Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers spent three of the nine seasons from 2009/10 to 2017/18 in the Premier League and six in the Championship. Their best finish was 17th, in 2011/12. They didn’t win a major trophy. Over those nine summers they paid £67.7m in transfer fees and took in £36.3m, a net spend of £31.4m.
Queens Park Rangers had money in this period. It did not always help. Champions of the Championship in 2010/11, they survived their first Premier League season in 17th by a single point. Then came 2012/13: big names, 25 points and bottom place.
They came straight back through the play-offs in 2013/14, spent again and went straight back down. Esteban Granero arrived from Real Madrid in 2012, Steven Caulker, Leroy Fer, Jordon Mutch and Sandro followed in 2014, and Christopher Samba was sold to Anzhi for £12m in 2013. By 2017/18 QPR were 16th in the Championship.
QPR are the cautionary tale for anyone playing 115.football. Real money, spent in a hurry, produced two relegations in three top-flight seasons. With £900m and hindsight, the lesson is to buy the right players rather than the famous ones.
Season by season
Biggest signings
Biggest sales
Fees are those reported at the time, some estimated, for moves in the summer window. Trophies counted: the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup.