This week, the Football Observatory (CIES) focused on a transfer window subject. Which clubs have been the smartest in the transfer market since 2021? For this study, the CIES specifies that this is an established classification “in terms of financial statements of players recruited as professionals (i.e. excluding signings from training centers) and already permanently transferred to other teams. » Furthermore, this classification does not include “that clubs whose total expenditure and income linked to transfers since 2021 exceeds 10 million euros”.
And the smartest club in the transfer window is Eintracht Frankfurt. At a time when Portuguese teams have often been praised for their ability to resell items bought at low prices at a high price, Frankfurt is doing better than everyone. Since 2021, the Germans have spent €78 million, but sold for €364 million! That’s a positive balance of €286 million. Unsurprisingly, Eintracht can say thank you to Randal Kolo Muani (€95 million), Hugo Ekitike (€95 million), Omar Marmoush (€75 million) or even Willian Pacho (€40 million), all very well sold. Note that the €63 million collected thanks to the sale of Luka Jovic to Real Madrid are not counted since the operation dates from the 2019/2020 season. Ditto for Sébastien Haller, sold to West Ham for €50 million.
Germany is a hit
In second place, we find the English from Brighton. The Seagulls certainly bought for €171 million, but they received €392 million in return (+€221 million). And thank you Chelsea! The three biggest sales in the history of Roberto De Zerbi’s former club were made with the Blues between 2022 and 2025: Moises Caicedo (€116 million), Marc Cucurella (€65 million) and João Pedro (€64 million). All without forgetting the departure of Argentinian Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool which brought in €41 million. Finally, Germany places a second club on the podium. Thanks in particular to the sale of Nick Woltemade to Newcastle last summer for €85 million, Stuttgart posted a positive balance of +€178 million (€226 million in sales, €48 million in purchases).
As for French clubs, we don’t have to go very far in the rankings since we find RC Lens in sixth place. The Sang et Or spent €122 million, but managed to sell for €256 million (+€134 million). LOSC is in 10th place (+€112 million). Then, you have to go up to 36th place to have Paris Saint-Germain (+ €56 million). For the rest, other less expected French teams have replaced several big players such as Monaco and Olympique Lyonnnais. These are Troyes (46th, +€49 million), Angers (57th, +€39 million), Reims (58th, +€39 million), Toulouse (67th, +€35 million) and Strasbourg (75th, +€31 million).
The top 10
- Eintracht Frankfurt: +€286 million
- Brighton: +€221 million
- Stuttgart: €178 million
- Atalanta: +€150m
- Benfica: +€147 million
- Lens: +€134 million
- Udinese: +€128 million
- Union Saint-Gilloise: +€113
- Lecce: +€113 million
- Lille: +€112 million
