Revealed: Where Sheffield United rank on the Premier League and European spending list

Academics at the CIES Football Observatory, which is based at the International Centre for Sports Studies in Neuchatel, Switzerland, made the claim in their latest ‘Weekly Post’ which was published last night.

According to the CIES’s calculations, only Burnley (€110m) and West Bromwich Albion (€102m), who finished second in the Championship last term, spent a lower amount than United (€133m) - now beginning their second season at the highest level.

To put the figures in context, Manchester City were judged to have lavished €1036m on what are described in the report as “transfer indemnities” while their neighbours Manchester United returned a figure of €844m. These amounts are €22m and €93m higher when compared to September last year.

Burnley and West Brom have also enjoyed a combined total of 10 seasons in the top flight since 2014, while United returned following a 12 year absence in 2019. Fulham, who visit Bramall Lane on Sunday, are said to have spent €190m by the CIES’ measure. Chris Wilder’s men will enter that match searching for their first points of the new campaign, having suffered defeats to Wolverhampton Wanderers (€293m), Aston Villa (€275m), Arsenal (€590m) and Marcelo Bielsa’s men (€163m).

Researchers at the CIES also compared spending across Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues, which also include Serie A, La Liga, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1.

Three of United’s opponents since competition resumed last month feature among the continent’s leading 22 spenders while, in a sign of the PL’s financial might, Brighton and Hove Albion are 32nd on that list - above the likes of SS Lazio, Olympique Lyonnais and Schalke 04.

Leeds have also been placed higher than both the Romans, who finished fourth in Italy last year, and the team from Gelsenkirchen.

United were ranked above LOSC Lille, Sampdoria UC and Villarreal CF, but one place below Atalanta CF; last season’s beaten Champions League quarter-finalists.

Germany’s Armenia Bielefeld were ranked bottom of the list, together with Huesca SD, Elche CF and Cadiz CF of Spain.

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