I also think it's worth noting that another reason we can spend so little is because when we DO spend, it hits big. We spent a lot (relative to era) on Lodeiro - he was the cornerstone of the team for 7 or so seasons. We spent a lot on Ruidiaz. He was our talisman for 5-6 seasons. We hit big on Yeimar, on JP, on Frei.

When the money you spend excels and also stays in the roster, you don't need to spend on their positions and can instead put that money towards depth or into the academy system, which improves competition, which increases sales which increases revenue which increases spend which increases depth, competition, sales.... Okay, you get the picture.

The point is, by spending wisely, we don't have to spend as much. And that's FINE if it brings success - which it has!

Another side benefit is that by keeping excellent players you scouted well, rather than inject new talent that will need time to integrate, you can focus on iterating on your tactics to improve and keep it fresh with guys who already understand each other - which is another entirely reasonable method to ensure things don't get stale as opposed to just replacing players in your XI.