Tottenham are right on the edge of relegation after 31 games in the Premier League this season. It could become one of the biggest stories in football in a long time if they do get relegated.
Tottenham have never been relegated from the Premier League, but it is a real prospect this time around. They were competing for the league title and UEFA Champions League trophy around seven years ago. They ended their 17-year trophy drought last season by winning the UEFA Europa League.
However, it has gone all wrong for them since. If Spurs do go into the EFL Championship next season, it would display a huge disparity between them and their opponents.
Tottenham’s finances exponentially greater than any Championship team
As per a report by Deloitte in January, published this year, Tottenham are the ninth richest team in Europe’s Top 5 leagues. They had a revenue of £565 million for the 2024-25 season. As per Sky Sports, all the teams in the Championship combined for a revenue of £958 million in the 2023-24 season.
Spurs are competing against West Ham United and Nottingham Forest in the relegation battle this season. Their wage bill of £136.8 million is £62.6 million more than West Ham’s and £49.3 million more than Nottingham’s.
Currently, Leicester City have the highest wage bill in the Championship, which is around three times less than Tottenham’s.
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The gap in terms of transfer fees is staggering as well, as Sky Sports reports:
“Spurs’ transfer spending over the past five seasons is equivalent to 67 per cent of transfer fees paid by the three teams relegated (or currently in the relegation zone) combined across those seasons.”
Tottenham’s stadium has a capacity of 62.850 spectators. The smallest stadium in the Championship, meanwhile, hosts 12,500 people and belongs to Oxford United.
Adjusted for inflation, Spurs’ training facilities, built in 2012, cost around £65 million. Stoke City built theirs in February for £10 million. An adult season ticket at Tottenham costs between £856 and £2,223. Meanwhile, QPR charges £262 for their season ticket.
Relegation would be a huge blow for Tottenham in every sense
Relegation would cost Tottenham £100 million, but they will get £50 million in parachute payment if they just spend one season in the Championship. They will also lose money in terms of TV revenue, matchday ticket income, and much more.
However, even aside from finances, relegation would be a huge blow to the north London side. Not only would it hurt the prestige, but it would also likely see an exodus of talent from the squad, like Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, among others.
They could also lose out on some brilliant young players like Archie Gray and Luka Vuskovic. Roberto De Zerbi’s contract doesn’t have a relegation clause, but his future will also be in doubt if Spurs go down.
The seven games remaining this season could perhaps be the biggest in Tottenham’s Premier League history.
