8 PL teams in top 10
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Underachievement is a prominent topic in the top five European leagues, with nine-figure transfer budgets and big-money signings the norm in modern football. Social media can be an unforgiving environment for players struggling to find their form or sporting directors who ultimately bring them to their respective clubs.
And when the biggest clubs in Europe miss out on continental qualification, the scrutiny only increases. Interestingly, Transfermarkt data shows that from the top 10 clubs with the highest squad value to miss out on Europe, eight of them hail from the Premier League.
A blessing in disguise for Chelsea?
Chelsea have the ignominy of topping the list by some margin, with their €1.16 billion valued squad unable to finish higher than 10th after a 2-1 loss to Sunderland on the final day of the season. Whether or not that will prove to be helpful for new head coach Xabi Alonso – with fewer games to play in 2026/27 – only time will tell.
Tottenham survived relegation on the final day to finish 17th despite having a €802.5 million squad value. Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Everton make up the rest, while Crystal Palace will salvage some pride from their 15th-place finish as they will qualify for the Europa League if they win the Conference League on Wednesday.
Clubs breaking trends
Only Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt with a squad value of €388.5 million and RC Strasbourg from Ligue 1 on €361.9 million break the trend. The increased competitiveness of domestic football in England may have something to do with their unwanted dominance, suggesting it may be more difficult than ever for clubs to secure their place in Europe.
But there are clubs to buck the trend. Getafe, valued at €82.9 million overall, have the smallest squad value of any club to qualify for Europe from the top five leagues. The LaLiga minnows pulled off a shock to finish seventh, beating the likes of Valencia, Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao to a European spot via league finish, although La Real qualify for the Europa League thanks to their Copa del Rey triumph earlier this season.
Disclaimer: Data does not include relegated teams as they will not be involved in the top five European leagues next season.
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