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Money plays a crucial role in football, and top clubs regularly spend large sums each summer to enhance their squads with quality players.
Arsenal, one of the world’s biggest teams, has seen increased investment in its playing staff since Mikel Arteta took charge. The club even broke its transfer record just a year ago, and they are expected to spend heavily on a striker next summer.
Chelsea and Manchester City have also been consistently spending large amounts in recent years, aiming to compete with Arsenal and Manchester United by closing the historical gap between them.
With some clubs now surpassing £1 billion in squad spending, Chelsea tops the list. According to a report from CIES Football Observatory, Chelsea has the most expensively assembled squad, valued at £1.06 billion.
Manchester United ranks second, with their squad costing £874 million, while Manchester City follows closely in third, having spent £856 million. Arsenal completes the top four, with a squad assembled at a cost of £672 million.
Just Arsenal Opinion
In the next few years, we will have a squad whose transfer fees could be worth up to £1bn.
More must-reads:
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- Tottenham Hotspur star's LAFC transfer raises eyebrows for the right reasons
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Point proven: Journalist insists one Liverpool ace 'shouldn’t be written off' after Bilbao showing
Browns reporter says rookie is 'not an NFL QB'
As of the first Monday of August, there was no indication that 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel or 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders had any real chance to emerge as the Cleveland Browns' Week 1 starting quarterback. During a Monday morning appearance on Cleveland sports radio station 92.3 The Fan, Browns reporter Daryl Ruiter offered quite a worrisome update regarding how Gabriel has looked during training camp practices. "He's not good," Ruiter said about Gabriel. "He's not an NFL quarterback. Not right now, and the fact that they keep running him out there for first-team reps ... they're cramming this guy down our throats, and it's not good." Numerous NFL analysts viewed Gabriel as a third-day selection before the Browns made him the 94th overall pick of this year's draft. The perception up until Sanders was held out of Saturday's practice due to arm soreness was that he has been the team's fourth-choice option at the position behind Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. All signs are reportedly pointing to Flacco getting the start for Cleveland's Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. Gabriel is listed at 5-foot-11, but some who cover the team have expressed doubts about that measurement. It seems that a lack of desirable size for playing the position in the pros isn't all that's gone against Gabriel this summer. "It's not a height thing," Ruiter continued. "It's not personal. He's rolling out and can't hit guys who are wide open. He's not all that great, at times, in the warmup periods. ... He's just not a good quarterback." Ruiter said that he feels Gabriel "has no business being in contention to start a football game" for the Browns this season. "It's god awful when he's on the field," Ruiter added. Browns general manager Andrew Berry revealed in late July that he could stash all four active quarterbacks on the roster for at least Week 1. For an article published on Sunday night, Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand wrote that there's "zero chance" either Gabriel or Sanders will be cut this summer. Perhaps Gabriel will look better when he sees some action in Cleveland's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. That said, it sounds like fans should keep their expectations low for Gabriel's unofficial debut this coming Friday.
Spurs risk roster issues with De'Aaron Fox extension
When the San Antonio Spurs traded for De'Aaron Fox midway through last season, their guard rotation appeared to be wide open. Stephon Castle was the only other long-term ball-handling prospect on the roster and, despite a strong year, was still a rookie. However, the NBA Draft has seen the addition of Dylan Harper, another young guard with All-Star potential, and the ability to one day lead the Spurs franchise next to Victor Wembanyama. Harper's addition and Castle's emergence as the 2025 Rookie of the Year raised questions about Fox's fit and long-term future in Texas. The problem was that Fox was eligible for an extension this summer. On Monday the Spurs inked Fox to a four-year $229M deal, with no player option for the final year. The new contract, which will see Fox earn approximately $57.25M per year, will kick in next summer. Suddenly, San Antonio has a young guard rotation of Harper, Castle and Fox, all of whom struggle to score on the perimeter, and have shown issues when letting shots fly off the dribble. "The Spurs already had two point guards who struggled from distance in Stephon Castle, whom they spent the No. 4 overall pick on in 2024, and De'Aaron Fox, whom they acquired in a deal with the Sacramento Kings ahead of the February trade deadline," Bryan Toporek wrote for Forbes on Saturday. "Castle shot 28.5% from deep on 4.1 attempts per game as a rookie, while Fox is a career 33.0% three-point shooter who has shot 32.5% or worse from downtown in five of his seven NBA seasons." Fox's new salary will ensure teams will think twice about trading for him. He is, after all, a high-level talent, but not one capable of spearheading a roster. In truth, San Antonio may have repeated the Chicago Bulls' error from when they paid Zach LaVine $215M over five years back in 2022. We saw how difficult it was for Chicago to move on from LaVine. Fox is a tertiary star on a contending roster. And now, he's being paid like one of the top talents in the NBA. The Spurs would have been wiser to cut their losses with Fox and build around Castle and Harper as their guard rotation. Still, the decision has been made, and Fox is now cemented as the lead guard for the next half a decade (once you include the upcoming season), giving Castle and Harper room to grow as two guards who can complement Fox's play style and add some grit or explosiveness to the rotation. San Antonio is a franchise that rarely puts a foot wrong. However, the decision to pay Fox may come back to haunt it as a costly misstep. In the modern NBA, you can't have three non-shooting guards in the same rotation. Yet, somehow, head coach Mitch Johnson must figure out how to make it work. Not the greatest task for a young coach heading into his first full season with the franchise.
NBA Notes: Raptors, Immanuel Quickley, Jordan Clarkson, Knicks, Sixers, Tyrese Maxey
A five-year deal completed nearly a year ago is still shaping the way NBA teams and agents are approaching restricted free agency. According to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks, the contract that Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley signed last July has become a major sticking point. The deal, which includes $162.5 million in guaranteed money and another $12.5 million in incentives, averages $32.5 million per season and could reach $35 million annually. “The Immanuel Quickley contract has totally screwed up restricted free agency,” Marks said during an appearance on ESPN’s YouTube channel. “Because that’s where agents are looking at like the benchmark. Certainly, [Bulls guard] Josh Giddey’s like, ‘I want that contract.’ That number has screwed up a lot of things.” Marks said agents are citing Quickley’s deal in negotiations for other young guards with similar production and upside, but teams haven’t been willing to match the price tag. “I don’t think Toronto got enough heat for that number,” he added. “Because Immanuel Quickley is not a $32, $33 million guy.” Clarkson Still a Wild Card for Knicks The Knicks are hoping Jordan Clarkson provides a spark off the bench, but there is uncertainty about what exactly he brings at this stage of his career. As one Western Conference scout told The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, Clarkson hasn’t played meaningful basketball in quite a while and remains a bit of a mystery heading into the 2025–26 season. Still, one Knicks source believes the veteran scorer is “exactly what we needed,” and sees him as a strong fit off the bench. A veteran coach who spoke with Bondy sees upside but also concerns. “High-level shooter. Good going right,” the coach said. “Wild-card-type player. Throw him out there and see if he can get hot. But there’s not much else from a production standpoint. And it’s ugly on defense.” Maxey Gives Back in Philly Tyrese Maxey continues to make an impact beyond the court. The 76ers guard hosted a free youth basketball camp over the weekend and donated $60,000 through his foundation, per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. Maxey’s community efforts have become a regular part of his offseason work in the Philadelphia area. More NBA News Rumors
Washington Commanders release first unofficial depth chart ahead of preseason Week 1 game vs. New England Patriots and it answers some questions
The Washington Commanders are traveling up to New England for their first preseason game on Friday vs the Patriots, which means we get our first look at the unofficial depth chart. I want to put an emphasis on the word unofficial because this doesn't mean this is how the team will look, or how certain guys rank, but it's still a foundation to build off of. Quarterbacks The only real notable storyline to watch in the QB room is who wins the battle for QB3. Hartman has had a solid camp, but Johnson brings a veteran presence to the room. Whoever can fill in without hiccups will be the one who wins the last spot. Hartman and Johnson will get a lot of preseason reps. Wide Receiver No real surprise when you think about how HC Dan Quinn approaches the depth chart, and he makes every rookie earn their spot. Jaylin Lane will quickly shoot up the depth chart, but this is also a good sign for Luke McCaffrey. WR is another deep position with plenty of preseason snaps available. Running Back Have no fear, Croskey-Merritt truthers, he will get his chance to show what separates him from the other running backs. His listing as the fifth string actually allows us to see more snaps for the seventh-round rookie gem. Offensive Line Of course, everyone will look at the RT spot. That's exactly what I expected to see with Wylie OR Conerly Jr. being listed as the starters. I predict we could see Wylie start the season at RT with split time with Conerly Jr., similar to what they did last year with Cornelius Lucas and Brandon Coleman. I also think the depth can move around to different positions easily. Tight End No surprises here for the tight end group. I'm obviously most excited to see Ben Sinnott in his second season in the league and hopefully get a decent amount of playing time in preseason again. Defensive Line The defensive line has a lot of bodies and better quality to stop the run this season. Preseason players to watch, in my opinion, include Jean-Baptiste, Barber, and Goldman. The depth will be a close race when the season approaches. Linebackers The biggest thing that stands out for the linebacker room has to be rookie Kain Medrano, listed as a linebacker after being labeled as a tweener between linebacker and safety. This could indicate where they feel he is best right now. I'll be keeping count on Medrano's snaps in preseason. Cornerbacks You're reading that right, Quinn put a rookie as the starter already, and it's not a surprise when Trey Amos has had a flawless training camp. The depth with Igbinoghene and Jones gives the Commanders a major boost that's been missing for years. Vigers is a sleeper who can impress in the preseason. Safeties The safety room looks as expected, and Owens is listed at safety after getting some reps at linebacker. Owens is the one player who has a lot to earn in the preseason to fight for a final roster spot. Special Teams I do not doubt that Jaylin Lane will be the starting punt returner this season. I am surprised that Deebo Samuel isn't listed anywhere as a kick returner since he got a lot of starting reps there with Ekeler. Remember, this is the first unofficial depth chart for the first preseason game against the Patriots, and there will be a lot of movement as the season gets closer. This is a great foundation to build off of, though, and see how things develop after each game. Rookies like Kain Medrano and Jacory Croskey-Merrit can make a lot of noise in the preseason and shake things up.
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