But they haven't really 'bought big'.
They have 'bought small' and turned them big.
Having bought small they now have the funds to 'buy bigger' in players like Toney.
We have done the opposite.
Not sure I agree with that.
Most of their successful sell on players were bought for what is a fairly sizeable fee for the leagues they were bought from.
Their scouting has clearly been superb, and they've unearthed plenty of gems, but they've not been cheap purchases at the point they're bought.
They just look cheap after the fact because they've performed and been sold for much more.
I'll take the list from above
Andre Gray - £300,000+ for a player in the National League
Scott Hogan - £750,000 for a player in League Two
Jota - £1m+ for a player from Secunda Division
Chris Mepham - Brentford academy player
Ryan Woods - £1m for a League Two player
Nico Yennaris - Can't find a fee, but they signed him from Arsenal in League One so I imagine it was decent
John Egan - £500,000 for a player from League One
Neal Maupay - £1.2m for a player in Ligue 2
Ezri Konsa - £2.5m for a player from League One
Said Benrahma - £2.7m for a Ligue 1 player who'd spent the previous 2 seasons on loan in Ligue 2.
Ollie Watkins - £1.8m for a player in League Two