Football Manager 26 opens with a handful of clubs holding outsized war chests. Brighton sit alone at nine figures, while Tottenham, Barcelona, Brentford, and Sporting CP lead the chasing pack. Premier League sides dominate the upper tier, but there’s notable representation from Spain, France, Germany, Turkey, and Portugal as well. A key caveat this year: Saudi Pro League teams aren’t manageable, so they’re out of the equation entirely.
FM26 biggest starting transfer budgets (top 15)
| Rank | Club | Transfer budget (£m) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 100.0 |
| 2 | Tottenham Hotspur | 57.8 |
| 3 | Barcelona | 56.2 |
| 4 | Brentford | 55.1 |
| 5 | Sporting CP | 51.9 |
| 6 | Manchester City | 47.3 |
| 7 | Galatasaray | 46.0 |
| 8 | Newcastle United | 45.5 |
| 9 | Fenerbahçe | 45.0 |
| 10 | Paris Saint-Germain | 43.8 |
| 11 | Real Madrid | 43.2 |
| 12 | Liverpool | 41.2 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 39.8 |
| 14 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 30.6 |
| 15 | Bayern Munich | 30.2 |
Brighton’s six-figure head start is powered by major outbound deals over the summer, creating unusually large headroom on day one. The rest of the top bracket is tight, with multiple paths to a big rebuild across England, Spain, Turkey, Portugal, and France.
Premier League starting budgets and weekly wage headroom (FM26)
| Club | Transfer budget (£m) | Wage p/w (£m) |
|---|---|---|
| Brighton | 100.0 | 1.58 |
| Tottenham | 57.8 | 3.61 |
| Brentford | 55.1 | 1.58 |
| Manchester City | 47.3 | 5.19 |
| Newcastle United | 45.5 | 2.87 |
| Liverpool | 41.2 | 5.06 |
| Crystal Palace | 39.8 | 1.39 |
| Wolves | 30.6 | 1.60 |
| Arsenal | 23.7 | 4.50 |
| Chelsea | 16.4 | 4.46 |
| Everton | 13.3 | 1.95 |
| Manchester United | 12.9 | 3.86 |
| Sunderland | 7.8 | 1.73 |
| Nottingham Forest | 5.0 | 2.49 |
| Leeds United | 4.7 | 1.51 |
| West Ham United | 4.6 | 2.13 |
| Fulham | 2.4 | 2.04 |
| Bournemouth | 2.3 | 1.63 |
| Aston Villa | 1.5 | 3.15 |
| Burnley | 1.0 | 1.37 |
There’s a wide gulf even within England’s top flight. Eight clubs start below £10m and will need player sales or performance bonuses to move quickly in the market, while Brighton, Spurs, and Brentford can reshape squads immediately.
Notable trends and outliers in FM26 budgets
- Premier League dominance is clear: eight of the top 15 starting budgets belong to English clubs.
- Barcelona land third despite well-documented financial constraints, while Real Madrid and PSG sit a tier below the very top.
- Turkey breaks into the top 10 twice with Galatasaray (£46m) and Fenerbahçe (£45m), offering big-money alternatives outside the usual five leagues.
- Two second-tier English clubs appear among the top 25 overall, with Ipswich notably outmuscling some traditional heavyweights on day one.
- Saudi Pro League clubs aren’t part of FM26’s playable landscape this year, removing that source of big budgets from your save options.
Budget notes that will affect your save
- Starting transfer and wage budgets can change during the season. Progress in competitions, strong league performance, or transfer profits can trigger adjustments.
- Wage headroom matters as much as cash in the bank. Big signings usually require both the fee and the weekly space to register and retain talent.
- Different database or setup choices can alter figures. If you toggle variants that mirror recent market conditions, expect budgets to reflect that context.
If you want a sandbox to build fast, Brighton, Tottenham, and Brentford are the quickest routes. For a more constrained challenge, several Premier League sides start under £10m, pushing you toward loans, free transfers, and early sales. Either way, the opening balance sheets in FM26 give you clear paths to a project—whether it’s a talent factory with room to reinvest or a heavyweight push at the title with a single statement signing.
