Higher expenses than Barça & BVB
© Imago
After the 34th matchday, the struggle for relegation in the Premier League has also been decided. Ipswich Town, Leicester City and FC Southampton have to go to the championship-less than twelve months after the trio returned to the English football house. For the second time in a row, none of the climbers managed to stay in the league and, despite high investments in the squad, they are historically weak.
A 0: 3 on the 34th matchday at Newcastle United ended the arithmetic hope for relegation at Ipswich. A week earlier, after a 0-1 against Liverpool, Leicester also had certainty about the 2025/26 league (More about the black season of the Foxes). Already after 31 games, Southampton had no chance to stay in the league – no team previously relegated from the Premier League and a negative record is still possible (To the backgrounds). Last season, the three promoted Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton Town collected 22 points on average. In the current season, the last three counted to 19 points, the weakest value in Premier League history.
“Before last season, there was only once that the three promoters have all relegated, now twice in a row. Between the income of the Premier League and the Championship, a big gap, and due to the parachute payments, the same teams often rise. Teams cannot spend astronomical sums, ”explains Benjamin Littlemore, Content Manager UK at the transfer market.
Premier League promoted: Low squad values despite high expenses
In the course of the season, Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton invested 365.8 million euros in professionals in order to be competitive. Only in the season 2022/23When FC Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham were new to the Premier League, the promoters paid more than 445.3 million euros more – all three held the class. Ipswich was in seventh with expenditure of EUR 152.6 million, Southampton took 17th place in eleven and Leicester with EUR 91.1 million. For comparison: These are higher expenses than that of the Champions League participant Borussia Dortmund (89.2 million), Bayer Leverkusen (53 million) or FC Barcelona (57.7 million).
However, the truth also includes that the three teams at the end of the table lowest squad value in the Premier League have. The team from Ipswich Town is estimated at 279.6 million euros, Southampton is EUR 273.6 million and Leicester is EUR 273.3 million. Both current and in September 2024 after the end of the summer transfer window, the gap to the next lowest-rated teams was at least 70 million euros.
In addition, the teams had further hurdles, as Littlemore explained: “Ipswich rose from League One to the Premier League in two years. They still have many players from third division times in the squad and only made it there thanks to the excellent coach Kieran McKenna. Transfer window. The next four game days are all about becoming the best of the three relegated teams.