Fulham have had a brilliant season in the Championship this year which has seen them regain promotion to the Premier League already. 

The Cottagers have picked up 86 points so far and have a goal difference of 61 after scoring 98 goals this season.

Their top scorer with 40 goals so far is Aleksandar Mitrovic who is a top player at this level and there's no doubt their squad is made up of good players.

Here, we take a look at the cost of Fulham's squad this season to see how it compares to the rest of the club's in the Championship, via football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

Fulham are the top spenders in the Championship this season with the cost of their squad at £233million.

To put it in perspective, the closest club to them is Bournemouth who's squad costs £198.6million and the lowest spenders in the league Blackpool spent just £1.4million.

Therefore, it's clear there is a massive gulf between the amount of money teams have at their disposal in the league.

It's clear that the money Fulham have to spend plays a part in their ability to be successful.

Of the top five spenders in the league, three make up the top six places whilst the remaining two sit firmly in mid-table.

However, teams such as Luton prove that money is not all that matters in the league. The Hatters are the second lowest spenders in the league with a £3.4million bill yet they currently sit fourth in the table.

Huddersfield and Forest who make up the top six, sit 12th and 14th in the spending table too.

 

 

Furthermore, of the teams that make up the bottom four - Derby are the 6th highest spenders. Although it's worth remembering that they are where they are in the table also thanks to a -21 points deduction.

Peterborough and Barnsley are the fourth and eighth lowest spenders respectively which can be reflected in there league position.

However Reading are the 13th biggest spenders and spent more than Huddersfield this season yet sit just above the relegation zone.

Therefore whilst it clear that money will have helped Fulham build a strong team, it is not the only factor behind their success and they must be credited for the way that they have been able to build their team and create their winning ways on the pitch.