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By LUKE AUGUSTUS, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Published: 00: 59 AEDT, 27 November 2025 | Updated: 02: 49 AEDT, 27 November 2025 41 View comments Manchester United's recruitment has been heavily criticised in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and their malaise in this department has been highlighted by the latest CIES Football Observatory post. In their latest findings, they have analysed their world's smartest clubs in the transfer market since January 2021. And it makes for grim reading for those associated with the Red Devils as they sit bottom of this list. United are the worst club with a negative total balance of a whopping £424million over this period. CIES Football Observatory's case study is based on the financial balance sheets of players recruited as professionals (i. e. excluding youth academy signings) and already permanently transferred to other teams. And delving deeper into these metrics, it makes for worse reading for United with their overall value balance at minus-£359m - meaning they have severely overspent over the past near-five years. Manchester United have the worst value for money on signings in the world, according to CIES Bryan Mbuemo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha (left-right) will hope to dispel that study Jadon Sancho was signed for £73m by United in July 2021 but has failed to impress TOP FIVE BEST CLUBS 1. Real Madrid (plus-£511million) 2. Eintracht Frankfurt (plus-£336m) 3. Aston Villa (plus-£234m) 4. Brighton (plus-£223m) 5. Paris Saint-Germain (plus- £220m) TOP FIVE WORST CLUBS 1. Man United (minus-£359million) 2. Al-Hilal (minus-£249m) 3. West Ham (minus-£179m) 4. Al-Ahli (minus-£169m) 5. Al-Nassr (minus-£161m) During this period, notable transfer flops include Jadon Sancho (£73m), Antony (£86m) and Andre Onana (£47. 2m). Their total is vastly more than anyone else with Saudi side Al-Hilal second on this list at minus-£249m - with their biggest disappointment being Neymar. The Brazilian joined from French giants Paris Saint-Germain in a £77. 6m transfer plus add-ons on a two-year contract, being paid £129. 2m-per-season. However, he lasted 16 months before having his contract mutually terminated after suffering an ACL injury while on Brazil duty in October 2023. Manchester United begin December with a Premier League home clash with West Ham - and it's the Hammers who are third worst club at making signings. Their transfer value balance since January 2021 stands at minus-£179m. The London Stadium outfit are notoriously bad at buying strikers and this is the case during this period with Gianluca Scamacca (£30. 5m) and Niclas Fullkrug (£27m) two examples. Rounding out the top five for clubs doing bad business are Saudi duo Al-Ahli (minus-£169m) and Al-Nassr (minus-£161m). While one of the biggest clubs is the worst offender, one is the best with Real Madrid topping the list. Al-Hilal sit second on this list at minus-£161m - with the signing of Neymar a key factor in that West Ham are third at minus-£179m - with Gianluca Scamacca not reaching his potential 1. Aston Villa +£233. 85million 2. Brighton +£222. 46m 3. Liverpool +£184. 80m 4. Manchester City +£172. 54m 5. Nottingham Forest +£112. 10m 6. Brentford +£106. 85m 7. Crystal Palace +£93. 71m 8. Bournemouth +£70. 07m 9. Chelsea +£51. 67m 10. Sunderland +£34. 16m 11. Tottenham +£13. 14m 12. Fulham -£7. 88m 13. Arsenal -£27. 15m 14. Everton -£31. 53m 15. Burnley -£49. 92m 16. Wolves -£55. 18m 17. Leeds -£57. 80m 18. Newcastle -£63. 06m 19. West Ham -£178. 67m 20. Manchester United -£357. 34 Based on CIES' 'Value Balance' The Spanish giants have a value balance of plus-£511m with the likes of Jude Bellingham (£88. 5m) standing out for the club. The signings of Antonio Rudiger and Kylian Mbappe on free transfers also plays a part. Second on this list is Eintracht Frankfurt with the German side's value balance at plus-£336m. Premier League clubs sit third and fourth with Aston Villa (plus-£234m) ahead of Brighton (plus-£223m). PSG round-out the top five with the European champions' value balance at plus- £220m - as Luis Enrique's side boasts the talents of Desire Doue (£43m), Ousmane Dembele (£43. 5m) and Nuno Mendes (£34m).
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