By Paul Nicholson
February 1 – After two windows of relative low spend, the transfer market has roared back in the Premier League with total spending of £295 million, driven in large part by the £85 million spent by Newcastle United in their bid to avoid relegation.
The Premier League spend more than quadrupling last year’s total of £70 million, and according to analysis by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, is the second highest January transfer spend ever.
“Gross expenditure (i.e. before including player sales) in the January 2022 window exceeded pre-COVID levels – Jan 2022: £295 million, Jan 2016-20 five year average: £246 million,” said Deloitte.
“Premier League clubs recruited 36 players overall in the window, down in comparison to an average of 42 in the Jan 2018-20 windows, but up by 16 in comparison to 2021 (20).”
Transfer spending across Europe’s other ‘Big 5’ leagues also showed growth but did not reach the spectacular level of the Premier League’s spending power and at a combined €380 million is still €280 million below the January 2020 total of €660 million.
Gross transfer spend across the other ‘big five’ European leagues (La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1) stands at a combined €380m, a €185m increase on January 2021, but still €280m below the total of January 2020 (€660 million). Serie A were the biggest spenders after the Premier League at £144 million
Spending by La Liga clubs lept 275% to €75m million and Ligue 1 clubs by 225% to €65 million. The Bundesliga clubs’ gross spend of €60 million was an increase of 20% from January 2021.
Dan Jones, partner and head of the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: “This transfer window indicates that the financial pressures of COVID on Premier League clubs are easing, with spending firmly back to pre-pandemic levels and remarkably among the highest we’ve ever seen in January.
“The Premier League continues to lead the way globally, retaining its status as the world’s biggest domestic football league in financial terms, once again supported by full stadia and securing strong overseas broadcast deals.”
The five clubs at the bottom of the Premier League spent a combined £150 million, more than 50% of total Premier League expenditure. Deloitte points out that their gross spend is up £145 million on that of clubs in the same position during last year’s January window, which contributed just 7% (£5 million) of the overall total (£70 million).
“Other large European leagues are also edging back to higher spending, but it is Premier League clubs that have notched up the largest total spend in this transfer window, spending almost £150 million more than Serie A clubs, the closest competitor,” said Jones.
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