The Premier League’s hidden drain: How injuries cost millions
IMAGO | An injury scare for Arsenal FC's Kai Havertz at the Emirates Stadium during a Champions League match last season.
Premier League clubs spent over €360 million on salaries for injured players in 2024/25. This analysis reveals who paid the price and how hard it hit.
Arsenal lost nearly 20 per cent of their wage bill to injuries, while Nottingham Forest kept that figure below 5 per cent.
Why it matters: Injuries are no longer just a sporting issue. They are a measurable drag on financial performance across the league.
The perspective: Tournaments like the expanded Club World Cup and Nations League are stretching players to the limit. The rising injury toll is seen as a predictable consequence.
20 August 2025 - 4:26 PM
Injuries are an accepted risk in football, yet their financial and operational implications are often underestimated or ignored entirely. Clubs insure their facilities and hedge against currency volatility, but few systematically quantify how much money is lost each season to injuries, in hard salary costs.
For the 2024/25 Premier League season, Off The Pitch have estimated the financial cost of player unavailability due to injuries by analys
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