Top of the flops: How Burnley compare to the Premier League's worst spenders!

In a study conducted by bettingexpert, which analysed the 30 football clubs relegated to the Championship during that period, it was revealed that Fulham are the biggest spenders to fail in their survival bid.

The West London side spent £116,500,000 on new signings in the 2018/19 season and nearly £5 million in transfer fees per point achieved (£4,480,769).

The large sums spent by clubs trying to achieve safety can now be seen as the norm, with the average spending of relegated clubs standing at £37,838,000.

In comparison, Burnley’s relatively tight budget in the 2014/15 season saw the club part with £11,360,000 in transfer fees while picking up just 33 points on the way to relegation (£344,242 per point).

However, since their return to the Premier League in 2016/17, Sean Dyche’s team have been more resourceful with their transfer spending. Picking up their highest points per transfer budget return last season (£323,333) and achieving their highest Premier League points tally (54).

Further research into Premier League safety over the last decade found the average points of clubs finishing in 17th place stands at 38. Interestingly, Watford (2016/17) and Wolves (2010/11) are the only two sides who required the infamous 40-point-mark to survive in that period.

Along with relegation costs, the research uncovered the rising transfer spend needed for survival each season. The year-on-year cost per point hit new heights last season, with Aston Villa’s (2019/20) transfer survival spend equivalent to £4,091,143 per point.

The Villain’s spending power took the average transfer cost for survival to £50,353,000, which could be a sign of the times for sides battling relegation in the Premier League.