League One squad transfer value table compares Birmingham City, Charlton Athletic, Bolton Wanderers and rivals

Much of the talk in England’s third tier at the beginning of the 2024/25 season has been about Birmingham’s unrestricted spending in the recent transfer window.

Blues made a whopping 17 new signings during the summer months, completely overhauling their squad after the disappointing relegation from the Championship. Many of those additions came in at bargain prices under £1 million but even those tallied up.

The biggest deal by far was of course the £12 million acquisition of Jay Stansfield from Premier League club Fulham. It was speculated on deadline day that the fee was more in the region of £20 million, but that has since been debunked by club sources, suggesting it was closer to a dozen.

Christoph Klarer and Willum Willumsson, meanwhile, both cost around £2.5 million each – coming in at just below the previous League One transfer record. The most expensive additions have unsurprisingly made the biggest impact but the overall team spirit has been the most impressive aspect of Birmingham’s fine start to the season.

Currently second in the League One standings, Blues are the heavy favourites to lift the title and achieve immediate promotion back to the Championship. It’s an excellent time to be a Bluenose, though fans from other clubs are riled up by the difficulty to compete with such a high level of spending.

That’s understandable, in fairness, when you look at the overall transfer value of Birmingham’s squad compared to the other 23 teams in the division. The difference is staggering.

League One squad transfer values table 2024/25

• 1st: Birmingham City - €41.6 million
• 2nd: Huddersfield Town - €24.9 million
• 3rd: Wigan Athletic - €14.18 million
• 4th: Barnsley - €14 million
• 5th: Charlton Athletic - €12.63 million
• 6th: Bolton Wanderers - €12.43 million
• 7th: Stockport County - €11.38 million
• 8th: Wrexham - €11.23 million
• 9th: Blackpool - €10.55 million
• 10th: Northampton Town - €10.5 million
• 11th: Rotherham United - €9.98 million
• 12th: Bristol Rovers - €9.55 million
• 13th: Leyton Orient - €9.38 million
• 14th: Peterborough United - €9.18 million
• 15th: Reading - €8.43 million
• 16th: Wycombe Wanderers - €7.98 million
• 17th: Lincoln City - €7.58 million
• 18th: Exeter City - €7.35 million
• 19th: Cambridge United - €7.23 million
• 20th: Burton Albion - €6.93 million
• 21st: Stevenage - €6.15 million
• 22nd: Mansfield Town - €5.85 million
• 23rd: Shrewsbury Town - €5.75 million
• 24th: Crawley Town - €5.18 million