Benfica, Porto, Ajax, Lille, FC Salzburg? Which clubs make the most profit in the transfer window?

Like it or not, football is a business and part of every business involves making money. Some clubs in Europe are better at this than others when it comes to the transfer market, while some are in a different league altogether.

Since 2010, we’ve looked at some of the top teams when it comes to making a profit from the exits of their players. Usually, that means bringing in an unknown in for a cheap transfer fee, developing them, moving them on for a lot more, and then starting the cycle again.

While it’s possible to make a profit on a world-class star like Neymar — whom Barcelona signed for €88 million from Santos in 2013 and moved on to Paris Saint-Germain for €222m four years later — the majority of successful dealings for clubs comes with lower-profile players. And — spoiler alert — the big clubs are not usually the ones who benefit in the short term as they are forced to pay more to land their targets.

Here, via Transfermarkt, is a list of those sides who have found great success by making a profit on player trading in the transfer market over the past 12 years.

BENFICA

Record arrival: €34m – Darwin Nunez (UD Almeria)
Record departure: €75m – Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)

Benfica are the most-supported club in Portugal — they have seven titles since 2000-01 and a record 37 overall — and have generated more than €1 billion in transfer income over the past two decades.

Benfica’s transfer blueprint doesn’t differ too much from that of their rivals FC Porto (see below), but it…