By Dorcas Francis Koji
Manchester City have rewritten the history of football transfer spending after becoming the first club to spend more than €500m in a single transfer window.
According to Transfermarkt, City’s expenditure during the 2026/27 summer transfer window reached €526.2m following a remarkable deadline-day spending spree that saw them surpass Liverpool’s previous record of €483m.
The Premier League champions moved beyond the €500m barrier after completing the high-profile signings of Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for €70m and Enzo Fernández from Chelsea for €145m, with the latter fee matching the British transfer record.
City’s extraordinary recruitment drive also included the €135m acquisition of Elliot Anderson and the €95m signing of Ayyoub Bouaddi, among several other arrivals.
Their total spending of €526.2m comfortably surpassed Liverpool’s €483m outlay from the 2025/26 summer window, when the Reds signed Florian Wirtz for €125m before completing the €145m deal for Alexander Isak.
Chelsea’s €418m spending in the 2023/24 window had previously ranked among the biggest single-window expenditures in football history, while Real Madrid’s €331m outlay in 2019/20 also remains among the highest.
Despite their staggering spending, City’s transfer business was not entirely one-way. Transfermarkt reported that the club generated €337m from player sales, leaving their net expenditure at approximately €189m.
The record-breaking window also highlighted the extraordinary level of spending across European football this summer.
Chelsea spent €407m in the 2026/27 window to rank fourth on the all-time list, while Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United also joined the top 10 after spending €366m and €301m respectively.
Liverpool remain second on the all-time list with their €483m expenditure from last summer, followed by Chelsea’s €418m campaign in 2023/24.
Top 10 Biggest Single-Window Spenders
- Manchester City — €526m (2026/27)
- Liverpool — €483m (2025/26)
- Chelsea — €418m (2023/24)
- Chelsea — €407m (2026/27)
- Tottenham Hotspur — €366m (2026/27)
- Al-Hilal — €353m (2023/24)
- Paris Saint-Germain — €350m (2023/24)
- Real Madrid — €331m (2019/20)
- Chelsea — €330m (2022/23)
- Newcastle United — €301m (2026/27)
Manchester City’s latest transfer spree has therefore established a new benchmark for single-window spending, underlining the club’s determination to strengthen their squad and maintain their position among Europe’s elite.
With €526.2m committed to new arrivals in one summer, City have not only broken Liverpool’s record but also set a new financial milestone that could prove difficult for another club to surpass.
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