What happens when you take the value of the top 18 players from each club? You extract the most valuable teams in the world, of course. In the 2023 version, the usual suspects join the $1 billion list, but there’s one new addition, according to the Transfer Market’s latest data.
Manchester City — $1.35 billion
Who else? Pep Guardiola sits on top of the throne of the world’s most expensive squad at $1.35 billion. But boy, that investment sure pays dividends.
Manchester City won the treble last season and looks to add a record fourth consecutive Premier League title this season. And while they’re at it, why not a record-breaking successive treble?
Arsenal — $1.18 billion
Arsenal officially entered the $1 billion squad club this season when they signed Timber, Rice, and Havertz in last summer’s transfer spree. They also re-signed Odegard to a $76.6 million 5-year contract, just behind Gabriel Jesus’s $84.6 five-year contract. The recent investments, however, could cost them.
The Gunners want to sign Ivan Toney to shore up their offensive attack in addition to a throttled Gabriel Jesus and underperforming Eddie Nketiah. But Arteta’s side overbought in the summer. They must sell some player(s) off their roster first.
Paris Saint-Germain — $1.15 billion
PSG is a mainstay on the most expensive squad list. The Qatar-owned club continues to spend heavily to improve its side, with more than a billion spent to build its current 2023/24 squad.
Only if the investments would pay off! While PSG dominates Ligue 1, they’ve yet to find silverware in the Champions League. They lost 2-1 to AC Milan in the Champions League group stage yesterday, jeopardizing their survival in the Group of Death.
Real Madrid — $1.1 billion
While Transfer Market’s algorithm is unique, a player’s market value is whatever the buying club is willing to pay and the selling club is willing to accept. So it’s no surprise to see Real Madrid on here, who spent an easy $111 million to pry English sensation Jude Bellingham from BVB over the summer.
Club President Florentino Pérez has a priority to spend big and build the next Galacticos. And it usually pays off. Interestingly enough, after years of negotiating, Madrid has pulled out of the race to sign superstar Kylian Mbappe from PSG. That spend alone would quickly give Los Blancos the most expensive roster in the world.
