Was Arsenal’s success built or bought?

The 2025/26 Premier League season ended with Arsenal winning their first title in 22 years. While Arsenal have typically been among the league’s highest spenders in recent years, they have not been the highest overall since 2021/22.

That title belongs to Manchester United. Over the last 5 years, Manchester United have the highest net spending on players out of all premier league clubs but have failed to win the title since 2012-13. Manchester United finished 3rd place this year, bouncing back from a 15th place finish in the 2024/25 season.

When Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea in 2003, they were by far the highest spenders over the next few years and those investments quickly led to success, with Chelsea winning two titles in 2004/05 and 2005/06. In the last five years, Chelsea again have been among the highest spenders - particularly in 2022/23 under Frank Lampard, where they brought in 14 players spending over €630 million. That year, Chelsea finished in 12th position, it’s lowest since the 1993/94 season. Nowadays, this type of investment is being met by other clubs willing to match big numbers.

Under the UEFA Financial Fair Play rules, clubs are made to balance their spending against revenue, preventing clubs from spending significantly above their income. These rules were brought in from the 2013/14 season. While this might advantage the larger well-established clubs with higher revenues (i.e. those with bigger stadiums, lucrative sponsorship deals and international fan bases), it hasn't always translated to success, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all recording finishes in the bottom half of the table in the last 5 years.

The 2026 World Cup, hosted across the USA, Canada and Mexico, is underway. As one of the largest and most prestigious football tournaments, the World Cup has provided a platform for big transfers, but will the big deals this summer lead to success?