Is big money ruining football? With Manchester United’s £1bn squad facing relegation, critics argue that too much cash has corrupted the modern game.
Record spending creates 'worst team'
Is big money ruining football? With Manchester United's £1bn squad facing relegation, critics argue that too much cash has corrupted the modern game.
Imagine someone gave you £350,000. What would you spend it on? Perhaps you would splash out on a sports car, or tour the world staying in five-star hotels. Now imagine getting that much money every week of the year.
This is the salary the Brazilian midfielder Casemiro is earning at Manchester United. It makes him the third best-paid player in the Premier League. Close behind him are two team-mates: Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes and English forward Marcus Rashford, both on £300,000 a week.1
Manchester United is one of the most valuable football clubs in the world, worth £5.2bn in total.2 Last year, its squad was valued at roughly £1bn, based on how much it spent on acquiring players.3
But according to one former United captain, these players are "billion-pound bottle jobs".4 Certainly none of this spending has resulted in success: United have lost seven of their last 15 matches, and four of their last five home matches in the Premier League. After their most recent defeat by Brighton, the manager Ruben Amorim described his team as "maybe the worst" in the club's 147-year history.
For critics of the current game, this is more evidence of how cash corrupted football is. Thanks to wealthy owners and global audiences, the Premier League has vast amounts of money. This has caused inflated transfer fees and a growing gap between rich and poor clubs - but it has arguably not improved the quality of play.
Instead, with ticket prices rising much faster than inflation5 and teams filled with imported players, the link between clubs and local communities has been broken. According to journalist and football fan Tom McTague, "the romance and drama is dulled, the adrenalin sapped".6
Many fans would disagree. They celebrate the fact that the English Premier League brings the best footballers in the world to its clubs. VeteranSomebody with a lot of experience in a job. Also used to refer to former soldiers. journalist, Hunter Davies, argues that the value of the Premier League's broadcasting rights means that even middling teams "can attract good players, are well coached, and, on occasion, can stuff the elite".
Money has also helped football expand. It has opened up new markets in the United States, the Middle East and Asia, introducing millions more people to the game. Local players are improving, local clubs are expanding, and - in the case of Saudi Arabia - global stars are joining their rosters.
But money cannot buy success - at least not in football. As the owner of Grimsby football club points out: "We now know culture is the thing that drives success in any organisation."7 Culture includes players feeling motivated, supporters feeling valued, and everyone sharing in a collective project.
The most successful English football team in recent history are the Lionesses. Although the sums of money in women's football are much smaller, they were finalists in the 2023 World Cup and the following year won the Euros. Funding has made football more popular among women, but love of the game is what brings lasting victories.
Is big money ruining football?
Yes: The money in the English Premier League has caused inflated transfer fees and a growing gulf between rich and poor clubs. It has also broken the link with local fans, without improving play.
No: The wealth of English clubs has brought the best players in the world to the Premier League. Meanwhile, money has created new generations of football fans in Asia and the United States.
Or... The success of the Lionesses shows that funding can help to grow the game. But victory cannot be bought, because football teams also need a strong culture to succeed.
Veteran - Somebody with a lot of experience in a job. Also used to refer to former soldiers.
Record spending creates ‘worst team’

Glossary
Veteran - Somebody with a lot of experience in a job. Also used to refer to former soldiers.