Report: The Most Profitable Playing Positions In The Premier League
Jack Grealish's record-setting sale to Manchester City features prominently in our new study
BettingOdds has examined every single transfer since summer 2017 to calculate which current (2021/22 season) Premier League club has generated the greatest profit from players sold to the price they were originally bought at. Academy players brought through the individual system have also been considered. Total sales in this study period by current Premier League clubs have amounted to a sensational £3,545,204,000, from on original total expenditure on said sold players standing at £3,439,774,000.
The findings have been organised into the following categories:
- Greatest Profit By Playing Position From Transfers By Current Premier League Club
- Greatest Profit Per Player By Playing Position From Transfers By Current Premier League Club
- Greatest Player Profit XI From Current Premier League Clubs
A total of £306.281m Centre-Midfielder sales with these players having been bought for an original accumulated price of £406.179m has led to the worst positioning loss of -£99.898m. However, with the likes of Eden Hazard and Jack Grealish - the latter who features in our Greatest XI below - making mahoosive moves during this study period, it’s evident that Left-Wingers have brought the most profit to the current Premier League crop. Forty-one players in this position have sold for £475.237m, having originally been bought for £257.7m, turning around a profit of a simply sizzling £217.537m.
The results were compiled from data provided by the Premier League and Transfermarkt.
Greatest Profit By Playing Position From Transfers By Current Premier League Club (Players Sold Since 2017)
(Individual Players Sold To Price They Were Bought)
| Position | sold for | bought for | profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Left-Wingers | £475.237m | £257.70m | £217.537m |
| 2. Centre-Backs | £618.093m | £512.739m | £105.354m |
| 3. Right-Backs | £219.405m | £169.338m | £50.067m |
| 4. Goalkeepers | £157.41m | £126.213m | £31.197m |
| 5. Attacking Midfielders | £218.98m | £256.65m | £25.33m |
| 6. Left-Backs | £133.898m | £142.73m | -£8.832m |
| 7. Defensive Midfielders | £175.08m | £224.674m | -£49.594m |
| 8. Right-Wingers | £339.064m | £407.031m | -£67.967m |
| 9. Centre-Forwards | £838.756m | £936.52m | -£97.764m |
| 10. Centre Midfielders | £306.281m | £406.179m | -£99.898m |
Total Sales: £3,545,204,000
Total Original Expenditure On Sold Players: £3,439,774,000
Average Profit Per Player By Playing Position (Players Sold Since 2017)
| position | sold for | number of players | average profit per player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Left-Wingers | £475.237m | 41 | £5.31m |
| 2. Right-Backs | £219.405m | 41 | £1.22m |
| 3. Centre-Backs | £618.093m | 92 | £1.15m |
| 4. Attacking Midfielders | £281.98m | 34 | £0.75m |
| 5. Goalkeepers | £157.41m | 57 | £0.55m |
| 6. Left-Backs | £133.898m | 39 | -£0.23m |
| 7. Centre-Forwards | £838.756m | 118 | -£0.83m |
| 8. Defensive Midfielders | £175.08m | 46 | -£1.08m |
| 9. Centre Midfielders | £306.281m | 78 | -£1.28m |
| 10. Right-Wingers | £339.064m | 48 | -£1.42m |
Greatest Player Profit XI From Current Premier League Clubs Since 2017
(Individual Players Sold To Price They Were Bought)
| POSITION | PLAYER | TRANSFER | SOLD FOR | BOUGHT FOR | PROFIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Thibaut Courtois | Chelsea to Real Madrid, 2018 | £31.50m | £8.06m | £23.44m |
| RB | Aaron Wan-Bissaka | Crystal Palace to Manchester United, 2019 | £49.50m | £0m | £49.50m |
| CB | Harry Maguire | Leicester City to Manchester United, 2019 | £78.30m | £12.33m | £65.97m |
| CB | Virgil van Dijk | Southampton to Liverpool, 2018 | £76.19m | £14.13m | £62.06m |
| LB | Ben Chilwell | Leicester City to Chelsea, 2020 | £45.18m | £0m | £45.18m |
| RW | Riyad Mahrez | Leicester City to Manchester City, 2018 | £61.02m | £0.45m | £60.57m |
| CM | Danny Drinkwater | Leicester City to Chelsea, 2017 | £34.11m | £0.81m | £33.30m |
| DM | Idrissa Gueye | Everton to PSG, 2019 | £27.00m | £7.65m | £19.35m |
| AM | Philippe Coutinho | Liverpool to Barcelona, 2017 | £121.50m | £11.70m | £109.80m |
| LW | Jack Grealish | Aston Villa to Manchester City, 2021 | £105.75m | £0m | £105.75M |
| CF | Romelu Lukaku | Everton to Manchester United, 2017 | £76.23m | £31.82m | £44.41m |
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