In football, the data suggests that the more a team spends on wages, the better they will perform on the pitch.
According to economist Stefan Szymanski, there is a ‘significant relationship between wages and league standing’ - something that has been evident in the Premier League again this season.
However, because of sport’s unpredictability, there have also been a few outliers to the theory this season.
Eddie Howe’s side secured an 11th place finish in the league this season – but how does that compare to their standing in the Premier League’s wage table?
Here, courtesy of data provided by football finance expert Kieran Maguire, we take a look at how the Premier League wage table looks based on the latest figures available and how each club performed against it this season.
However, because of sport’s unpredictability, there have also been a few outliers to the theory this season.