The MOTD2 boys have just nailed it. Net spend £5m . Shocking.
And if we hadn't reeled in £45M in incoming fees you and they would have a point.
We've gone through this so many times it's barely worth doing it again, but the last time I asked you how we should have achieved spending more money, your answer was to not buy Ayew and Gestede (fair enough) and buy Austin for the rumoured £15M, which would have resulted in spending. £1M more.
Personally I'd have avoided Gestede and when it became clear there was no one else, tried to get Austin, but still have gone for Ayew.
For the record, here's the figures I could find for the last 3 years transfers for the club's we could be realistically comparing ourselves with. Some of the periods are out, Weimann shows in 2014/15 for example, but the general gist of it should be OK.
To me it says the problem is not so much with how much we've spending, but who we've been spending it on and how we've coached them afterwards.
Southampton
2015/16 Sold £37.5M Purchased £25.5M Net £12M Gain
2014/15 Sold £104.5M Purchased £66.4M Net £38.0M Gain
2014/13 Sold £0.0 Purchased £36.0M Net £36.0M Loss
Overall Net £14M Gain
Swansea
2015/16 Sold £0.5M Purchased £5.0M Net £4.5M Loss
2014/15 Sold £43.0M Purchased £15.9M Net £28.9M Gain
2013/14 Sold £0.0M Purchased £19.5M Net £19.5M Loss
Overall Net £4.5M Gain
Us
2015/16 Sold £40.5M Purchased £48.6M Net £8.1M Loss
2014/15 Sold £4.5M Purchased £10.4M Net £5.9M Loss
2013/14 Sold £0.0M Purchased £17.2M Net £17.2M Loss
Overall Net £31.2M Loss
Everton
2015/16 Sold £0.0M Purchased £14.0M Net £14.0M Loss
2014/15 Sold £0.0M Purchased £37.1M Net £37.1M Loss
2013/14 Sold £40.0M Purchased £21.0M Net £19M Gain
Overall Net £32.1M Loss
Crystal Palace
2015/16 Sold £4.0M Purchased £13.5M Net £9.5M Loss
2014/15 Sold £0.0 Purchased £12.9M Net £12.9M Loss
2013/14 Sold £0.0 Purchased £10.7M Net £10.7M Loss
Overall Net £33.1M Loss
Newcastle
2015/16 Sold £0.6M Purchased £49.4M Net £48.8M Loss
2014/15 Sold £12.0M Purchased £17.0M Net £5M Loss
2013/14 Sold £19.8 Purchased £0.0M Net £19.8M Gain
Overall Net £34.0M Loss
WBA
2015/16 Sold £2.0M Purchased £29.0M Net £27M Loss
2014/15 Sold £0.0M Purchased £16.3M Net 16.3M Loss
2013/14 Sold £9.3M Purchased £6.0M Net £3.3M Gain
Overall Net £40M LossA
Sunderland
2015/16 Sold £0.0M Purchased £30.5M Net £30.5M Loss
2014/15 Sold £2.1M Purchased £16.0M Net £16.0M Loss
2013/14 Sold £11.0M Purchased £18.9M Net £7.9M Loss
Overall Net £54.4M Loss
West Ham
2015/16 Sold £5.5M Purchased £32.8M Net £27.3M Loss
2014/15 Sold £3,5M Purchased £41.5M Net £38.0M Loss
2014/13 Sold £0.0M Purchased £20.0M Net £20.0M Loss
Overall Net £85.3M Loss