast to the over-performing mid-table clubs, big hitters like Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham, and Chelsea are positioned much lower in the rankings, indicating higher spending per point. Arsenal, in particular, rank 14th with €39m spent per point, while Chelsea and Manchester United spend significantly more, at €59.6m and €61m, respectively. However, the most concern in the league this season should undoubtedly go to Southampton, who are currently at the bottom of the rankings with a spend of €63m per point. Not only is that the highest in the league, but it also mirrors the clubs struggles on the pitch this season, suggesting that their investments have not translated into effective performance on the field.