Which are the top 15 clubs always in search of new signings? Some clubs have the reputation of dipping their hands into the cash bank to acquire any player on a purple patch.
While some follow this trend to boost results and on-field performances, others have broken the bank for the long term purpose of making profits.
Whatever the ultimate aim might be, here are the top 15 clubs always in search of new signings in football.
Top 15 Clubs Always in Search of New signings
15. Red Bull Bragantino
Every club in the world are looking to sign the next Brazilian star or the next Messi, in short the next South American wonderkid. So when all the top sides in world football look to the football-crazy continent, what do they see? The see Red Bull Bragantino.
In Europe, the Red Bull franchise are big guns in discovering talents with Red Bull Salzburg and Red Bull Liepzig taking the lead. In hopes of following this trend and extending their tentacles, Red Bull invested in Brazilian side, Bragantino.
As subsequent outcome, no club in world football has made more signings in the last four seasons than the South America club.
The Brazilian top-flight side have signed over 124 players in less than four years as they look to make sure the next South American star comes from their ranks. This factored in them being the only non-European side on this list of top 15 clubs always in search of new signings.
14. Monaco
It is a no-brainer that the club that discovered Mbappe will be on this list of top 15 clubs always in search of new signings. The French side have some of the best scouts in the country, who have unearthed some talents that have gone on to flourish at the highest level.
As a club that buys cheap to sell for profit, they make over ten acquisitions per season. This culminated in them spending over €200 million in 2019/20 on 15 players.
Stars like Youri Tielemans, Thomas Lemar, Fabinho, Thierry Henry, Adama Traore, Benjamin Mendy, Bernando Silva, Bakayoko, Allan Saint-Maximin, Ivan Cavaleiro, James Rodriguez, Falcao, Anthony Martial and goalkeeper Sergio Romero are some of their famous alumni.
13. Lille
French side Lille, rank 13th on our list of top 15 clubs always in search of new signings. The club have made some great players over the past few years, players that have gone on to become stars in future.
Dribble king Eden Hazard, Divock Origi, Victor Osimhen, Nicolas Pepe, Florian Thauvin, Lucas Digne, Gervinho, Enyeama and Idrissa Gueye are some of their incredible discoveries.
12. RB Salzburg
The lowest ranked league on this list of top 15 clubs always in search of new signings is the Austrian Bundesliga. Amidst the rubbles of modest Austria is an eagle-eyed club called RB Salzburg.
Salzburg have come to understand that they would financially struggle to get players from top divisions, so their eyes are peeled and focused on the lower leagues. Talents like Erling Haaland, Sadio Mane, Upamecano and midfielder Naby Keita all started for the club.
Salzburg are known to make an average of over 15 new signings every season.
11. Real Madrid
Between 2018 and January 2020, Real Madrid spent over €600 million in incoming transfers. The club who are known for their pursuit of big-money signings, dubbed Galacticos, are one of the biggest spenders in football.
However, they have deadened that modus operandi in the last years of the past decade, which ranks them this low on our list of top 15 clubs always in search of new signings. This was epitomised in their refusal to sign a single player in the two windows of the 2019/20 season.
Despite this change of heart, Real Madrid are one of the most-linked name to any top performing player today.
10. Southampton
Some of the finest players ever to have graced the Premier League have come from Hampshire-based side, Southampton. The club has one of the best scouting network in their country which has left them always hungry for new signings.
Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, defensive maestro Van Dijk, Adam Lallana, Alan Shearer, Chamberlain, Matt Le Tissier, Luke Shaw and Sadio Mane are all testaments to Southampton’s placement at 10 on this list of top 15 clubs always in search of new signings. The saints are the only side on this list never to have played in the UEFA Champions League.
9. Ajax
One of the greatest talent scouts of all time, Ajax’s hunger to unearth the next world star has seen them discover some gems.
Players like Jan Vertonghen, Luis Suarez, Toby Alderweireld, Dennis Bergkamp, Johan Cruyff, Edgar Davids, Christian Eriksen, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wesley Sneijder, Edwin van der Sar, Marco van Basten and Rafael van der Vaart are results of the Dutch club’s insatiable need to make new signings.
8. Arsenal
North London side, Arsenal, are probably the only team in football who fluffed the chances to sign Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The gunners have been interested in almost every big player in football but have mostly come short. From Pogba, to Kante, Varane, Pique, Yaya Toure, Mbappe, Luis Suarez, Ibrahimovic, Kompany, Bale, Payet, Drogba and Dele Ali. Arsenal were interested in these players sometime before a big club poached them.
However they have made some great signings themselves as one of the Premier League’s finest assist king, Mesut Ozil, and an all-time great, Thierry Henry, played for them. They were also involved in the discovery and emergence of Arshavin, Serge Gnabry, Van Persie and Fabregas.
7. Manchester United
The Premier League’s record transfer and the world’s most expensive central midfielder, Paul Pogba, was as a result of Manchester United’s dip into the black.
Also the most expensive defender in world football, Harry Maguire, was also another show of United’s constantly roving eyes for new acquisition. This ranks them comfortably in the top half on this list of top 15 clubs always in search of new signings.
6. Everton
The biggest shock on this list probably is the blue half of Merseyside, Everton. But their inclusion on this list is statistically justified, as they sign an average of eight players every season spread over an annual cost of €100 million per window.
This splurge is as a result of their ambitious aim to break into the traditional top six, which has seen them hire the veteran Ancelotti, one of the best managers in the world.
5. Paris Saint-Germain
Oil-rich club, PSG are the highest ranked French side on this list of top 15 clubs always in search of new signings. The Paris-based giants have dominated the French Ligue 1 by snapping the stars of the other sides in the division. With Mbappe being the most typical example, the club’s hunger to win the UEFA Champions League have stirred them to splash money exuberantly on new signings.
In no coincidence, the top two most expensive signings in history, Mbappe and Neymar, were acquisitions of the Parisians side.
4. Manchester City
With the amount of money being pumped into City, it is no surprise that they rank so high on this list of top 15 clubs always in search of new signings. The Cityzens have won the Premier League just 4 times but have dominated the division in the past decade.
They might not have the history yet, but they are one of the most appealing clubs to play for. Every big player has been linked to the Etihad at one point in their career.
They are renowned for their ruthless streak of letting go of players aged 30+, as well as their deliberate philosophy to have two top players in each position. In recent years, they have revamped their academy to world-class status, which has churned out new generation talents like Jadon Sancho and Eric Garcia.
3. Chelsea
With one of the largest academies in the world, Chelsea sit third on this list of top 15 clubs always in search of new signings. Every season they send out about twenty players to gain experience from top-flight football. Yet with this abundance of talent, the Blues were able to splurge about €250 million on five players in one window.
Players like Lukaku, De Bruyne, Robben, Bertrand, Drogba, Deco, Lampard, Ballack, Sturridge, Luiz, van Aanholt, Salah, Eto’o, Bamford, Oscar, Mata, Willian, Fabregas, Costa, Pedro, Kante and the Hazard brothers are just some of the subjects of Chelsea’s constantly roving eyes.
2. Dortmund
Lewandowski. Aubameyang. Gotze. Gundogan. Pulisic. Sancho. Dembele. Reyna. Hummels. Mkhitaryan. Bellingham. Immobile. Reus. Pienaar. Perisic. Haaland. At one point, a top star footballer has passed through Dortmund football before rising to the top.
The Black and Yellows have one of the finest and most effective scouting system in world football. This has seen them cop young talents before they turn 20. Having a functioning youth set-up has made transition to the senior team very seamless.
The major reason Dortmund are one of the top 15 clubs always in search of new signings is their offer of Champions League. Another is their status, as they are the second biggest club in Germany.
1. Barcelona
As they wade out of one generation of a group of players who dominated world football, Barcelona’s appetite for new signings have been ravenous. The Spanish giants have lost Iniesta, Xavi, Neymar, Suarez along with a host of other first team stars who held the world of football in spellbound. Messi and Bousquet are also close to hanging their boots which have unearthed the need for fresh blood.
Barcelona have made so much signings in the last decade that they have run into debts running into millions of pounds, yet they have made no significant progress. Stars like Griezmann, Dembele, Frankie de Jong, Sergio Dest, Pjanic, Vidal, Trincao, Neto, Braithwaite, Arthur, Boateng, and Malcom are just a few of the names that have walked the tunnel of Camp Nou in recent years.
On average they acquire the services of 8 players per season, which is not inclusive of signings made to the academy. This ranks the Catalans atop the top 15 clubs always in search of new signings.
Top 15 Clubs Always in Search of New signings
Here is a simplified recap of the Top 15 Clubs Always in Search of New signings.
15. Red Bull Bragantino
14. Monaco
13. Lille
12. Red Bull Salzburg
11. Real Madrid
10. Southampton
9. Arsenal
8. Ajax
7. Manchester United
6. Everton
5. Paris Saint-Germain
4. Manchester City
3. Chelsea
2. Dortmund
1. Barcelona
