The most and the least: A review of Ligue 1’s 2025-26 summer transfer window

The transfer window is closed. A total of 160 players joined Ligue 1 this summer. Almost twice that number left.

And while it is obviously far too early to judge the success of the various clubs’ transfer activity, it is nevertheless interesting to take a look at some of the key figures from this off-season. I

n a French football landscape increasingly marked by disparities in the resources available to its elite teams (L’Équipe recently reported that PSG’s budget, estimated at €850 million, was more than three times higher than that of OM (€260 million), but above all 34 times higher than those of Angers and Le Havre), the differences in purchasing power are more noticeable than ever.

To get a better idea of this, Sports Talk United has drawn up a general assessment of the transfer market for the elite, which has certainly not been the same for everyone.

Which club spent the most money?

Not since 2020 and Stade Rennais’ €69.5 million transfer window has any club spent more than PSG in the summer transfer market. Five years later, Strasbourg had to invest nearly double that amount to reclaim this honorary title from the reigning European champions.

A total of €127.5 million set a new record for the Alsatian club, owned by the BlueCo consortium, led by Chelsea, which recruited a total of 18 players to strengthen their squad. Among them, six (Julio Enciso, Joaquin Panichelli, Lucas Hogsberg, Mathis Amougou, Andrew Omobamidele and Valentin Barco) immediately entered the top 10 most expensive signings in RCSA history. Enough to fuel their ambitions for the 2025-26 season, which they began by securing their place in the Conference League group stage.

What about the capital club in all this?

Although they have been less active than in previous off-seasons, the Parisians have not hesitated to open their chequebook to double up on certain key positions… or to completely regenerate themselves. Ilya Zabarnyi, who arrived from Bournemouth, and Lucas Chevalier, seen as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s replacement, are the embodiment of this targeted recruitment.

Which club signed the least new players?

Aside from signing young Italian goalkeeper Renato Marin on a free transfer from Roma, the capital club spent over €100 million on transfers, ultimately registering only three signings. However, another club signed even fewer players than PSG this summer: Angers.

With only two signings, one of whom is on loan, and zero euros spent in the transfer market, SCO have worked on a shoestring budget. After all, they didn’t really have any other choice. Following their meeting with the French financial watchdog, the Direction nationale du contrôle de gestion (DNCG), last June, the Noir et Blanc management came away with restrictions on their payroll and transfer fees.

In other words, their room for manoeuvre was particularly limited.

The fact that they were unable to strengthen their squad despite the sale of Esteban Lepaul to Stade Rennais for €15 million illustrates this perfectly.

AS Monaco, on the other hand, did not have to contend with this constraint. However, they did not use their freedom to recruit indiscriminately, with only five players, including Paul Pogba and Ansu Fati, joining the Rocher this summer. The question now is whether this strategy will pay off.

Which club recorded the highest transfer income?

If there is one club for which the transfer window was of vital importance, it is Olympique Lyonnais.

Narrowly saved from administrative relegation to Ligue 2, the Rhône-based club knew that their summer would be anything but restful. With a fragile financial situation and a forced rebalancing, Les Gones knew they would have to sell in order to regain some semblance of stability, even if it meant weakening the team on the pitch.

The early departure of Rayan Cherki to Manchester City (€36.5m) set the tone for a period that also saw Lucas Perri (Leeds United, €16m) and George Mikautadze (Villarreal, €31m) leave OL at the end of their first full season in the Rouge et Bleu colours. These major sales were supplemented by those of Said Benrahma (NEOM SC, €12m) and Amin Sarr (Hellas Verona, €3.5m), enabling the seven-time French champions to raise €105.7m in revenue.

A total that puts them in fourth place among the best summer sellers, behind Nice (€107.75m), Lille (€109.6m) and Monaco (€116.57m).

Which Ligue 1 club boasts the most balanced transfer balance?

Of the 18 Ligue 1 clubs, only four ended the transfer window with a negative transfer balance. Leading the way were Paris FC, the new rich in French football, who posted a net balance of €-57.3m over the summer. A record in the top flight this year.

Conversely, AS Monaco took advantage of their low spending (€13m) and high revenues (€116.57m) to post a more than positive balance sheet, €40m higher than that of Nice, their runner-up in the exercise.

But if we are looking for the club that achieved the most balanced transfer window, we need to look to Bretagne, and more specifically to FC Lorient. With €2.2 million in expenditure and €2.8 million in revenue, Les Merlus negotiated the transfer window perfectly, recording seven arrivals and 11 departures. All of which meant they even managed to make a profit of €600k.