By Mark Baber
February 4 – Premier League clubs have spent an estimated £130 million in this year’s transfer window, probably equivalent to last year’s spending (based on figures for individual transfers leaked to the media) with about half the total spending accounted for by Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
35 players left Premier League clubs on permanent transfers during this window – 10 to clubs abroad and nine to other Premier League clubs.
Premier League clubs also brought in 10 players on loan – 4 from abroad. There were four intra-Premier League loans, one involving Arsenal, despite Arsene Wenger’s professed desire that intra-Premier League transfers should be banned.
49 players returned to Premier League clubs from loan spells with other clubs, whilst 87 players were loaned out to other clubs, the majority until the end of the season. Tottenham led the way on loaning out players – sending eight to lower league clubs and Aaron Lennon to Everton.
Despite the failure to break the £225 million record for the January window seen in January 2011, 2014/15 is a record for transfers across both windows, with more than £950 million having been spent, compared to the previous record of £760m in 2013/2014.
The overall spending was boosted significantly on the final day which saw 114 loans and transfers completed including Chelsea’s reported payment of £23.3 million payment for Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina, part-funded by the sale of Andre Schurrle to Vfl Wolfsburg.
Whilst attention has focused on the multi-million pound deals at the top end of the scale, two players, Callum Roberts and Reece Oxford, were awarded contracts from trainee status by Premier League clubs, Newcastle United and West Ham respectively.
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