Liverpool transfers: How the Reds financed their record transfer window

Liverpool spent a record £446m in the summer transfer window, including a UK record £125m deal on deadline day for Alexander Isak; the Reds' epic spend is explained, plus how they managed to bypass the PSR restrictions that have hampered other clubs.

Pictured: Liverpool have broken the British transfer record by signing Alexander Isak.

In a summer when Premier League clubs spent unprecedented amounts, it was Liverpool who led the way with UK record signings.

In total, Liverpool spent £446m – the most ever spent by a Premier League club in a single transfer window, eclipsing the £434.5m spent by Chelsea in the summer of 2023.

Back at the top of the Premier League, the champions have made three of the summer's biggest signings – Alexander Isak for a club-record £125m, Florian Wirtz for £116.5m and Hugo Ekitikey for £79m.

In fact, the remarkable sum spent on Isak exceeded the sum spent by 10 Premier League clubs in the entire transfer period.

But how did the champions finance such huge transfer costs in the PSR era?

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What were the income and expenditure figures in Liverpool?

Wirtz's June package was itself colossal. £100m spent on Bayer Leverkusen, with the potential to raise another £16m, which would eclipse the highest fee paid by an English club previously, when Chelsea bought Moises Caicedo for £115m in 2023.

But all that was shattered on the final day of the transfer window when a staggering £125million deal was agreed for Isak from Newcastle.

The day could have been even more momentous if Marc Guehi's £35million move from Crystal Palace had not fallen through in a bang.

But add in the £40m for Milos Kerkez, £29.5m for Jeremie Frimpong and the £29m already spent on Giorgi Mamardashvili and it has been a summer of relentless spending for the Reds.

How Liverpool pulled off PSR and spent so much

Competitors will likely look on with envy, especially those whose spending has been limited by the Profit and Sustainability Rules.

The answer to the question of how Liverpool managed to spend such huge sums and stay within the rules is complex and detailed, but it can be simplified.

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Vinnie O'Conner has revealed Marc Guehi's move to Liverpool has fallen through and could have been thwarted by West Ham snatching Igor Julio's replacement from Crystal Palace.

The PSR limits clubs' spending relative to their income. And Liverpool have a lot of income.

The club's turnover was £614m, according to the latest figures. By comparison, Newcastle's turnover was £320m.

Major sponsorship deals have been struck, such as a new partnership with adidas, which is reported to be worth up to £60m a year to the team over the next decade. Anfield has been expanded to boost matchday and hospitality revenues, and there has been a flood of prize money in recent years for achievements in the Premier League, Champions League and cups.

Liverpool have also managed their transfer spending in recent periods.

Even taking into account this massive spending in 2025, Liverpool are only the seventh-highest net spender in the Premier League since 2016/17. That means that when sales are taken into account, Liverpool have spent less than Tottenham and West Ham.

Consider also how starkly this summer contrasts with last year, when £12.5m signing Federico Chiesa became the only player to go straight into Arne Sloth's first team.

The hierarchy have also excelled in the most difficult area of all – generating significant revenue from player sales.

This summer, Luis Diaz was sold for £65m and Darwin Nunez for £56.6m. Those are just the headline figures, but other players who made significant profits included Jarrell Quansah (£35m), Ben Gannon Doak (£25m), Caoimhin Kelleher (£18m) and Tyler Morton (£15m).

Arsenal (£257m) have spent more this summer than Liverpool (£218.4m).

Liverpool have spent more than any other club in the history of the transfer window. But when you take out the money they made from sales, their net spend is the fourth-highest of any Premier League club since 2016.

A chance to dominate for years to come?

The ability to spend big is one thing, but what has made Liverpool spend now when they are in a relatively strong position?

“I have two suspicions,” former managing director Christian Purslow told Sky Sports News.

“They are looking at a competitive position for the first time in many years and they see a real opportunity to truly dominate British and European football in a way that perhaps hasn't been the case in the last few years.”

“The second element is the financial rules. They are simply made for a club like Liverpool.”

“They have the biggest sponsorship income in football – famous brands appear on the pitch every week, the commercial turnover is huge.

“They have redeveloped Anfield very successfully, it is full every week, so their income is high and the rules favour such clubs.

“I think they feel the financial rules could change. It's the first time we've heard fans questioning the rules and it's stopping big clubs like Newcastle and Aston Villa from spending money.”

“I feel like Liverpool are making hay while the sun shines, building up the potential of talented players to get them into a position where they are virtually invulnerable.

“It's brilliant strategic management, horrific from a footballing point of view because adding Isak to the team makes them clear favourites and other clubs should be wary and respectful of the way they run their club.”

Liverpool's financial management allowed them to go all out in the transfer market, but now the window is closed and it is time for the players they have acquired to prove themselves on the pitch.

Sourse: skysports.com

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