Chelsea publish record-breaking biggest financial losses in Premier League history
Chelsea have been heavy spenders in the transfer market in recent years
Chelsea have announced the largest pre-tax loss in Premier League history, posting a £262m deficit for the 2024-25 season – surpassing the £197.5m lost by Manchester City in 2011.
The figure comes despite the club generating £490.9m in revenue, which Chelsea describe as the second-highest total in their history.
The 2024-25 campaign also brought significant silverware, with the Blues winning the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup as well as finishing fourth in the Premier League.
Chelsea insist they remain compliant with financial regulations including Profit and Sustainability Rules, which permit losses of £105m over a rolling three-year period. The club stressed that the figures used to calculate PSR compliance differ from the headline pre-tax loss.
The losses include a number of one-off items. Among them are fines, including the £10.75m Premier League sanction relating to agent payments made during Roman Abramovich’s ownership, as well as accounting write-offs for high-profile players such as Raheem Sterling, who was released, and Mykhailo Mudryk, who is currently being investigated following a failed drugs test.
The scale of Chelsea’s spending since BlueCo’s takeover in 2022 is well documented. The club have spent more than £1bn on players in that period, predominantly targeting younger players tied to long contracts.
UEFA fined the club £26.7m at the start of the season for breaching squad-cost ratio rules and is monitoring Chelsea over a three-year period.
The reported loss is notably lower than the £355m figure that appeared in UEFA’s benchmarking report last month. That discrepancy is understood to relate to the exclusion of sales between clubs within a multi-club ownership model – Chelsea share owners with French side Strasbourg.
Looking ahead, the club are confident their financial picture will improve. Chelsea expect to report record income in their next set of accounts, with approximately £85m earned from their Club World Cup victory and around £80m in Champions League television revenue set to be included.