Bundesliga’s most transfer-efficient clubs: Where do Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund rank?

The summer transfer window of 2026 has now closed for all Bundesliga clubs, with Nathaniel Brown and Ismael Saibari both the most expensive deals of the window, joining Bayern Munich for roughly £47m each.

However, Bayern's ability to outspend their domestic opponents does not mean they are the most efficient club in the transfer market, especially when considering squad values against purchase values.

Here, FootballWhispers provides a comprehensive look at the transfer efficiency of all 18 clubs in the Bundesliga.

Bundesliga's most and least transfer-efficient clubs

Which Bundesliga club is the most and least efficient?

Starting at the top, the most transfer efficient club in the Bundesliga by some distance is Schalke 04, who only returned to the top flight in 2026-27 after an absence of three seasons and have an efficiency rating of 7.35.

Goalkeeper Kevin Muller, centre-forward Junior Adamu, wide star Junior Dina Ebimbe and midfielder Satoshi Tanaka were the only players signed for fees, with Adamu bought from Heidenheim for just £42.88k, and the entire squad was assembled for £8.28m, whereas they have a market value of £60.8m.

At the other end of the spectrum, Bayer Leverkusen rank last with an efficiency rating of 1.01, with their players holding a market value of £412.51m against a purchase value of £410.20m.

The club spent £134.66m on nine incomings in summer 2026, while they managed to recoup £102.8m from exits.

Top five most transfer efficient clubs in the Bundesliga

After Schalke comes SC Paderborn, who are also a newly-promoted side in the Bundesliga, and they have an efficiency rating of 5.12, with their squad valued at £41.5m against a purchase value of £8.1m. Marvin Pieringer and Gabriel Vidovic arrived at the club in the summer for £2.57m each, and they both are record transfers.

Next up on the list is Maniz 05 with a rating of 4.87, a placement that does not come as a surprise given they signed three players for free in summer 2026, and their squad's market value of £141.2m far exceeds their purchase value of £29m. Centre-back Stefan Posch was their most expensive transfer of the summer at £3.43m.

In fourth place is Werder Bremen, whose efficiency rating of 4.3 is earned after assembling a squad with a market value of £104.7m for just £24.3m. None of their transfers in the summer have measured up to the £11.59m they paid Everton for Davy Klaassen in 2018, with Oskar Wojcik joining in 2026 for just £2.58m.

Augsburg finish the top five with a rating of 3.51, and their squad's value of £152.4m was amassed for a cost of just £43.5m, and fans will hope for further strategic investment. Attacker Rodrigo Ribeiro was their most expensive purchase in 2026, worth £4.29m, but 11 players were bought for higher fees in the club's history.

Top five least transfer efficient clubs in the Bundesliga

Bayer Leverkusen may not be particularly efficient in the market, but they are by no means alone with a poor rating given RB Leipzig only have a rating of 1.5, with their squad assembled for £281.7m, only to have a market value of £422.7m.

However, Leipzig are known for buying younger players and developing their talents before selling for high prices, so it would not be surprising if the true value of their players are not necessarily reflected accurately.

Borussia Dortmund are also rated at 1.5 on our efficiency index, with their £322.7m squad valued in the market at £484m. Giannis Konstantelias arrived in the summer of 2026 for £22.32m, but he is some way from their record signing Ousmane Dembele (£30.04m) in 2016-2017.

Hoffenheim are next in the least efficient clubs in the Bundesliga, coming in with a rating of 1.76 due to their £240.9m-valued squad being created for £136.5m. Midfielder Nathan De Cat was signed in the summer transfer window, and his £15.88m purchase stands as the club's record addition.

It is perhaps no surprise that giants Bayern Munich are next up on this list given they have access to resources that other clubs in Germany can only dream of. Their rating of 1.93 is understandable considering the purchase value of their squad is £461.5m, though their players' market value of £889.6m is by far the highest figure in the Bundesliga too.