Chelsea's gigantic income from academy sales as Arsenal and Tottenham blown away

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Chelsea tops Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and all Premier League rivals when it comes to generating income from cashing in on academy players over the last decade

Chelsea have earned more income from selling players who came through their academy than Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur combined over the last five years.

The Blues have the most profitable academy in the world over this period, generating £320million. Ajax and Benfica are the only two clubs that have made more than their £386m over the last decade.

Manchester City are their closest Premier League rivals at £356m, £278m of which was over the last five years. Aston Villa (£265m) and Manchester United (£237m) also surpass Arsenal (£236m) and Spurs (£234m) on this front.

These figures come courtesy of the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) Football Observatory and crucially include add-ons. The club a player counts towards is the first one where they spent at least three seasons between the ages of 15 and 21.

Chelsea have 33 players contributing towards their total since 1 July 2016, two fewer than Manchester City and three more than Arsenal and United. Tottenham are down at 19, three behind Liverpool and sixth overall in England.

Ajax are most prolific across the continent with 43, three more than Real Madrid and Sporting. The latter's Lisbon rivals Benfica are two behind, level with Atalanta. Sao Paulo are sixth with 37, one more than Dinamo Zagreb and Flamengo. City and Chelsea, who are level with Inter and Roma, round out the top ten.

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Mason Mount's £60m exit accounts for 16% of the Blues' total. They are also responsible for City and United's highest-income sales during this period after signing both Alejandro Garnacho (17% of United's total) and Cole Palmer (12% of City's total) for £40m each.

Alex Iwobi remains Arsenal's top academy sale, with his 2019 exit to Everton accounting for 16% of the total. At Tottenham, Harry Kane's move to Bayern Munich accounts for 45% of their tally.

Chelsea have helped plenty of other clubs rise in these rankings by signing their academy players. Sporting edge out City into the top five by selling Geovany Quenda, who accounts for 12% of their £364m total, to the Blues.

Alvaro Morata is another, with his transfer to Chelsea contributing 20% of Real Madrid's £345m. The signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga also accounts for 50% of Athletic Club's £141m total.

Ben Chilwell's move to Stamford Bridge also makes up a third of Leicester City's £148m. Chelsea's deal for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is also presumably contributing a large chunk, too.

A former Blues forward, Joao Felix, also contributed 20% of the £514m that makes Benfica the world's most profitable academy. Atletico Madrid, however, paid that price for the Portugal international, before his initial loan move to west London and eventual permanent signing.