West Ham United are not famous for being lavish spenders in the transfer market.
In fact, Mohammed Kudus, who joined for £38 million last summer, represents our most expensive acquisition since we forked out a club record £45m fee to sign Ivory Coast hero Sebastien Haller in 2019.
However, we still need to be prudent in our financial dealings to avoid getting on the wrong side of the Premier League’s strict Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
We’ve endured a topsy-turvy campaign thus far, evidenced by the fact that David Moyes’ long-term future at the club is still subject to intense speculation.
Fans have recently been treated to a couple of disappointing domestic results, but we’re still seventh on the Premier League table and are on course to secure qualification for European football next term.
However, our Europa League journey has been the most rewarding.
According to a recent report, our superb run to the Europa League quarter-final has generated a decent £13.6m, which includes UEFA coefficient and TV market pool bonuses.
Dismantling SC Freiburg with a five-star performance at the London Stadium is easily our best and most prolific performance in the tournament this season.
However, the job is far from done, with a daunting quarter-final showdown against Bundesliga pacesetters Bayer Leverkusen scheduled for two weeks after the international break.
Xabi Alonso’s highflyers have been the most dominant side in Europe’s top five leagues this season, going unbeaten across all competitions.
The clash would be our strongest continental test yet, but Moyes must find a formula that dents their record, especially as we could rake in a further £2.4m if we reach the semis.
An appearance in the showpiece event is also worth £3.8m, while the Europa League winners take home an additional £3.4m, which would be crucial in helping the club adhere to the PSR criteria.
Next month’s quarter-final clash promises to be a mouth-watering contest for West Ham fans, a chance to test our mettle against arguably the best team in Europe.
However, whatever the outcome, we have certainly reaped the rewards of reaching the last eight.