For the 2024/25 season West Ham rank 16th in the world for player purchases, having spent €144.40m and received €46.15m resulting in a huge net loss of €98.25m! (* all figures in Euros and omitted Saudi League). Very few clubs have achieved a positive balance sheet through players sales, with Aston Villa reporting a €42.97m profit, and French Ligue side Rennes posting €22.35m.
The club that tops the list with a staggering negative balance of €229.96m is Brighton, who spent €279.95m on no less than eleven players, recouping €49.99m from players sales.
To analyse West Ham’s transfer activity in more detail, player sales at West Ham included Flynn Downes (€17.85m), Said Benrhama (€14.4m), Thilo Kehrer (€11m), Nathan Trott (€1.5M) and Divin Mubama (€1.4m). Player purchases included Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug, Luis Guilherme and Aaron Wan Bissaka. Rodriguez and Foderingham were free transfers, Kante undisclosed and Todibo a loan with a fee to be paid in the summer of 2025.
The loss contrasts sharply with the previous season, when the sale of Declan Rice along with Vlasic and Scamacca, provided the Hammers with a war chest of €170.46m. Even after bringing in new players the club registered a €25.90m profit.
Looking at longer term data, a report published by the Football observatory in 2024 examined transfer expenditure from 2015-2024, with West Ham ranking thirteenth at €1.10bn, just behind Real Madrid on €1.16bn. Chelsea lead this list with an extraordinary €2.78bn spent over the decade. Half of the teams in the top twenty are from the English Premier League.
This data highlights the importance for West Ham to focus more on developing their academy, and for clubs to recognise the limitations of Financial Fair Play. Ideally overpaying for players should be a thing of the past. Given West Ham’s situation this also further emphasises the challenges they, along with many other clubs, will face in the upcoming transfer window.
The beneficiaries, most certainly will be the Hammers’ starlets – their future Premier League players in the making – the likes of George Earthy, Freddie Potts, Callum Marshall, Lewis Orford, Kaelan Casey – and other young Hammers who will suddenly find themselves prioritised by West Ham instead of being demoted behind new acquisitions.
So in last two seasons an average net spend per season of about €37m, AKA £31m. Barely enough for one quality player in today’s market. Apparently we’ve got nothing left. Where on earth is it?
Sorry – take an extra €10m off that, too.
There are lies, damn lies, and statistics….
On the face of it, West Ham are one of the lower spending clubs in Premier League?
So your question is absolutely fair, where’s it gone?
Thank you Matt Kemp for pointing out Brighton & HA, who are often cited on here as ‘well run club’, but it’s often overlooked how they have invested heavily in no-name imports that do not always work out.
This season: £40+ on Rutter, £30mil.+ on Minteh and over £140mil. on Weiffer, Gruda, Tzimas, Osman & O’Riley.
All household names?