Spending by promoted clubs set to surpass £300m

Once defender Omar Alderete's transfer from Getafe to Sunderland is completed, it will take spending by the three newly promoted clubs to over £300m this summer.

Excluding Alderete, the Black Cats have paid out an estimated £122m on 10 players. Burnley have brought in 13 new faces at a cost of approximately £100m, while Leeds United have invested £73.5m on seven signings.

There is little doubt that consolidating top-flight status is harder than ever, with the gulf between the Championship and Premier League continuing to widen. In each of the previous two seasons, the three sides that came up went straight back down.

As a consequence, clubs are spending ever increasing sums in the hope of remaining competitive, but with no guarantee it will pay off.

Southampton, Ipswich Town and Leicester City shelled out a total of £276.5m last summer but together they accumulated just 59 points, the lowest combined figure by newly promoted teams in a 38-game Premier League season.