Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The Cost of Promotion to the Premiership

In the wake of some silly spending by Sven-Goran Eriksson and Leicester City as well as pre-season predictions of doom for the three English Premiership newcomers this season, it's worth taking the time to examine just how much it costs to contend in England's top division.

To do so, we can evaluate how much it costs to buy players needed to finish in the Championship's automatic promotion positions or win through via the Playoffs. Please note that these figures were assembled using a variety of websites and sources. They may be 100% accurate, but the likelihood is that they are as close to accurate as can be found online or without detailed knowledge of a club's inner workings.  When a transfer was marked as "undisclosed", we used the last rumoured price - which often preceded the actual deal by days or hours.  These aren't obviously meant to be definite guides but ballpark figures.

Player salaries - generally for all these teams quite manageable - and loan players have not been included.  D.J. Campbell, who has agreed a move to QPR that is yet to be confirmed, is.

Key: K = thousand, M = million, F = free transfer, Y = graduated club's youth academy, N = nominal fee. All figures in pounds.

Queens' Park Rangers
2010-11 Position: First in Championship, automatic promotion.
Academy Graduates: 4
Highest fee paid for current player: ₤3.5 million for midfielder Alejandro Faurlin (2009)
Goalkeepers: R. Cerny (F), P. Kenny (750K), E. Putnins (Y) - total ₤750K
Defenders: M. Connolly (1M), D. Gabbidon (F), K. Gorkss (250K), F. Hall (700K), C. Hill (F), B. Orr (500K), P. Ramage (F), D. Shittu (F) - total ₤2.45M
Midfielders: M. Doughty (Y), A. Bruno (Y), A. Buzsaky (500K), S. Derry (F), H. Ephraim (800K), A. Faurlin (3.5M), M. Harriman (Y), J. Mackie (500K), P. Vaagen Moen (F), T. Smith (1.5M), A. Taarabt (1.5) - total ₤8.3M
Forwards: J. Bothroyd (F), P. Agyemang (350K), H. Helguson (1M), R. Hulse (800K), A. Pellicori (F), D.J. Campbell (1.25M) - total ₤3.4M
Total: ₤14.9 million.
% of total spent this summer: 8.39%

Norwich City
2010-11 Position: Second in Championship, automatic promotion
Academy Graduates: 3
Highest fee paid for current player: ₤2.8 million for striker Steve Morison (2011)
Goalkeepers: J. Ruddy (100K), D. Rudd (Y)
Defenders: R. Martin (250K), A. Drury (500K), Z. Whitbread (350K?), L. Barnett (750K), E. Ward (F), M. Tierney (275K) - total 2.125M.
Midfielders: B. Johnson (F), A. Crofts (F), A. Surman (1.45M), W. Hoolahan (250K), D. Fox (F), E. Bennett (1.3M), K. Smith (Y), S. Lappin (100K), A. McNamee (250K), S. Hughes (F) - total ₤3.35M
Forwards: S. Morison (2.8M), J. Vaughan (2.5M), S. Jackson (600K), G. Holt (400K), A. Pilkington (2M), C. Martin (Y), A. Wilbraham (100K) - total ₤8.4M.
Total: ₤13.975 million.
% of total spent this summer: 61.54%

Swansea City
2010-11 Position: Third in Championship, defeated Nottm Forest & Reading in playoffs
Academy Graduates: 3
Highest fee paid for current player: ₤3.5 million for forward Danny Graham (2011)
Goalkeepers: Y. Makabu Ma Kalambay (F), D. Cornell (Y), J. Moreira (1.5M?) - total ₤1.5M
Defenders: A. Rangel (N), G. Monk (F), A. Tate (F), N. Taylor (F), A. Williams (400K)
Midfielders: M. Gower (F), K. Agustien (F), J. Allen (Y), D. Cotterill (600K), N. Dyer (400K), S. Sinclair (500K), A. Richards (Y), A. Orlandi (F), L. Britton (400K), F. Bodde (85K), W. Routledge (2M) - total ₤3.985M
Forwards: L. Moore (850K), S. Dobbie (F), D. Graham (3.5), C. Beattie (600K), L. Lita (1.75M) - total ₤6.7M
Total: ₤12.185M
% of total spent this summer: 67.71% 

QPR's Adel Taarabt.

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