How much each trophy won has cost the top Premier League sides over the last decade.
Manchester United have been the biggest spenders in the Premier League this summer by quite some margin, with big money deals for the likes of Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Angel di Maria and a late loan move for Radamel Falcao all having been rubber stamped by the Old Trafford hierarchy before the summer window slammed shut last week.
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United are not the biggest spendings every year, however, with this having been a title held by the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool in previous seasons.
When it comes to the effectiveness of this investment, however, these are the figures that prove who knows where to splash the cash, with the six top Premier League clubs ranked by their cash-to-trophy ratio, with figures taking into account the period from summer 2003 to summer 2014:
6) Tottenham Hotspur (£472m per trophy)
Bringing up the rear are Tottenham Hotspur, whose solitary League Cup triumph during the period analysed cost them an eye-watering £472m, although Champions League qualification during that time must also count as a huge success. It is unlikely that Daniel Levy feels that the return on his investment has been sufficient, however.
5) Manchester City (£144.8m per trophy)
Manchester City have spent incredible sums of money, £724m in fact, on signing world class stars such as Yaya Toure, since the club was taken over and investment ploughed in. They have picked up five trophies since, including two massive Premier League crowns, costing a pricey £144.8m each. This is likely to fall in coming years, however, as City win even more trophies and rein in their spending slightly to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
4) Liverpool (£100.7m per trophy)
Liverpool have had a topsy turvy time during the reporting period, picking up six major trophies including an incredible Champions League triumph, but also falling out of contention for major honours in England altogether for a brief time. They have also spent big during the period, particularly this summer on the likes of Mario Balotelli, with £604m having been spent on transfer fees.
3) Chelsea (£66.2m per trophy)
Chelsea have actually spent the most during the period analysed, following the takeover of the club by Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich, but the subsequent success of the Blues has meant that each trophy has cost them a comparatively cheap £66.2m. The Blues have won just about every trophy available during the Abramovich era, including the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League, having spent £874m on fees.
2) Arsenal (£57.8m per trophy)
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has something of a reputation for being thrifty, bringing the likes of Jack Wilshere through the youth system as much as he brings in expensive global stars, but this approach has changed in recent years with the signings of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, making the Gunners’ outlay for the six trophies won during the period £57.8m – although the Gunners’ overall expenditure is the lowest at £347m.
1) Manchester United (£32.7m per trophy)
Despite their huge expenditure this summer on the likes of Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao, Manchester United’s incredible 18 trophies during their period analysed mean that they come out on top, with each of these gongs having cost the Red Devils just £32.7m, despite huge overall fees of £588m. To keep their place at the top of this list, however, the Reds need to improve on their poor 2013/14 season.