There was Norwich City. There was Southampton and Hull City. There was even - spectacularly - Leicester City, for a period: clubs punching above their weight by buying well, developing players and producing impactful individuals who Champions League-level teams would inevitably look to spend big on.
Each of those have found that it only takes a couple too many sales or a summer of failing to reinvest well to fall away from their upward arc. At times it’s not even that; just a year or two of not selling at the right time to maximise income and renewal opportunities can prove costly.
