Premier League clubs completed the second-highest spending January in history – with a total of £295m spent – as Tottenham made the biggest moves on deadline day.
A total of 12 Premier League transfers on deadline day took spending to the highest total since 2018’s £430m as clubs appear to have recovered from the effects Covid had on finances.
Premier League clubs only spent £70m in January 2021, and less than £10m on deadline day.
Twelve months on, Spurs signed two Juventus players for at least £24m, sold England midfielder Dele Alli to Frank Lampard’s Everton for a fee of up to £40m and loaned out three players.
Newcastle brought in two Premier League defenders, while Manchester City and Burnley recruited strikers for more than £10m.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left Arsenal for Barcelona on a free transfer, while Juventus loaned Aaron Ramsey to Scottish champions Rangers.
Over half of the money spent by Premier League clubs (£150m) came from the bottom five clubs – Everton, Norwich, Newcastle, Watford and Burnley. Last year the bottom five spent a total of £5m.
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.”
Europe’s other top four leagues combined spent 380m euros (£317m), only £2m more than the Premier League and EFL combined.
Premier League clubs’ net spending (the cost of purchases minus sales) of £180m is the highest since the January transfer window was introduced in 2003. (BBC)
