Manchester United’s decline over the last 12 years has been characterised by mismanagement and vast overspending in the transfer market.
The fallen giants have been consistently big spenders as they seek to rediscover the glory years, but reckless and often disorganised transfer policy has seen them plummet further into crisis. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, it appears the only exit route is via more signings.
United endured unbridled misery last season as they slumped to 15th in the Premier League table and missed out on European qualification altogether—two concerning financial factors that must be considered this summer. They have set about remedying their issues in the market, with Ruben Amorim given significant backing by the new sporting hierarchy.
But after co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe gravely warned the cash could run out by the end of 2025, stripping back spending at every level, and making a third of non-football staff redundant, spending so heavily on transfers again, without securing players sales, was unexpected.
How Much Man Utd Have Spent So Far This Summer
United’s spending has almost exclusively seen them bolster their forward line and that business started with their £62.5 million ($84.9 million) acquisition of Matheus Cunha. The Red Devils were forced to pay Wolverhampton Wanderers the full amount of the release clause in the Brazilian’s contract after he had signed an extension with the Old Gold in February.
Negotiations were far tougher with Brentford over a deal for Bryan Mbeumo, with protracted discussions eventually seeing the two sides settle on a £65 million ($88.2 million) base fee and £6 million ($8.1 million) worth of add-ons. There were immediate suggestions that United had overspent on the Cameroon international after intense talks with the Bees.
Benjamin Šeško is United’s latest big-money signing after a comparatively quick deal was finalised last week. The Red Devils have handed RB Leipzig £66.3 million ($90 million) and could part ways with a further £7.7 million ($10.5 million) in add-ons—a sizeable sum similar to that spent on Ramus Højlund as recently as 2023, who they are now trying to sell.
Diego León is one for the future and has been added to Amorim’s squad for a minimal fee. He’s cost United £3.3 million ($4.5 million) upfront, with an extra £3.7 million ($5 million) in potential bonuses.
Without add-ons, United’s summer spending sits at an eye-watering £196.5 million, with that figure rising to £214.5 million if the extra incentives are triggered. Considering they are yet to recoup any funds through permanent player sales, that’s an enormous sum.
Man Utd’s 2025 Incomings
How Much the Rest of the Premier League Has Spent
Liverpool have been surprisingly high rollers this summer as they seek to dominate English football under Arne Slot, with £253.4 million ($343.9 million) splurged on guaranteed outlays. That includes a potential British record fee for attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, and huge chunks spent on Hugo Ekitiké, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.
Chelsea are not far behind the Reds, having been typically extravagant in the market. £241.3 million ($327.5 million) has left the club accounts to pay for summer additions, although the Blues have been on a successful mission to recoup most of that back through players sales in recent weeks.
United are in third having splashed £196.5 million ($266.7 million) but they are the Premier League’s biggest net spenders having struggled to sell talent. The net spend is, well, £196.5 million, as opposed to Liverpool’s £84 million ($114 million) and Chelsea’s £41.2 million ($55.9 million).
Arsenal and Manchester City are both aiming to usurp defending Premier League champions Liverpool and are nearing United’s total spend. The Gunners have invested £193.5 million ($262.6 million) and City £152.6 million ($207.1 million) on fresh faces, with neither yet to accumulate much in player sales.
Premier League’s Biggest Spenders—Summer 2025
*Data correct as of August 14, 2025
Are Man Utd in Danger of Breaking PSR Rules?
The Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) stipulate that clubs are only allowed to record a loss of £105 million ($142.6 million) over a three-year period. According to Manchester Evening News, United are “not unduly concerned about breaching PSR rules for the current period”, which dates back to the 2023–24 season.
However, due to high wages and sizeable amortisation costs, it’s crucial that United offset this summer’s spending through player sales. At present, they have only sent Marcus Rashford on loan to Barcelona, and while that will save the club £10 million (13.6 million) in wages alone, more needs to be done before the September 1 deadline.
Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho are the most obvious sources of money before the window slams shut, with the latter potentially fetching United around £40 million ($54.3 million) in pure profit, as home-grown. Tyrell Malacia and Højlund are others who could provide useful funds.
How Much More Can Man Utd Spend This Summer?
The amount United are able to spend in the remaining weeks of the transfer window appears entirely dependent on sales and removing big names from the wage bill. They know they must comply with PSR rules and need to bring money into the club before further reinforcing their squad.
Therefore, the exact amount United are able to spend before the window shuts is uncertain, but any significant deals will need to be facilitated by departures. Amorim will be keen for peripheral players to make much-needed exits and potentially free up money for incomers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Man Utd Can Afford £200 Million Summer Spend.
