Spending money on players doesn’t necessarily guarantee success but it is not a surprise that some of the highest spending clubs in the Premier League era are also among the most successful.

Squad building through expensive purchases has been part and parcel of the English game for the last 30 years due to the revenue from TV rights, sponsorship and season tickets.

Of course, inflation means those teams who have spent the most in the last decade will be nearer the top so it must be pointed out that there were other clubs who were spending big back in the early days of the Premier League, even if the numbers seem small by today’s standards.

Press the next page as we go through the five biggest spending clubs in Premier League history.