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Premier League · squad cost rule · 2026/27

How much of its revenue every club spends on its squad

The Premier League's new rule caps squad spending at 85% of revenue. The League does not publish the clubs' ratios, so we rebuild all 20 from each club's filed accounts, its transfers and its contracts. These are our estimates, each with a range, updated as new figures arrive.

75.4%the league as a whole, under the rule
87.5%the same, before player trading
5 of 20clubs above the 85% line
1 Mar 2027the League's first test

Figures as of 2 November 2026, release V2CL. What changed in each release.

The ranking

Club pages →

Squad cost ratio under the rule, lowest first. The dashed line is 85%. Each club links to its page: its costs, revenue, filed accounts and how its estimate has moved.

  1. 1Manchester United56.9%
  2. 2Sunderland60.5%
  3. 3Arsenal60.7%
  4. 4Coventry City63.5%
  5. 5Hull City66.4%
  6. 6Leeds68.6%
  7. 7Everton72.5%
  8. 8Liverpool73.6%
  9. 9Aston Villa74.2%
  10. 10Manchester City74.4%
  11. 11Brighton79.1%
  12. 12Crystal Palace79.3%
  13. 13Tottenham80.4%
  14. 14Brentford81.6%
  15. 15Newcastle81.7%
  16. 16Bournemouth85.4%
  17. 17Chelsea91.3%
  18. 18Nottingham Forest97.5%
  19. 19Ipswich Town97.9%
  20. 20Fulham105.3%

Total, not ranked

  1. Premier League total75.4%

All 20 clubs' squad costs added up, over their revenue and averaged player-sale profit. Not a club, so not ranked; never an average of the ratios.

How the ratio works

The rule in full →

What is counted

Squad costs: the pay of players and the head coach, the yearly charge for what each signing cost (fee, the League's transfer levy and agents' fees on the deal), and agents' fees in the year. Against them, the club's football revenue as the rule defines it, plus a three-year average of its profit on player sales.

The lines

At or below 85% a club is inside the line. Above it, the club is notified and its final figures are checked; from 2027/28 a club confirmed above 85% pays a levy, and none is charged for 2026/27. The red threshold is 85% plus the club's error margin: 30 points for every club this season, so 115% in 2026/27 only.

Our estimate, not the League's

The League does not publish club ratios. Each figure is rebuilt under Appendix 2 of the Premier League Handbook 2026/27 and given with a range. Clubs in UEFA competitions must also meet UEFA's own squad cost rule, a separate measure that is not in this ranking.

The full figures

CSV · JSON

Click a heading to sort. The last two columns are percentage points of the ratio, not money: how much lower each source of revenue makes the ratio. Player sales is the three-year average profit on selling players; adding its points to the SCR gives "Before player trading". League position and Europe is the League's merit payment above what 15th place earns, UEFA's distribution and the gate from European home matches; adding its points as well gives the ratio without them. Both are real revenue that the rule counts, and both can fall away in a season.

#ClubSCRBefore player tradingRangeAgainst 85%Player sales, pointsLeague position and Europe, points
1Manchester United56.9%59.8%54.1 to 59.3%Below+2.9+15.1
2Sunderland60.5%67.2%56.3 to 64.4%Below+6.7+17.9
3Arsenal60.7%65.0%57.5 to 64.7%Below+4.3+27.7
4Coventry City63.5%65.7%58.8 to 68.1%Below+2.2+0.0
5Hull City66.4%73.6%61.3 to 71.7%Below+7.2+0.0
6Leeds68.6%72.9%62.8 to 73.7%Below+4.3+1.2
7Everton72.5%85.0%67.9 to 76.0%Below+12.5+2.6
8Liverpool73.6%80.0%69.4 to 78.3%Below+6.4+20.8
9Aston Villa74.2%96.9%68.8 to 77.0%Below+22.7+41.6
10Manchester City74.4%86.4%68.3 to 78.5%Below+12.0+21.7
11Brighton79.1%109.5%70.8 to 82.2%Below+30.3+22.7
12Crystal Palace79.3%101.7%72.7 to 81.9%Below+22.4+16.8
13Tottenham80.4%89.5%76.6 to 85.8%Spans+9.1+1.3
14Brentford81.6%106.8%75.3 to 84.7%Below+25.3+13.7
15Newcastle81.7%108.8%76.4 to 85.5%Spans+27.0+9.3
16Bournemouth85.4%105.1%78.2 to 86.8%Spans+19.6+32.2
17Chelsea91.3%115.4%82.0 to 95.8%Spans+24.2+8.1
18Nottingham Forest97.5%124.5%87.6 to 99.4%Above+27.1+4.6
19Ipswich Town97.9%109.0%91.0 to 104.1%Above+11.1+0.0
20Fulham105.3%116.2%96.8 to 109.8%Above+10.9+8.8
Total, all 2075.4%87.5%a total, not ranked: no range

Read across, Aston Villa: 74.2% under the rule; 96.9% before player trading; 138.5% without its league position and Europe as well. Each figure is rounded once by the engine, so a step can differ by 0.1 from the points in the table.

The checks behind each figure

Population: "Proved" means the club's registrations are reconciled against a fixed Premier League squad return covering senior and Under-21 players. Extensions: each recorded contract expiry is checked against the public record; a contradiction stops the club publishing at all. "2 material · max 0.34 pts" means two registrations are not yet checked and the largest could move the ratio by 0.34 points if an unrecorded extension existed. It is coverage, not an error estimate.

ClubPopulationExtensions
ArsenalProvedClean
Aston VillaProved1 material · max 0.24 pts
BournemouthProvedClean
BrentfordProved4 material · max 0.71 pts
BrightonProvedReview only
ChelseaProved3 material · max 0.14 pts
Coventry CityProvedClean
Crystal PalaceProved1 material · max 0.23 pts
EvertonProved2 material · max 0.34 pts
FulhamProvedReview only
Hull CityProvedClean
Ipswich TownProvedClean
LeedsProvedClean
LiverpoolProvedClean
Manchester CityProvedClean
Manchester UnitedProvedClean
NewcastleProvedReview only
Nottingham ForestProvedClean
SunderlandProvedClean
TottenhamProved1 material · max 0.43 pts

Questions

Are these the Premier League's figures?

No. The League does not publish club ratios. These are our estimates, rebuilt from public filings and reported figures, each with a range because some inputs are not public.

What happens to a club above 85%?

It is notified and its final figures for the season are checked. From 2027/28 a club confirmed above 85% pays a levy on its overspend; no levy is charged for 2026/27. Above the red threshold, 115% this season, the rule provides for a points deduction.

Why are there two ratios?

The rule counts a three-year average of profit on player sales as revenue. The second figure leaves it out, to show how much of a club's position rests on selling players.

Where do the figures come from?

The clubs' filed accounts at Companies House, their own announcements of transfers and contracts, and Appendix 2 of the Premier League Handbook 2026/27. The method records how each figure is built and what the model refuses to calculate.

How often do the figures change?

With each release of the engine: a fix, or new data such as a transfer or a club's new accounts. Every release is dated below. An article keeps the figures of the release it was written on; this page always shows the latest.

Is this the same as PSR?

No. The squad cost rule replaced the Profitability and Sustainability Rules in the Premier League from 2026/27. PSR measured losses over three years; the squad cost ratio measures squad spending against revenue each season. PSR 2024/25 has the last PSR period.

Dated updates

The changelog →

Every release of the engine, newest first, with the clubs whose published ratio moved.

  1. 2 November 2026Release V2CL · Fix · what changedLeeds 68.3% → 68.6%
  2. 2 November 2026Release V2CK · Fix · what changedFulham 102.7% → 105.3%; Nottingham Forest 97.4% → 97.5%
  3. 1 November 2026Release V2CJ · Fix · what changedChelsea 92.3% → 91.3%
  4. 31 October 2026Release V2CI · Fix · what changedChelsea 88.6% → 92.3%; Coventry City 64.0% → 63.5%; Everton 72.3% → 72.5%; Hull City 67.0% → 66.4%; Liverpool 72.7% → 73.6%; Sunderland 61.2% → 60.5%; Tottenham 81.0% → 80.9%
  5. 28 October 2026Release V2CH · Fix · what changedNo published ratio moved.
  6. 28 October 2026Release V2CG · Fix · what changedArsenal 60.1% → 60.7%; Bournemouth 85.5% → 85.4%; Chelsea 88.3% → 88.6%; Coventry City 64.6% → 64.0%; Crystal Palace 78.1% → 78.2%; Nottingham Forest 97.6% → 97.4%; Sunderland 60.6% → 61.2%; Tottenham 80.9% → 81.0%
Earlier releases (30, back to 30 September 2026)
  1. 26 October 2026Release V2CF · Fix · what changedBrentford 82.3% → 81.6%; Chelsea 89.1% → 88.3%; Crystal Palace 77.8% → 78.1%; Ipswich Town 97.1% → 97.9%; Manchester City 73.7% → 74.4%; Newcastle 81.3% → 81.7%
  2. 25 October 2026Release V2CE · Fix · what changedNo published ratio moved.
  3. 25 October 2026Release V2CD · Fix · what changedNo published ratio moved.
  4. 24 October 2026Release V2CC · Fix · what changedNo published ratio moved.
  5. 23 October 2026Release V2CB · Fix · what changedAston Villa 74.4% → 74.2%; Chelsea 88.6% → 89.1%; Manchester City 73.1% → 73.7%; Manchester United 56.8% → 56.9%; Sunderland 60.8% → 60.6%
  6. 23 October 2026Release V2CA · Fix · what changedAston Villa 77.4% → 74.4%; Brentford 83.8% → 82.3%; Chelsea 92.5% → 88.6%; Everton 73.3% → 72.3%; Leeds 68.6% → 68.3%; Manchester City 73.8% → 73.1%; Manchester United 56.9% → 56.8%; Newcastle 84.9% → 81.3%; Nottingham Forest 99.3% → 97.6%; Tottenham 80.4% → 80.9%
  7. 21 October 2026Release V2BZ · Fix · what changedCrystal Palace 78.1% → 77.8%; Everton 73.4% → 73.3%
  8. 16 October 2026Release V2BY · Fix · what changedArsenal 59.9% → 60.1%; Liverpool 72.9% → 72.7%; Manchester United 57.3% → 56.9%; Nottingham Forest 102.3% → 99.3%
  9. 15 October 2026Release V2BX · Fix · what changedNewcastle 84.7% → 84.9%
  10. 14 October 2026Release V2BW · New data · what changedNo published ratio moved.
  11. 9 October 2026Release V2BV · New data · what changedArsenal 59.5% → 59.9%; Aston Villa 76.0% → 77.4%; Brentford 84.2% → 83.8%; Brighton 79.5% → 79.1%; Chelsea 93.2% → 92.5%; Crystal Palace 78.9% → 78.1%; Everton 73.3% → 73.4%; Fulham 104.0% → 102.7%; Ipswich Town 95.8% → 97.1%; Leeds 67.4% → 68.6%; Liverpool 74.0% → 72.9%; Manchester City 75.4% → 73.8%; Newcastle 83.9% → 84.7%; Nottingham Forest 103.4% → 102.3%; Sunderland 63.4% → 60.8%; Tottenham 82.3% → 80.4%
  12. 7 October 2026Release V2BU · New data · what changedNo published ratio moved.
  13. 7 October 2026Release V2BT · Fix · what changedArsenal 60.7% → 59.5%; Brighton 79.9% → 79.5%; Manchester City 75.7% → 75.4%
  14. 7 October 2026Release V2BS · Fix · what changedBrentford 84.1% → 84.2%; Brighton 79.5% → 79.9%; Chelsea 94.3% → 93.2%; Coventry City 64.1% → 64.6%; Crystal Palace 78.5% → 78.9%; Fulham 106.4% → 104.0%; Manchester City 76.1% → 75.7%
  15. 6 October 2026Release V2BR · Fix · what changedNo published ratio moved.
  16. 5 October 2026Release V2BQ · New data · what changedNo published ratio moved.
  17. 5 October 2026Release V2BP · New data · what changedManchester United 59.0% → 57.3%
  18. 5 October 2026Release V2BO · Fix · what changedArsenal 60.4% → 60.7%; Aston Villa 75.7% → 76.0%; Bournemouth 85.2% → 85.5%; Brentford 83.9% → 84.1%; Brighton 79.7% → 79.5%; Chelsea 94.0% → 94.3%; Coventry City 63.5% → 64.1%; Crystal Palace 78.0% → 78.5%; Everton 72.8% → 73.3%; Fulham 106.0% → 106.4%; Hull City 66.4% → 67.0%; Ipswich Town 94.1% → 95.8%; Leeds 67.0% → 67.4%; Liverpool 73.9% → 74.0%; Manchester United 58.8% → 59.0%; Newcastle 84.2% → 83.9%; Nottingham Forest 102.5% → 103.4%; Sunderland 63.2% → 63.4%; Tottenham 82.1% → 82.3%
  19. 4 October 2026Release V2BN · Fix · what changedArsenal 56.6% → 60.4%; Aston Villa 72.5% → 75.7%; Bournemouth 81.7% → 85.2%; Brentford 81.3% → 83.9%; Brighton 77.4% → 79.7%; Chelsea 88.0% → 94.0%; Coventry City 61.0% → 63.5%; Crystal Palace 75.2% → 78.0%; Everton 70.7% → 72.8%; Fulham 102.6% → 106.0%; Hull City 64.0% → 66.4%; Ipswich Town 88.8% → 94.1%; Leeds 64.8% → 67.0%; Liverpool 69.6% → 73.9%; Manchester City 74.2% → 76.1%; Manchester United 58.1% → 58.8%; Newcastle 79.4% → 84.2%; Nottingham Forest 97.0% → 102.5%; Sunderland 61.6% → 63.2%; Tottenham 77.6% → 82.1%
  20. 3 October 2026Release V2BM · Fix · what changedBournemouth 82.8% → 81.7%; Crystal Palace 74.9% → 75.2%
  21. 3 October 2026Release V2BL · Fix · what changedArsenal 55.8% → 56.6%; Aston Villa 71.9% → 72.5%; Bournemouth 83.0% → 82.8%; Brighton 77.8% → 77.4%; Chelsea 88.6% → 88.0%; Coventry City 61.2% → 61.0%; Crystal Palace 73.6% → 74.9%; Everton 71.7% → 70.7%; Liverpool 70.6% → 69.6%; Manchester City 74.1% → 74.2%; Manchester United 58.7% → 58.1%; Newcastle 77.7% → 79.4%; Nottingham Forest 96.7% → 97.0%; Tottenham 79.4% → 77.6%
  22. 2 October 2026Release V2BK · Fix · what changedNo published ratio moved.
  23. 2 October 2026Release V2BJ · Fix · what changedNo published ratio moved.
  24. 1 October 2026Release V2BI · Fix · what changedArsenal 55.7% → 55.8%; Aston Villa 71.7% → 71.9%; Bournemouth 83.5% → 83.0%; Brighton 78.1% → 77.8%; Crystal Palace 73.0% → 73.6%; Everton 72.0% → 71.7%; Fulham 102.4% → 102.6%; Leeds 64.5% → 64.8%; Manchester City 74.2% → 74.1%; Sunderland 61.5% → 61.6%
  25. 1 October 2026Release V2BH · Fix · what changedArsenal 55.8% → 55.7%; Aston Villa 70.8% → 71.7%; Bournemouth 83.1% → 83.5%; Brighton 77.2% → 78.1%; Chelsea 88.4% → 88.6%; Coventry City 61.3% → 61.2%; Crystal Palace 73.1% → 73.0%; Ipswich Town 88.9% → 88.8%; Leeds 64.6% → 64.5%; Liverpool 70.5% → 70.6%; Newcastle 76.7% → 77.7%; Nottingham Forest 96.9% → 96.7%; Tottenham 79.3% → 79.4%
  26. 1 October 2026Release V2BG · Fix · what changedAston Villa 71.0% → 70.8%; Bournemouth 82.2% → 83.1%; Crystal Palace 73.2% → 73.1%; Everton 72.3% → 72.0%; Liverpool 71.2% → 70.5%; Tottenham 80.6% → 79.3%
  27. 1 October 2026Release V2BF · Fix · what changedArsenal 56.8% → 55.8%; Aston Villa 70.4% → 71.0%; Bournemouth 80.8% → 82.2%; Brentford 81.2% → 81.3%; Brighton 76.9% → 77.2%; Chelsea 87.6% → 88.4%; Crystal Palace 72.8% → 73.2%; Everton 73.3% → 72.3%; Fulham 102.0% → 102.4%; Liverpool 71.5% → 71.2%; Manchester City 75.4% → 74.2%; Nottingham Forest 99.4% → 96.9%; Tottenham 81.7% → 80.6%
  28. 1 October 2026Release V2BE · Fix · what changedAston Villa 70.5% → 70.4%; Newcastle 77.1% → 76.7%
  29. 30 September 2026Release V2BD · Fix · what changedNo published ratio moved.
  30. 30 September 2026Release V2BC · New data · what changedThe first release on record.

Further reading

All articles →

The rules and the method

Analysis from the dataset

Forecasts here are frozen when published apart from dated corrections, and scored against the clubs' accounts and the League's tests as they arrive: the track record.