Top 10: Man City lead all-time global transfer-window spending list with €526m

Manchester City have moved to the top of the all-time list of clubs with the highest transfer spending in a single window after splashing €526.2m on new signings, surpassing Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid.

According to Transfermarkt on Thursday, City became the first club to cross the €500m mark in a single transfer window after their deadline-day business took their total spending for the 2026/27 summer window to €526.2m.

The figure eclipsed Liverpool’s previous record of €483m, set in the 2025/26 summer window, while Chelsea’s €418m spending in 2023/24 and Real Madrid’s €331m outlay in 2019/20 also rank among the biggest single-window expenditures.

According to Transfermarkt on Thursday, City’s spending surged past the €500m mark on deadline day following the high-profile arrivals of Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for €70m and Enzo Fernández from Chelsea for €145m, a fee that equalled the British transfer record.

The spending took City’s total outlay for the summer transfer window to €526.2m, eclipsing the €483m Liverpool spent during the 2025/26 summer window.

City’s recruitment drive also included the €135m signing of Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi for €95m, among other arrivals.

Despite the record expenditure, Transfermarkt reported that City generated €337m from player sales, leaving the club with a net spend of €189m.

The record-breaking window came amid another summer of heavy spending across European football, with several clubs featuring prominently among the highest spenders in a single transfer window.

Chelsea’s €407m expenditure in the 2026/27 window ranked fourth on the all-time list, while Tottenham and Newcastle United also entered the top 10 after both crossed the €300m mark.

Liverpool had previously held the record after spending €483m in the 2025/26 summer window, when the club signed Florian Wirtz for €125m before completing the €145m acquisition of Alexander Isak.

Manchester City’s latest spending, however, has moved beyond that benchmark, making the club the first to cross the €500m barrier in a single transfer window.

Top 10 biggest spending clubs in one transfer window

Manchester City (Summer 2026/27) — €526m

Liverpool (Summer 2025/26) — €483m

Chelsea (Summer 2023/24) — €418m

Chelsea (Summer 2026/27) — €407m

Tottenham (Summer 2026/27) — €366m

Al-Hilal (Summer 2023/24) — €353m

Paris Saint-Germain (Summer 2023/24) — €350m

Real Madrid (Summer 2019/20) — €331m

Chelsea (Summer 2022/23) — €330m

Newcastle United (Summer 2026/27) — €301m