Premier League’s most expensive squads to be relegated; £500m Everton risks drop

In this article we look at the Premier League‘s most expensive squads to be relegated as Everton and their £500m side risks the drop.

Following their 5-0 thrashing against Tottenham on Monday night, the Toffees are in real danger of dropping out of the top flight, something they have been ever-present in since the 1954-55 season.

The defeat to Antonio Conte’s men has left Frank Lampard’s side down in 17th place in the table, just one point above Burnley, but they do have a game in hand.

Everton have spent over £500million on players since Farhad Moshiri came in as owner back in 2016 and currently boast a squad containing the likes of Richarlison (£50m), Jordan Pickford and Michael Keane (£30m apiece).

With Everton potentially becoming the most expensively assembled squad to ever be involved in Premier League relegation battle, we look at the other most expensive squads to go down.

Stoke City – 2017/18

The Potters’ decade-long stay in the Prem ended in 2018 despite their squad containing a number of high-profile names you’ll recognise.

In the summer of 2017, the club spent a combined total of £25m on defensive duo Bruno Martins-Indi and Kevin Wimmer to add to a squad already having the likes of Jack Butland, Xherdan Shaqiri, Bojan and Ibrahim Afellay.

Badou Ndiaye added to that figure, joining from Galatasaray for £14m to keep fans happy with January’s deadline day signing, however it proved to be yet another gamble that didn’t pay off.

Both managers Mark Hughes and Paul Lambert couldn’t turn their season around or get the best out of the squad, which also saw future Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain star Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting within the Stoke squad, and the Potters dropped to the Championship where they have remained ever since.

“Very strange and frustrating”

Glen Johnson describes life playing for Stoke in the 2017/2018 season, that saw them relegated from the Premier League.

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Newcastle United – 2015/16

Despite their reported status as the 17th richest club in world football at the time, the Magpies went on to shock fans with relegation from the Premier League confirmed back in 2016.

It was a bleak goalless draw with Aston Villa that condemned Newcastle to the Championship, despite their match-day squad costing nearly £100m to assemble.

A rare £80m spending from their now former owner Mike Ashley saw Newcastle bring in the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba and Florian Thauvin prior to the start of the campaign and Jonjo Shelvey and Andros Townsend were added in January.

However, Rafael Benitez, who came in to replace struggling Steve McClaren in March, couldn’t keep the Magpies up before earning promotion from the Championship at the first attempt under Rafa.

Aston Villa – 2015/16

In the same season that Newcastle’s costly side were relegated, Aston Villa joined them, making it one of the most talked about and watched Championship seasons for 2016/17.

Over £50m was spent on 12 players prior to the campaign, bringing in Idrissa Gueye, Jordan Ayew and Adama Traore thinking it would be enough to stay up.

However, their attempt to overhaul the squad failed in huge fashion as neither Tim Sherwood nor Remi Garde could get the most out of the team.

Villa’s effort saw them finish the Premier League campaign on 17 points, 22 adrift of safety having won three matches all season.

Queens Park Rangers – 2012/13

Despite having the likes of Park Ji-sung, Jose Bosingwa and Julio Cesar, QPR suffered a surprise relegation back in 2013.

The West London outfit brought in Real Madrid’s Esteban Granero for £9m and Marseille’s Stephane Mbia for £5m ahead of the season to play alongside them, so big things were expected of the R’s squad.

That how failed to come to fruition, so a further £20m plus was spent in January on Christopher Samba and Loic Remy in a desperate attempt to avoid relegation.

However even with Harry Redknapp at the helm, QPR finished rock bottom having only won four matches all season.

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Leeds United – 2003/04

Just three years on from reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, Leeds saw their 14-year stay in England’s top-flight come to an end.

The Whites were suffered a depressing financial crisis which saw them battling debts in excess of £100m following years of reckless spending.

Much of the big name signings had been offloaded in the years preceding Leeds’ relegation, though Mark Viduka and David Batty, who cost around £4.5m apiece, were still in the squad.

The duo couldn’t help a team, featuring a plethora of future stars, avoid the inevitable drop, and a club who were once in dreamland gracing Europe, found themselves in League One by 2007, before returning to the second tier in 2010 and then the Prem in 2020 – though the Whites are struggling again alongside Everton despite a better 2020/21 campaign (Leeds 9th and Everton 10th).

After 25 games, Frank Lampard’s Everton are on 22 points, just one above Burnley.

It’s be a dismal season when you look at some of the money spent on the current squad and it’s been clear for many years that the Toffees have bought the wrong players.

Everton’s starting XI from their 5-0 defeat to Tottenham on Monday night, sees Jordan Pickford and Michael Keane who cost £30million.

Then you have the likes of Allan and Richarlison, they cost £21m and £50m, and is over £130m spent on four players with none of them are delivering.