November 21 – The latest CIES Football Observatory analysis charts the Premier League’s staggering net transfer deficit of €11.6 billion over the past decade, in comparison to other leagues worldwide.
In light of the Lassana Diarra case that could fundamentally change the movement of players between clubs and impact the liquidity of the transfer market, the financial reliance of clubs around the world on the big spending English clubs to buy their players comes into a chilling perspective.
The next two leagues with the biggest deficits are the Saudi Pro League (-€1.8 billion) and Serie A (-€1.5 billion).
The Saudi Pro League has been close to keeping pace with the Premier League on a year-by-year basis, after only two years of competitive spending. In that time, the kingdom has welcomed the likes of Neymar Junior (€90 million) and Moussa Diaby (€60 million) as its most expensive intakes. However, with rules restricting the number of overseas players a club can have in their squad and field on match day, how much further the Saudis will go in the transfer market remains to be seen – the last transfer window has already seen a slow down in Saudi transfer business.
The Portuguese Primeira Liga leads in positive transfer balances, generating a surplus of €2.4 billion, followed by the Dutch Eredivisie, the Brasileirão, and the English Championship (each around +€1.5 billion).
To see the full data click here.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1734907932labto1734907932ofdlr1734907932owedi1734907932sni@g1734907932niwe.1734907932yrrah1734907932