Transfer spending by Premier League clubs is £800m down on last summer as the window enters its final week.
According to data from Football Transfers, external, clubs splashed a record £2.3bn on new signings in summer 2023 but have paid out £1.5bn – so far – in the current window.
The overall spending for the 2024 calendar year (£1.6bn) is also well down on 2023 (£3.1bn), although that gap will close in the coming days as deals are done right up to Friday’s deadline.
English top-flight clubs have completed the same amount of deals as La Liga (both 105) during the summer window, fewer than their Serie A (115) and Bundesliga (135) counterparts, and more than Ligue 1 teams (78).
However, the total amount spent by the Premier League remains significantly higher than the other four top European leagues – Italy (£617m), France (£529m), Spain (£435m) and Germany (£462m).
The number of loan deals into the Premier League has also decreased, with only five compared to 26 last summer.
Premier League clubs spent just £100m in the January transfer window. That was the lowest figure since January 2012 (£60m) – excluding the January 2021 window (£70m) when activities were restricted by the pandemic.
The summer window has followed that trend, with experts citing compliance with profit and sustainability rules (PSR) as one factor.
There was a flurry of business between the window opening on 14 June and 30 June, prompted by the end of the Premier League’s financial year.
Clubs cannot lose more than £105m over a three-year period – and less if they have spent some of that time in the Championship.
“There are still five days to go, but aside from Chelsea and spending from promoted Ipswich and ambitious Brighton, it does seem to be a more subdued and considered market than normal,” said Paul MacDonald of Football Transfers.
“PSR and the perceived over-inflated value of players in the market – particularly when it comes to Premier League-to-Premier League transfers – have meant most teams are generally being more prudent around arrivals, but also around the values of those players.”
