So much spent and so little to show for it since the summer of 2012 United have won just one Premier League title
Net spend has become the new favourite phrase when it comes to transfer activity - a way of keeping track on club and players development.
Some clubs have thrown money at players in pursuit of glory, although not all have found it. The likes of
Manchester United , their neighbours Manchester City and PSG have all invested huge amounts with little regard for the balance sheet, knowing full well they have it to spend.
Liverpool may have followed a different approach, with some of their transfer dealings highlighting how to build a playing squad within a financial structure.
The sale of Philippe Coutinho wasn't the loss of a star player, it was seen as an opportunity to invest in areas that needed addressing.
Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and co all moved to Anfield since the Brazilian sale and the Reds have won trophies and consistently maintained a top three position in the English top-flight.
The CIES Football Observatory has recorded the net spends of clubs across Europe since the 2012/13 season. The world record transfer fee has been smashed since that time thanks to Neymar's switch from Barcelona to Paris with player values inflating at a rapid rate.
Since the summer of 2012 Manchester United have won just one Premier League title and have failed to challenge since. Millions and millions have been spent on big names in an effort to restore success to Old Trafford, but the likes of Angel di Maria, Romelu Lukaku and Harry Maguire have been unable to make the desired impact.
Football's top 25 net spenders of the decade
- Manchester United €1,075bn
- Manchester City €984m
- Paris Saint-Germain €941m
- Barcelona €650m
- Arsenal €583m
- Juventus €561m
- AC Milan €432m
- Everton €429m
- Aston Villa €424m
- Chelsea €413m
- Inter €385m
- West Ham United €374m
- Bayern Munich €363m
- Liverpool €347m
- Newcastle €339m
- Tottenham €336m
- Crystal Palace €292m
- Leicester City €275m
- Brighton €248m
- Wolverhampton €247m
- Napoli €228m
- Wolfsburg €190m
- RB Leipzig €186m
- Leeds United €181m
- Real Madrid €179m
Incredibly, Real Madrid the club who seemingly pioneered big spending, are incredibly low down on the list. Without a Galactico for years - something that has angered supporters. Ronaldo was sold for a profit back in 2018 but a stadium redevelopment has hampered spending, hence their desire to lead the failed Super League project.