2009/10 to 2017/18

Crystal Palace spent five of the nine seasons from 2009/10 to 2017/18 in the Premier League and four in the Championship. Their best finish was 10th, in 2014/15. They didn’t win a major trophy. Over those nine summers they paid £117.7m in transfer fees and took in £40.9m, a net spend of £76.8m.

In 2009/10 Crystal Palace finished 21st in the Championship, and the next two seasons were not much better. Fifth place in 2012/13 changed everything: promotion through the play-offs and five straight seasons in the Premier League, never lower than 15th.

As they settled, the spending grew. Yohan Cabaye arrived from PSG in 2015, Christian Benteke from Liverpool for £27m in 2016 and Mamadou Sakho, also from Liverpool, for £26m a year later. Going the other way, Yannick Bolasie joined Everton for £25m.

The interesting thing about Palace on 115.football is the starting point. In summer 2009 this was a club near the foot of the second tier. Spend wisely and the long wait for promotion shrinks. Spend very wisely and Premier League mid-table becomes the minimum expectation rather than the target.