Highest Spending Football Managers Ever in Premier League (Ranked)

Modern football has seen an overflow of money and a lot of it has come from the Premier League. The English top flight generates a lot of global revenue and the teams benefit from that. While the ‘Big 6’ expectedly spend big money in the transfer market but other clubs have also spent a good amount in recent years, as compared to the other leagues.

There have been many managers who have benefited greatly from their clubs’ spending power over the years. Of course, one cannot just spend loads of money and achieve great things, but it helps significantly, as we’ve seen over the years. Managers like Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, and Arsene Wenger have consistently broken transfer records while managing Premier League clubs, demonstrating the financial backing required to compete at the highest level.

With the increase in transfer fees in modern football, some Premier League managers have spent more than others and have had varied degrees of success. So, let’s take a look at some of the highest spending football managers in the Premier League.

Top 10 Highest Spending Managers in Premier League

The following table presents the managers who have spent the most money on transfers during their Premier League tenures, based on their total career spending across all clubs they have managed.

Rank	Manager	Clubs	Expenditure
10	Manuel Pellegrini	Manchester City	£534 million
9	Alex Ferguson	Manchester United	£578 million
8	Mikel Arteta	Arsenal	£597 million
7	Brendan Rodgers	Liverpool/Leicester	£600 million
6	Eddie Howe	Newcastle United	£621 million
5	Arsene Wenger	Arsenal	£773 million
4	Jürgen Klopp	Liverpool	£810 million
3	Mauricio Pochettino	Tottenham/Chelsea	£820 million
2	José Mourinho	Chelsea/Man United	£1.16 billion
1	Pep Guardiola	Manchester City	£1.28 billion

Who are the Highest Spending Managers in the History of Premier League?

The Premier League era has witnessed extraordinary transfer spending, with several managers spending records that exceed £1 billion across their careers.

10. Manuel Pellegrini – £526.5 million

Manuel Pellegrini managed many clubs across Europe in his career, including Manchester City and West Ham United in the Premier League. He spent £526.5 million on players in total at both clubs, winning the league title with the Cityzens in the 2013-14 season, and is one of the highest spending managers of all time. Pellegrini’s purchase of Kevin De Bruyne from Vfl Wolfsburg for £55 million in 2015 was his most expensive signing. The Belgian was a stellar signing as he went on to become a Manchester City legend, winning numerous trophies. Pellegrini, meanwhile, currently manages Real Betis.

9. Sir Alex Ferguson – £578 million

Sir Alex Ferguson is widely regarded as the Premier League’s best manager, winning 13 titles and overall, 20 English top-flight titles. He spent 26 years at Manchester United, helping them become a dominant force in England and in Europe for years. He spent £578 million during his tenure before retiring in 2013. Of course, the transfer fees were exponentially less during Sir Alex Ferguson’s times as compared to now. He also signed many young players or promoted players from the academy. His most expensive signing was Dimitar Berbatov, who arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in 2018 for £31 million.

8. Mikel Arteta – £597 million

Mikel Arteta‘s £597 million investment in 23 players represents one of the most focused spending approaches in recent Premier League history, making him one of the highest spending managers. His biggest signings include Declan Rice for £105 million, Kai Havertz for £65 million, and Ben White for £50 million. The Spain-born manager’s transfer strategy emphasizes acquiring young, technically gifted players who can develop within his tactical system while providing immediate quality and leadership,.

7. Brendan Rodgers – £600 million

The current Celtic manager managed Liverpool, Swansea City, and Leicester City in the past and spent £600 million on transfer fees at the three clubs. He won the FA Cup with Leicester and came close to winning the league title with Liverpool. Rodgers’ most expensive signing was Christian Benteke, who arrived at Liverpool from Aston Villa for £32.5 million in 2015. He is seventh on our list of the highest spending football managers in the English Premier League.

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6. Eddie Howe – £621 million

Current Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has also managed Bournemouth in the past and had a total spending of £621 million. To be fair, most of his spending has come at Newcastle United following their Saudi Arabian takeover in October 2021. The Magpies have spent loads on players, with Aleksandar Isak’s signing from Real Sociedad in August 2022 being their club record at £63 million. Isak and other signings have definitely helped Newcastle as they qualified for the Champions League for the 2023-24 season. Howe is one of the highest spending football managers in the Premier League history and currently ranks sixth on our list.

5. Arsene Wenger – £773 million

Arsene Wenger created a big legacy at Arsenal during his 22-year stay at the club. He won numerous trophies with them, including the famous ‘Invincibles’ Premier League title in the 2003-04 season. Wenger, like Sir Alex Ferguson, was from an era where transfer fees weren’t that high but his longevity means the number of players amount to a big total of £773 million. The £60 million he spent on signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund in 2018 was his highest transfer spend on a player.

4. Jurgen Klopp – £810 million

The German, who recently left Liverpool in the summer of 2024, spent £810 million at the Merseyside. He helped them win almost every trophy available at least once during his nine-year stint. Jurgen Klopp’s most expensive signing was Darwin Nunez, who joined Liverpool from Benfica for £84 million in the summer of 2022. He hasn’t had the best of times at the Merseyside so far but will look to impress under new manager Arne Slot. Klopp is one of the highest spending managers in football history.

3. Mauricio Pochettino – £820 million

Mauricio Pochettino‘s £820 million spending across 40 players reflects his strategic approach to building young, dynamic teams capable of competing at the highest level. His most notable signings include Moises Caicedo for £100 million, Enzo Fernandez for £107 million, and Nicolas Jackson for £32 million during his Chelsea tenure. Third on our list of the highest spending football managers in the Premier League is Mauricio Pochettino.

2. Jose Mourinho – £1.16 billion

Jose Mourinho managed three clubs in the Premier League – Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. He had immense success with the Blues, winning the title three times. He built an incredible team at Chelsea and also had some decent spells at United and Spurs, spending overall £1.16 billion on new signings. While at Manchester United, he signed Paul Pogba from Juventus in 2016 for £89.3 million, which remains the club’s most expensive signing.

1. Pep Guardiola – £1.28 billion

We’ve reached the billion mark now and who else but Pep Guardiola to be in this category? The Spaniard has had immense success at every club he’s managed and it’s no different at Manchester City. He’s won six Premier League titles, including a record four consecutive ones between 2020 and 2024. He’s spent over £1.28 billion on new players. His most expensive transfer so far is Jack Grealish, who joined City from boyhood club Aston Villa for over £100 million in 2021.

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