Premier League 2025-26 squad values as newly promoted sides' daunting task laid bare

The Premier League's big six now boast just over £5billion worth of talent between them as the gap between the leagues continues to grow. New data from transfermarkt has revealed that the division’s big hitters boast eye-watering squads heading into the new season following a summer of heavy spending so far.

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City lead the way with their squad being valued at around the €1.35bn (£1.15bn) mark. Chelsea are not too far behind with a squad valuation of €1.21bn (£1.03bn).

Liverpool and Arsenal are marginally behind that, with their squad values over the €1bn threshold too, sitting at €1.09bn (£929m) and €1.01bn (£861m) respectively. Despite years of heavy spending, Manchester United are just fifth in the list with a valuation of around €818m (£697m) across their squad.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the list, the three newly-promoted squads somewhat unsurprisingly prop up the table. Championship winners Leeds have a €211m (£180m) squad valuation as they prepare to return to the Premier League following a two-year absence.

Burnley are marginally behind at €187m (£159m), while Sunderland are way behind €137m (£116m), which is of little surprise given the Black Cats’ recent venture into League One. And that will likely make their task of survival next season even more difficult given Man City effectively have a squad worth ten times more than theirs.

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And that would be a worry for Gary Neville having previously warned about the growing gap between the Premier League and Championship. He said: "There's no doubt it's becoming more fixed, the Premier League. That's a fact, if you think about it. Not necessarily the three same teams going up and down, but it's becoming more and more difficult. The same five or six teams going up and down.

"There are some clubs who have done it successfully, but you always get the feeling that there are certain clubs at the start of the season who have got a chance of going down and some have no chance of going down.

"I think that's becoming more fixed as a position, and the competitive nature of the entire league is something definitely to be concerned about. The relegation and promotion is something that over in this country we cherish, that anybody can come up from step five, seven, eight.

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"It's becoming more of an exception and the disparity between the finances of the Premier League and Championship are there for all to see. The parachute payments put real pressure on clubs in the Championship to have to try and compete and I think that there is something needed.

"But I don't think that conversation is for today, I think that's for the authorities, there's a regulator coming in. There are negotiations ongoing between the Premier League and the EFL, hopefully they do become concluded at some point in the future."

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