If you want to sign the best players, you usually have to pay some insane prices to get a deal over the line.
We have seen transfer values fly through the roof in recent years as clubs put together ludicrous collections of some of the most valuable talent around, and Football Observatory has taken a closer look at just how much teams have been spending.
Here are the ten most expensively assembled squads in the world.
10. Arsenal (€498m)
Once known for their love of snapping up young, unproven talent and developing them into world beaters, Arsenal have begun to flash the cash these days, spending a huge €498m to assemble their current squad.
Nicolas Pepe's £72m arrival from LOSC Lille certainly helps boost those numbers, but the Gunners have still spent heavily to recruit the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil.
Granit Xhaka and Henrikh Mkhitaryan both cost a pretty penny as well, and they all play their part in helping Arsenal crack the top ten.
9. Atletico Madrid (€550m)
Like Arsenal, Atletico Madrid's total spending of €550m is largely down to their busy summer. They brought in Benfica wonderkid Joao Felix for a whopping €126m, which is over 20% of the cost of their entire team.
Alongside Felix, Los Rojiblancos spent heavily to bring in Mario Hermoso, Marcos Llorente and Kieran Trippier as they look to push for the La Liga title.
Those new signings joined the likes of Diego Costa and Thomas Lemar, so there's plenty of quality at the Wanda Metropolitano.
8. Chelsea (€561m)
Chelsea brought in Mateo Kovacic for £40m this summer, but their transfer ban meant that nobody else was allowed through the door at Stamford Bridge. However, that still hasn't stopped them racking up a bill of €561m.
The Blues made Kepa Arrizabalaga the most expensive goalkeeper around when they spent £71m to sign him in 2018, whilst Chelsea have also dropped considerable amounts of money on both Christian Pulisic and Jorginho.
Michy Batshuayi, N'Golo Kante and Willian didn't come cheap either, so it should come as no surprise to see Chelsea on this list.
7. Liverpool (€639m)
Liverpool didn't spend any money on senior players this summer, but it's their activity over the past few seasons which has seen them climb to seventh on this list.
Their total outlay of €639m represents heavy spends on Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Naby Keita, whilst the star-studded attacking lineup of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino each cost in excess of £30m.
They have paid what was necessary to achieve success, and last season's Champions League triumph was a pretty good reward.
6. Barcelona (€697m)
Barcelona were much higher on the list when we looked at the most valuable squads around, but that's because that figure contained the estimated price tag of a certain Lionel Messi. Of course, the Argentine rose through the ranks at the club, so they didn't actually pay a penny to sign him.
Instead of paying for Messi, Barcelona have spent heavily on fellow attackers Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele, whilst Antoine Griezmann's €120m arrival from Atletico this summer bumps their overall spend up to €697m.
Frenkie de Jong is another high-profile addition, but the Blaugrana have also spent big on Clement Lenglet, Nelson Semedo and Arthur in recent years.
5. Juventus (€719m)
It's little surprise that the team who paid for Cristiano Ronaldo are so high on this list. Juventus parted with €112m to sign him in 2018, and that payment makes up the majority of their €719m outlay.
They continued that heavy spending by bringing in Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax, in what was a busy summer transfer window for the Bianconeri.
Douglas Costa, Federico Bernardeschi and Paulo Dybala all set Juventus back substantial amounts, making the Serie A champions one of the most expensive sides around.
4. Manchester United (€751m)
As one of the biggest brands in world football, Manchester United often have to pay a premium to sign their talents, which is why their overall spending sits at €751m.
Their busy summer saw them bring in Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka for huge fees, and they both joined the £89m record-signing that is Paul Pogba at Old Trafford.
Outside of that costly trio, United have spent heavily on Anthony Martial, Fred and Juan Mata, and the spending will almost certainly continue into the future.
3. Real Madrid (€902m)
Real Madrid are not scared of spending money, and you only have to look at their activity this summer for proof.
Bringing in Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao and Rodrygo Goes saw their overall outlay rise to €902m, but this summer's arrivals are only a fraction of their total costs.
Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez are amongst the most expensive players around, whilst Vinicius Junior, Thibaut Courtois and Luka Modric were by no means cheap.
2. Paris Saint-Germain (€913m)
Paris Saint-Germain are amongst the most valuable teams in the world, and they are happy to flex their financial muscle if it means they can sign the world's top talent.
The acquisitions of both Neymar and Kylian Mbappe make up over a third of PSG's €913m spending, and the pair are well ahead of the rest in terms of individual player costs in the French capital.
Edinson Cavani, Thiago Silva and Leandro Paredes were all costly additions to what is the second most expensive squad around.
1. Manchester City (€1.014bn)
It's not even close - Manchester City have assembled by far the most expensive squad around, but that's just because they've got about 50 elite players in each position.
Their record outlay of just £62.8m to sign Rodri this summer is pocket change in comparison to some of the other teams on this list, but City have just spent close to that amount so many times, and it all adds up to €1.014bn.
You've got Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte, Raheem Sterling, Benjamin Mendy and John Stones - and the list goes on. They have just spent so much money, and they are reaping the rewards with back-to-back Premier League titles.
Source : 90min