10 highest spending managers in Premier League history

Aditya SinghPublished: 30 Jul 2024 09:17 AM

Modern football has seen an overflow of money and a lot of it has come from the Premier League. The English top flight generates a lot of global revenue and the teams benefit from that. While the ‘Big 6’ expectedly spend big money in the transfer market but other clubs have also spent a good amount in recent years as compared to the other leagues.

There have been many managers who have benefitted greatly from their clubs’ spending power over the years. Of course, one cannot just spend loads of money and achieve great things but it helps significantly, as we’ve seen over the years.

With the increase in transfer fees in modern football, some Premier League managers have spent more than others and have had varied degrees of success. So, let’s take a look at some of the highest-spending Premier League managers.

(Note: These figures include the summer transfer window of 2023)

10. Eddie Howe – £481.7 million

Current Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has also managed Bournemouth in the past and had a total spending of £481.7 million. To be fair, most of his spending has come at Newcastle United following their Saudi Arabian takeover in October 2021.

The Magpies have spent loads on players, with Aleksandar Isak’s signing from Real Sociedad in August 2022 being their club record at £63 million. Isak and other signings have definitely helped Newcastle as they qualified for the Champions League for the 2023-24 season.

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9. Antonio Conte – £511.2 million

Conte spent two years at Chelsea and less than two years at Tottenham Hotspur in his two stints in the Premier League but spent £511.2 million. He won the league title with the Blues in the 2016-17 season.

Conte is known to spend a lot of money with every club he manages. His biggest signing in the English top flight was Alvaro Morata, who joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid in 2017 for £60 million. Conte, meanwhile, currently manages Napoli, having been appointed in 2024.

8. Mark Hughes – £513.5 million

Mark Hughes managed many clubs in the English top flight, including Manchester City, Fulham, and Stoke City. He spent around £513.5 million on players across clubs. A lot of his money was spent at Manchester City, including his record signing.

He brought in Robinho from Real Madrid in 2008 for a then club-record fee of £32.5 million.

7. Manuel Pellegrini – £526.5 million

Manuel Pellegrini managed many clubs across Europe in his career, including Manchester City and West Ham United in the Premier League. He spent £526.5 million on players in total at both clubs, winning the league title with the Cityzens in the 2013-14 season.

Pellegrini’s purchase of Kevin De Bruyne from Vfl Wolfsburg for £55 million in 2015 was his most expensive signing. The Belgian was a stellar signing as he went on to become a Manchester City legend, winning numerous trophies. Pellegrini, meanwhile, currently manages Real Betis.

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6. Sir Alex Ferguson – £570.4 million

Sir Alex Ferguson is widely regarded as the Premier League’s best manager, winning 13 titles and overall, 20 English top-flight titles. He spent 26 years at Manchester United, helping them become a dominant force in England and in Europe for years.

He spent £570.4 million during his tenure before retiring in 2013. Of course, the transfer fees were exponentially less during Sir Alex Ferguson’s times as compared to now. He also signed many young players or promoted players from the academy. His most expensive signing was Dimitar Berbatov, who arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in 2018 for £31 million.

5. Brendan Rodgers – £591.6 million

The current Celtic manager managed Liverpool, Swansea City, and Leicester City in the past and spent £591.6 million on transfer fees at the three clubs. He won the FA Cup with Leicester and came close to winning the league title with Liverpool.

Rodgers’ most expensive signing was Christian Benteke, who arrived at Liverpool from Aston Villa for £32.5 million in 2015.

4. Jurgen Klopp – £613 million

The German, who recently left Liverpool in the summer of 2024, spent £613 million at the Merseyside. He helped them win almost every trophy available at least once during his nine-year stint.

Jurgen Klopp’s most expensive signing was Darwin Nunez, who joined Liverpool from Benfica for £84 million in the summer of 2022. He hasn’t had the best of times at the Merseyside so far but will look to impress under new manager Arne Slot.

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3. Arsene Wenger – £762.3 million

Arsene Wenger created a big legacy at Arsenal during his 22-year stay at the club. He won numerous trophies with them, including the famous ‘Invincibles’ Premier League title in the 2003-04 season.

Wenger, like Sir Alex Ferguson, was from an era where transfer fees weren’t that high but his longevity means the number of players amount to a big total of £762.3 million. The £60 million he spent on signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund in 2018 was his highest transfer spend on a player.

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2. Pep Guardiola – £1.05 billion

We’ve reached the billion mark now and who else but Pep Guardiola to be in this category? The Spaniard has had immense success at every club he’s managed and it’s no different at Manchester City.

He’s won six Premier League titles, including a record four consecutive ones between 2020 and 2024. He’s spent over £1.05 billion on new players. His most expensive transfer so far is Jack Grealish, who joined City from boyhood club Aston Villa for £100 million in 2021.

1. Jose Mourinho – £1.14 billion

Jose Mourinho managed three clubs in the Premier League – Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. He had immense success with the Blues, winning the title three times.

He built an incredible team at Chelsea and also had some decent spells at United and Spurs, spending overall £1.14 billion on new signings. While at Manchester United, he signed Paul Pogba from Juventus in 2016 for £89.3 million, which remains the club’s most expensive signing.

FAQs

Q. Which manager has spent the most money in the Premier League?

A. Jose Mourinho – £1.14 billion.

Q. Who is the highest-spending manager in football history?

A. Pep Guardiola – 1.71 billion.