How does Sunderland's lavish 2025/26 spending compare to their Premier League rivals?
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The 2025/26 Premier League season has entered its final sprint, and for Sunderland, it will be all about trying to finish as high up in the table as possible.
The Black Cats’ memorable 2-1 comeback win away at Tyne-Wear rivals Newcastle United just before the international break left them 11th in the table, a point above the Magpies, and just three points adrift of seventh-place Brentford.
Regis Le Bris’ men still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, while relegation worries were banished long ago, underlining just how strong of a return to the top-flight it’s been. This strong form has undoubtedly been fuelled by heavy spending over the last two transfer windows, with Sunderland signing the likes of Habib Diarra, Brian Brobbey and Chemsdine Talbi for big fees - to name but a few.
But where does that transfer activity leave them compared to the rest of the Premier League when it comes to net spend?
Sunderland net spend compared to Premier League rivals
Incredibly, only five clubs have a higher net spend than Sunderland over the course of this Premier League season: Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, Tottenham and Man Utd.
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Tottenham’s level of spending is particularly shocking given they sit 17th and just a point above the relegation zone, 13 points adrift of Sunderland - who they travel to next Sunday. There are no surprises among the rest of the top five, however, given that they occupy the top three spots in the Premier League, with Liverpool also fifth.
Chelsea are the biggest surprise at the other end of the spending table, with their €4.90m net spend the lowest negative amount in the Premier League. The big-money sales of Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Lesley Ugochukwu (among others) undoubtedly had an influence here.
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Brentford, Brighton, Wolves and Bournemouth are the only sides to have made a profit this season, each selling multiple key players across the course of the last two windows. Sunderland’s net spend could have been even higher, were it not for their sales of Jobe Bellingham and Tom Watson for a combined €42.5m, according to Transfermarkt.