Chelsea recorded the highest net-profit of any club in world football in the last two transfer windows, according to newly published data.
Serving a transfer ban last summer after being deemed to have breached FIFA regulations on the recruitment of young players, Chelsea spent just €45m (around £38m) to turn Mateo Kovacic's loan from Real Madrid into a permanent deal.
The west Londoners made a further €205m (£173.7m) in player sales, stemming largely from the €100m plus add-ons sale of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.
By contrast, Real Madrid posted €181m in negative balance on transfers, according to research by the CIES Football Observatory.
Aston Villa were also low down on the list, second only to Real, spending €172m on players following their promotion from the Championship and earning just €3m in return for an €169m balance.
Overall Premier League clubs fared poorly, having the largest net deficit of any of Europe's top five leagues and accounting for a combined €844m (£715m) more in outgoings than money they earned.
Chelsea, who posted losses of £96.7m in the latest financial results , are the only Premier League side to feature in the top 10 of clubs in terms of net earners.
Benfica, who earned €113m from the sale of Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid in summer 2019 window, came second with a €166m net profit, with Ajax in third with €137m - aided by the departures of Matthias De Ligt to Juventus and Frenkie De Jong to Barcelona.
Manchester United, meanwhile, placed fourth and Tottenham fifth, with spends of €151m and €141m more than they earned respectively. Arsenal came 11th spending €85m more than they earned in player sales.
Totbklpry
542
now buy Sancho , Werner, Ziyech
GianluigiJr
529
170 millions is enough for Chelsea. if they want to win trophies they must make good use of it to he a striker and other necessary transfers
abolarinwasamuel17
425
because they signed FOO-KIN-NO-WAN
King_Keynan
379
Let we sell some players and use that money to get Onana, Koulibaly, Chilwell, Sancho and Lautaro Martinez
ashmil_shaz10
147
Kepa was the expensive gk So we can't lose him, give him some time Pedro and Willian set to depart at free cost, So bring Sancho and boga(120+15) to replace them Batshuayi and giroud can go, put werner in competition with Abraham (70) Barkley is useless, sell him and bring Gilmour and gallahager to the first team Sell Emerson and Alonso and buy chilwill and robinson(70+20) Total outgoing =7 players with a amount of 80 millions Total incoming=5 players with a amount of 295 millions
pabloyungsam
111
let's channel the financial profit to winning trophies cos at the end we fans just want to see our team play good football and win medals