They say you can’t throw money at a problem, but in football, it appears to be the only solution. And certain football clubs do just that, but intelligently, with solid recruitment procedures that allow them to go up the table or advance farther in cup competitions.
That being said, while money can buy you the best players, it provides no assurances and may lead to costly blunders. Even some of the most powerful bosses have paid the price for this. So, with that in mind, we used Transfermarkt statistics to determine which ten managers had spent the most since their last big triumph.
10David Moyes – £200.2m Spent
Aside from a period at Manchester United, David Moyes has never been at a club where spending money and winning trophies is the first objective. Even though he was often neglected and despised by the conclusion of his time at West Ham, he did deliver them a European title.
The 2023 Conference League victory was a watershed moment for both the team and the manager, however Moyes has since been let go and rejoined to his former club Everton. And in those two years, he has spent more than £200 million — but unless the Toffees win the domestic cup, this sum is expected to rise for years to come.
9Marcelino – £216.6m Spent
Marcelino, a real veteran of Spanish club football, having managed eight teams in the country’s top flight and previously led Marseille. His resume includes Valencia, Villarreal, and Athletic Club, so they aren’t trivial jobs. Despite this, he has only three trophies to his name.
His most recent accomplishment occurred in the 2020/21 season, when he led Bilbao to the Spanish Super Cup. Since then, he has been in France, returned to Villarreal, and spent a cool £216.6 million with no payoff as of yet. A cup appears to be his greatest chance, but defeating Real Madrid or Barcelona is easier said than done.
8Stefano Pioli – £249.4m Spent
Stefano Pioli, like Marcelino, has traveled throughout Spain. The 59-year-old has managed a number of Serie A clubs over the years, and as his career progressed, several of the big boys became interested, including both Milan clubs.
He won his only managerial trophy with AC, the Serie A title in 2021/22. He then went on to manage Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo before returning to Italy to work with Fiorentina. It means he’s a little further from success than he was three years ago, and he’s already spent about £250 million attempting to taste victory again.
7Arne Slot – £253.7m Spent
Now, wait on—this must be a mistake. Arne Slot actually won the Premier League in his first season as manager of Liverpool in May of this year. That was only three months ago. Well, given the amount of money he has received in the market as a result of his victory, he is already high on this list.
Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike – in fact, at the time of writing, Giovanni Leoni has been added to that list and is not even included in the overall figure, so Slot may be even higher! However, following a good first campaign with few incomings, the Dutchman has laid down the gauntlet this term with his fantastic business.
6Erik ten Hag – £286.5m Spent
From one Dutchman to another, however this one did not achieve the same heights as the one before him on this list. Erik ten Hag has been quick to remind reporters in numerous interviews since his Manchester United dismissal that he did, in fact, win two trophies: the Carabao Cup in 2023, followed by the surprise FA Cup victory in 2024, which likely saved him from being fired at the end of that season after finishing 8th in the Premier League.
The additions of Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Joshua Zirkzee, and Manuel Ugarte couldn’t stop him from being fired just months later, and he is now seeking to bring more good times to Bayer Leverkusen — though he hasn’t had the best of starts in that regard either.
5Nico Kovac – £351.4m Spent
Niko Kovac, another manager who has traveled extensively around a particular country, is one of the most well-known coaches in German football. The Croatian’s success with Eintracht Frankfurt, which included winning the German Cup, prompted a move to Bayern Munich, where he accomplished a domestic double in his first season.
Months later, he was fired – such is the constant pressure of the job in Bavaria. A stop in Monaco was followed by periods at Wolfsburg and, most recently, Borussia Dortmund. He is the first manager on this list to make more than £300 million, and by a significant margin. However, if he can get things right at Dortmund, success is not out of the question.
4Pep Guardiola – £378.2m Spent
Pep Guardiola may be one of the best tacticians in the world, but it is impossible to deny that his style of football has been implemented beautifully by brilliant players because he has had the cash to spend when and when necessary. And not all of those deals have been successful; spending £100 million on Jack Grealish now appears to be a bad decision.
However, it usually pays off, as City frequently wins many titles each season. However, the 2024/25 season threw a wrench in the works, as they finished third in the Premier League and failed to win a single cup tournament, losing the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace. It means their last piece of silverware was the 2023/24 league triumph, and they’ve spent more than £375 million since.
3Unai Emery – £407.5m Spent
Given the figure, it might have been reasonable to believe that Unai Emery’s last title came before his time at Arsenal, when he won domestically with PSG. But that’s not the case, as he led Villarreal to a Europa League victory over Manchester United in 2021, his fourth title.
Since then, he has returned to England with Aston Villa and totally altered the club’s fortunes, guiding them back to the Champions League during his stint. He still dreams for silverware in the Midlands and has certainly not been hesitant to invest in order to attain that aim, even if it has yet to be realized.
2Diego Simeone – £461.9m Spent
Real Madrid is frequently associated with lavish spending in the Spanish capital, but figures show that Diego Simeone has not been hesitant to ask Atletico Madrid’s owners to dig deep in recent years. It just hasn’t resulted in much glory.
Expensive signings like Julian Alvarez have failed to pay off for Simeone, with his last championship coming in the 2020/21 season when Atleti won the La Liga title thanks to the addition of Luis Suárez. Atletico is normally second fiddle in the city and third best in the league, but you’d have to believe that the odds will undoubtedly turn in their favor sooner rather than later to put an end to Simeone’s costly suffering.
1Mikel Arteta – £863.4m Spent
It’s nearly twice as much as second place, which he’s all too familiar with. Since Arsenal won the FA Cup in 2020, below is a complete list of English teams that have won a major trophy: Leicester City, Chelsea, West Ham, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, and Tottenham Hotspur. Except for City, everyone else has changed managers over that time, but Arsenal has persisted with theirs due to promise and a project.
Mikel Arteta’s time may be up, as €1 billion has been spent on new players during that time. Another year as a runner-up will not suffice, and the Spaniard must now perform significantly. Another domestic cup will not suffice. At this moment, the Gunners must choose between the Premier League and the Champions League.
Managers With the Highest Spending Since the Last Trophy
Rank
Manager
£m
1.
Mikel Arteta
863.4
2.
Diego Simeone
461.9
3.
Unai Emery
407.5
4.
Pep Guardiola
378.2
5.
Nico Kovac
351.4
6.
Erik Ten Hag
286.5
7.
Arne Slot
253.7
8.
Stefno Pioli
249.4
9.
Marcelino
216.6
10.
David Moyes
200.2
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