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Among some of the richest owners in word football stand NINE Premier League chiefs.

But somewhat surprisingly, Manchester City boss Sheikh Mansour is not at the top of the tree.

However, the money invested into Manchester City has been mammoth - so much so, that by January 2018, they had a bigger annual spend on their defence than 52 actual countries.

City are not the only ones to have substantial investment pumped into their team, with clubs from around Europe and also the United States boasting billionaire backers - not including Paris Saint-Germain, who are backed by an investment company, Qatar Sports Investments.

Here are nine of the known richest owners in world football...

9. Joe Lewis - Tottenham Hotspur - £3.8billion

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Despite their inactivity in the transfer market, Spurs certainly do not lack any financial backing.

Owner Joe Lewis, one of the richest men in the UK, financed the reported £800million bill for the construction of Tottenham ’s new stadium.

8. Zhan Jindang - Inter Milan - £5.2billion

A chinese billionaire who earned his fortune through Suning.com, one of China's largest appliance retailers and e-commerce companies, Jindang took over Inter Milan in 2016.

His impact resulted in instant on-field success, as Inter improved from a seventh place finish in 2017 to 4th place and a return to the Champions League in 2018.

7. Shahid Khan - Fulham - £5.4billion

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After watching his team suffer relegation during the season in which he bought the club, Khan has financed a return to the Premier League this season.

He is not shy at making big decisions either, as he illustrated this season when he replaced manager Slavisa Jokanovic with Claudio Ranieri following a poor start to the season, after spending over £100million on 12 new players in the summer of 2018.

6. Stan Kroenke - Arsenal - £6.4billion

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Known as ‘Silent Stan’ throughout the Arsenal faithful, Stan Kroenke has a net worth that doesn’t appear to add up with Unai Emery’s transfer budget.

Owner of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, the American also owns NFL outfit the LA Rams, as well as the Gunners, whom he became majority shareholder of in 2011.

5. Roman Abramovich - Chelsea - £8.3billion

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Arguably the man who transformed Chelsea from a Premier League side to a European giant, Roman Abramovich took over the West London club in June 2003.

By 2006, Chelsea had won consecutive Premier League titles, two more than they had when Abramovich took over.

In terms of Chelsea fans, Abramovich has proven it is possible to buy happiness.

4. Philip Anschutz - LA Galaxy - £10billion

A recipient of National Soccer Hall of Fame Medal of Honour for his contributions to the growth of football in the United States, Anschutz is owner of MLS side LA Galaxy.

The signings of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic outline his ambition for the club, who have won the MLS Cup on five occasions.

3. The Agnelli family - Juventus - £10.4billion

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Having owned Serie A side Juventus since 1947, the Agnelli family owning Juventus is reportedly the longest running sporting dynasty in Italy.

Despite their fortune, Juventus have garnered a reputation for smart transfer dealings, signing Andrea Pirlo, Dani Alves and Paul Pogba on free transfers in recent years.

2. Sheikh Mansour - Manchester City - £17billion

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Historically the ugly duckling of the two Manchester clubs, Manchester City have gone onto win three Premier League titles this decade and have an annual defence spending greater than 52 countries since the purchase of the club by Mansour in 2008.

City Football Group are also contributing hugely to the surge in popularity of the MLS, founding New York City FC in 2015, who have since signed David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard.

While Mansour's value is only £17billion, the Mansour family have an estimated worth of close to £1trillion.

1. Dietrich Mateschitz - New York Red Bulls - £17.8billion

(Image: Ker Robertson)

Co-founder of the Red Bull energy drink company, Mateschitz is heavily involved in a number of sports, as well as the New York Red Bulls.

Originally the New York Metrostars, Mateschitz bought and rebranded the team, which has gone onto win the Eastern conference five times since his arrival.