Among the five favourites to win the Premier League title, Arsenal have the lowest net spend on transfer fees over the last five years, research shows.

The figures contradict Jose Mourinho's suggestion that the Gunners have become a club to rival Chelsea in terms of spending.

Amongst the sides, Manchester United have by far the highest net spend in recent years. Manchester City follow them whilst the figures show Liverpool spending more than Chelsea.

Mourinho has been outspoken over the last week about his side's rivals, suggesting that Liverpool and Manchester United are "buying the title".

Speaking about Arsenal, Mourinho said yesterday: "If you add up the amounts clubs have spent in the last three or four years, I think maybe you will find a surprise.

"If you put (Mesut) Ozil plus Alexis Sanchez, plus (Calum) Chambers, plus (Mathieu) Debuchy you will maybe find a surprise."

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho (Getty Images)

Mourinho went on to suggest that journalists should simply get a calculator and total up the net spends.

"This is the easiest thing to do – I don’t do it. Get a calculator. That is the easiest things, it leaves no space for speculation. If you want to be honest, objective and pragmatic it is the easiest job for a manager or journalist to do."

So that's exactly what we did.

Over the last five years, Arsenal have had a net spend of £92.54m. Chelsea in comparison have spent £124.83m on players during that time.

The Blues have managed to recoup some huge fees in recent years, most notably for David Luiz, Andre Schurrle, Romelu Lukaku and Juan Mata yet have still spent more than their London rivals.

Manchester United's net spend dwarfs that of their rivals, with a mixture of Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal managing to lighten the Old Trafford bank balance by £287.16m. That's the most of any of the sides considered to be in serious contention for the Premier League title.

Manchester City have a net spend of £200.29m over the last five years. Meanwhile, Liverpool have a net spend of £149.67m, despite recouping over £100m with the sales of Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling alone.

SPENDING OVER LAST FIVE YEARS

ARSENAL

So far this summer...

Arrivals

Petr Cech - £9.8m

Total: £9.8m

Exits

Lukas Podolski - £1.75m

Total: £1.75m

Profit/loss: -8.05m

Summer and January window of 2014/15 season

Arrivals

Alexis Sánchez - £29.75m

Calum Chambers - £14.16m

Danny Welbeck - £14m

Mathieu Debuchy - £10.5m

Gabriel Paulista - £10.5m

David Ospina - £2.8m

Krystian Bielik - £2.1m

Total: £83.81m

Exits

Thomas Vermaelen - £13.3m

Johan Djourou - £1.96m

Benik Afobe - £1.81m

Ignasi Miquel - £1.3m

Thomas Eisfeld - £1.05m

Total: £8.51m

Profit/loss: -£75.3m

Summer and January window of 2013/14 season

Arrivals

Mesut Ozil - £35m

Total: £36.58m

Exits

Gervinho - £5.6m

Vito Mannone - £1.68m

Total: £8.51m

Profit/loss: -£28.07m

Summer and January window of 2012/13 season

Arrivals

Santi Cazorla - £13.3m

Olivier Giroud - £8.4m

Lukas Podolski - £8.4m

Nacho Monreal - £7m

Total: £37.1m

Exits

Robin van Persie - £21.49m

Alex Song - £13.3m

Carlos Vela - £9.8m

Total: £47.01m

Profit/loss: +£9.91

Summer and January window of 2011/12 season

Arrivals

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - £9.66m

Mikel Arteta - £8.4m

Gervinho - £8.4m

Per Mertesacker - £7.91m

André Santos - £4.9m

Chu-Young Park - £4.55m

Total: £45.83m

Exits

Cesc Fabregas - £23.8m

Samir Nasri - £19.25m

Gael Clichy - £5.43m

Emmanuel Eboue - £2.45m

Total: £54.8m

Profit/loss: +£8.97m

TOTAL OVER LAST FIVE YEARS: -£92.54m

Mesut Ozil has been the biggest purchase (Getty Images)

CHELSEA

So far this summer...

Arrivals over £1m...

Asmir Begovic - £7.7m

Nathan - £3.15m

Total: £10.85m

Exits over £1m...

Petr Cech - £9.8m

Thorgan Hazard - £5.6m

Gael Kakuta - £4.2m

Total: £20.33m

Profit/loss: +£9.48m

Summer and January window of 2014/15 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Diego Costa - £26.6m

Cesc Fabregas - £23.1m

Juan Cuadrado - £21.7m

Filipe Luis - £14m

Loic Remy - £9.24m

Mario Pasalic - £1.75m

Total: £96.39m

Exits over £1m...

David Luiz - £34.65m

Romelu Lukaku - £24.75m

Andre Schurrle - £22.4m

Ryan Bertrand - £9.34m

Demba Ba - £4.2m

Fernando Torres - £2.1m

Patrick van Aanholt - £1.4m

Total: £102.34m

Profit/loss: +£5.95m

Summer and January window of 2013/14 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Willian - £24.85m

Nemanja Matic - £17.5m

Andre Schurrle - £15.4m

Kurt Zouma - £10.22m

Mohamed Salah - £9.28m

Marco van Ginkel - £6.58m

Christian Atsu - £2.1m

Stipe Perica - £1.72m

Cristian Cuevas - £1.33m

Total: £88.97m

Exits over £1m...

Juan Mata - £31.31m

Kevin De Bruyne - £17.5m

Jeffrey Bruma - £2.45m

Total: £56.3m

Profit/loss: -£32.67m

Summer and January window of 2012/13 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Eden Hazard - £28m

Oscar - £17.5m

Victor Moses - £8.05m

Cesar Azpilicueta - £6.16m

Demba Ba - £5.95m

Marko Marin - £5.6m

Wallace - £3.78m

Total: £75.39m

Exits over £1m...

Daniel Sturridge - £10.5m

Raul Meireles - £7m

Total: £17.82m

Profit/loss: -£57.57m

Summer and January window of 2011/12 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Juan Mata - £18.69m

Romelu Lukaku - £15.4m

Raul Meireles - £9.45m

Thibaut Courtois - £6.27m

Gary Cahill - £5.88m

Kevin De Bruyne - £5.6m

Lucas Piazón - £5.25m

Oriol Romeu - £3.5m

Ulises Dávila - £1.4m

Patrick Bamford - £1.26m

Total: £72.7m

Exits over £1m...

Yuri Zhirkov - £10.5m

Nemanja Matic - £3.5m

Alex - £3.5m

Michael Mancienne - £1.75m

Slobodan Rajkovic - £1.4m

Total: £22.68m

Profit/loss: -£50.02m

TOTAL OVER LAST FIVE YEARS: -£124.83m

Diego Costa (GETTY IMAGES)

MANCHESTER UNITED

So far this summer...

Arrivals over £1m...

Morgan Schneiderlin - £24.5m

Memphis Depay - £19.25m

Bastian Schweinsteiger - £12.6m

Matteo Darmian - £12.6m

Total: £68.95m

Exits over £1m...

Nani - £4.2m

Robin van Persie - £3.85m

Ángelo Henríquez - £1.17m

Total: £9.22m

Profit/loss: -£59.73

Summer and January window of 2014/15 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Angel Di Maria - £52.5m

Luke Shaw - £26.25m

Ander Herrera - £25.2m

Marcos Rojo - £14m

Daley Blind - £12.25m

Radamel Falcao - £5.32m (loan fee)

Vanja Milinković-Savić - £1.23m

Total: £136.75m

Exits over £1m...

Danny Welbeck - £14m

Shinji Kagawa - £5.6m

Alexander Büttner - £3.85m

Wilfried Zaha - £2.68m

Bebé - £2.1m

Michael Keane - £1.79m

Patrice Evra - £1.05m

Total: £34.76m

Profit/loss: -£101.99m

Summer and January window of 2013/14 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Juan Mata - £31.31m

Marouane Fellaini - £22.7m

Total: £54.57m

Exits over £1m...

None

Total: £1.26m

Profit/loss: -£53.31m

Summer and January window of 2012/13 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Robin van Persie - £21.5m

Shinji Kagawa - £11.2m

Wilfried Zaha - £8.2m

Nick Powell - £5.25m

Ángelo Henríquez - £3.85m

Alexander Büttner - £3.5m

Total: £53.52m

Exits over £1m...

Dimitar Berbatov - £3.5m

Ji-Sung Park - £2.2m

Robbie Brady - £1.175m

Total: £10.59m

Profit/loss: -£42.93m

Summer and January window of 2011/12 season

Arrivals over £1m...

David De Gea - £14m

Phil Jones - £13.5m

Ashley Young - £12.6m

Total: £40.11m

Exits over £1m...

John O'Shea - £3.15m

Gabriel Obertan - £2.38m

Mame Diouf - £1.26m

Wes Brown - £1m

Total: £10.91m

Profit/loss: -£29.2m

TOTAL OVER LAST FIVE YEARS: -£287.16m

Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger (GETTY IMAGES)

MANCHESTER CITY

So far this summer...

Arrivals over £1m...

Raheem Sterling - £43.75m

Fabian Delph - £8.05m

Patrick Roberts - £4.09m

Enes Unal - £2.1m

Total: 58.8m

Exits over £1m...

Alvaro Negredo - £21m

Matija Nastasic - £6.65m

Karim Rekik - £3.5m

Scott Sinclair - £2.45m

Dedryck Boyata - £1.4m

Total: £35.15m

Profit/loss: -£23.65m

Summer and January window of 2014/15 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Eliaquim Mangala - £28m

Wilfried Bony - £22.61m

Fernando - £10.5m

Willy Caballero - £5.6m

Bruno Zuculini - £1.75m

Total: £68.46m

Exits over £1m...

Javi García - £11.76m

Jack Rodwell - £8.82m

Emyr Huws - £2.21m

Total: £23.64m

Profit/loss: -£44.82m

Summer and January window of 2013/14 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Fernandinho - £28m

Stevan Jovetic - £18.2m

Alvaro Negredo - £17.5m

Jesús Navas - £14m

Martín Demichelis - £3.5m

Total: £81.2m

Exits over £1m...

Carlos Tevez - £6.3m

Total: £8.19m

Profit/loss: -£73.01m

Summer and January window of 2012/13 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Javi García - £14.14m

Matija Nastasic - £10.64m

Jack Rodwell - £10.5m

Scott Sinclair - £5.46m

Maicon - £2.63m

Total: £43.37m

Exits over £1m...

Mario Balotelli - £14m

Adam Johnson - £8.82m

Emmanuel Adebayor - £4.48m

Nigel de Jong - £2.45m

Vladimír Weiss - £1.26m

Total: £31.01m

Profit/loss: -£12.36m

Summer and January window of 2011/12 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Sergio Aguero - £31.5m

Samir Nasri - £19.25m

Stefan Savic - £8.4m

Gael Clichy - £5.43m

Costel Pantilimon - £2.31m

Total: £67.24m

Exits over £1m...

Jerome Boateng - £9.45m

Nedum Onuoha - £3.29m

Shaun Wright-Phillips - £3.15m

Shay Given - £2.63m

Total: £20.79m

Profit/loss: -£46.45m

TOTAL OVER LAST FIVE YEARS: -£200.29m

Raheem Sterling (GETTY IMAGES)

LIVERPOOL

So far this summer...

Arrivals over £1m...

Christian Benteke - £32.55m

Roberto Firmino - £28.7m

Nathaniel Clyne - £12.39m

Joe Gomez - £3.43m

Total: £77.07m

Exits over £1m...

Raheem Sterling - £43.75m

Iago Aspas - £4.2m

Sebastian Coates - £1.96m

Total: £49.91m

Profit/loss: -£27.16m

Summer and January window of 2014/15 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Adam Lallana - £21.7m

Dejan Lovren - £17.71m

Lazar Markovic - £17.5m

Mario Balotelli - £14m

Alberto Moreno - £12.6m

Divock Origi - £8.84m

Emre Can - £8.4m

Rickie Lambert - £3.85m

Total: £106m

Exits over £1m...

Luis Suarez - £56.7m

Oussama Assaidi - £4.2m

Daniel Agger - £2.8m

Pepe Reina - £2.1m

Martin Kelly - £1.4m

Total: £69.31m

Profit/loss: -£36.69m

Summer and January window of 2013/14 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Mamadou Sakho - £13.3m

Iago Aspas - £7.56m

Simon Mignolet - £7.42m

Luis Alberto - £5.6m

Tiago Ilori - £3.42m

Total: £38.84m

Exits over £1m...

Andy Carroll - £12.25m

Jonjo Shelvey - £4.13m

Stewart Downing - £4.06m

Total: £22.82m

Profit/loss: -£16.02m

Summer and January window of 2012/13 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Joe Allen - £13.3m

Daniel Sturridge - £10.5m

Fabio Borini - £9.31m

Coutinho - £7m

Total: £47.32m

Exits over £1m...

Charlie Adam - £4.34m

Alberto Aquilani - £1.4m

Total: £7.32m

Profit/loss: -£40m

Summer and January window of 2011/12 season

Arrivals over £1m...

Stewart Downing - £15.96m

Jordan Henderson - £12.6m

Charlie Adam - £5.88m

Sebastian Coates - £5.6m

Jose Enrique - £5.6m

Total: £46.57m

Exits over £1m...

Raul Meireles - £9.45m

David N'Gog - £3.15m

Paul Konchesky - £1.19m

Total: £16.77m

Profit/loss: -£29.8m

TOTAL OVER LAST FIVE YEARS: -£149.67m