Some football clubs excel at managing their finances, while others have faced challenges in recent years.
A prime example of the latter is FC Barcelona, which has struggled with extravagant transfers like Ousmane Dembélé that failed to justify their high costs, exorbitant player salaries, and ongoing issues with Financial Fair Play. The club confirmed outstanding debts of 469 million euros during their general meeting in October, as reported by ‘kicker’. On the other hand, some clubs have demonstrated prudent financial management, especially in their transfer dealings.
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The ‘CIES Football Observatory’ has compiled a ranking of clubs that have conducted the most savvy transfer market activities over the past five years. The analysis focused on clubs whose total transfer expenditures and revenues exceeded ten million euros since 2021, and notably, many prominent clubs are absent from this list.
In positions ten to eight, we find Champions League contenders OSC Lille, US Lecce, and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, all boasting a positive transfer balance of 112 to 113 million euros over the last five years.
Rounding out positions seven to four are Udinese Calcio (+128 million euros), RC Lens (+134 million euros), SL Benfica (+147 million euros), and Atalanta Bergamo (+150 million euros).
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On the podium, the only clubs from England and Germany are represented, with VfB Stuttgart taking third place and a impressive transfer balance of 178 million euros. Before the current season, Stuttgart showcased strong financial management, generating over 115 million euros in revenue against expenditures of around 50 million euros. A notable example of their transfer market acumen is Nick Woltemade, who joined Stuttgart on a free transfer from the Weser in summer 2024 and was sold a year later for an estimated fee between 75 and 90 million euros. The strategic negotiations with FC Bayern influenced the amount Newcastle United ultimately paid.
📸 Alexander Hassenstein – 2025 Getty Images
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In second place, Brighton & Hove Albion shows a positive balance of 221 million euros over the past five years. Despite a shocking transfer balance of -231 million euros following the 2023/24 season, the club has successfully sold key players like Caicedo, Mac Allister, Cucurella, and White to rivals, creating a substantial financial cushion.
Leading the ranking is Eintracht Frankfurt, with an incredible plus of 286 million euros. The team consistently sells players for fees between 75 and 100 million euros while acquiring talents at relatively low costs. For example, Hugo Ekitiké was purchased from PSG for 31.5 million euros and later transferred to Liverpool for 95 million euros, while Omar Marmoush joined on a free transfer from VfL Wolfsburg and was sold to Manchester City for 75 million euros.
📸 PAUL ELLIS – AFP or licensors
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Notably, there isn’t a single Spanish club among the top 10 transfer winners in the past five years, raising concerns that club officials may be taking cues from FC Barcelona’s recent financial struggles.
Additionally, at the bottom of this ranking, two clubs from the Saudi Pro League make an appearance: Al-Hilal (-197 million euros) and Al-Nassr (-104 million euros) represent the largest negative transfer balances among the clubs analyzed.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
📸 Daniela Porcelli – 2025 Getty Images