EPL clubs smash spending record
SMART WORK While the £1.4b figure dwarfs the other European leagues, the teams are spending well within their means
English football clubs splurged on the final day of the transfer window, laying out £210 million to take total gross spending to a record-high £1.4 billion as the Premier League again flexed its unrivalled financial muscles.
Figures from Deloitte’s Sports Business Group showed a 23 per cent rise from the previous record, set last summer. The spending would have been even higher had several proposed transfers gone through as expected on Thursday.
Even so, Premier League clubs are not breaking the bank, despite the lucrative domestic and overseas broadcast deals.
“Importantly, and when analysed in the context of generating record broadcast, commercial and matchday revenues, Premier League clubs are spending well within their means,” Dan Jones, a partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said.
“For the last 15 years, annual transfer spending has remained within the range of between a fifth and a third, and averaged at around a quarter, of total revenues.”
Based on income estimates for the Premier League’s 20 clubs this season, the £1.4 billion of new signings represent an average of 31 per cent of total revenue per club, down from 2008-09, when the figure peaked at 34 per cent. Watford’s net spending of £41 million was the highest compared with income at 44 per cent.
Premier League spending during the window dwarfed that of other top European leagues. Serie A’s total of £735 million was the next highest figure, followed by Ligue 1 at £590, the Bundesliga at £510 million and La Liga, where the window closes on Friday, at £500 million.
Spain’s top three clubs — Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid — all made a profit in the window, according to figures from Bonus Code Bets. Germany’s Borussia Dortmund earned the biggest profit as a share of revenue (30 per cent), while Italy’s AC Milan spending left it with a deficit of €162 million, representing 76 per cent of their total income.
Kyle Walker (£45.90m), Bernardo Silva (£45m), Ederson (£36m), Danilo (£27m), Douglas Luiz (£10.80m), Olarenwaju Kayode (£3.42m) While deals for Alexis Sánchez and Jonny Evans did not materialise, Pep Guardiola will be happy how the transfer window has gone for City. They look the strongest among those challenging for the title but the caveat could be not signing a holding midfielder to support Fernandinho.
Nemanja Matic (£40.23m), Victor Lindelof (£31.50m) Jose Mourinho’s three additions have added steel to the Red Devils. The physical presence of Lukaku upfront and Matic in the midfield must give him the confidence as he looks to bring back the title to Old Trafford.
Serge Aurier (£22.50m), Fernando Llorente (£11.70m), Juan Foyth (£8.10m) The priority for Mauricio Pochettino was to retain the players to keep the continuity going and he has managed to do so with only Kyle Walker leaving Spurs. While they haven’t gone overboard with their spendings, they have nonetheless added quality to the squad. Tiemoue Bakayoko (£36m), Danny Drinkwater (£34.20m), Antonio Rudiger (£31.50m), Davide Zappacosta (£25.20m) Manager Antonio Conte has been disgruntled throughout the window, but the Blues’ new additions have already put in worthy contributions which will keep the challengers on their toes when they square-off. While some last minute activity didn’t go as per plan, the Italian would be content with the squad. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (£34.20m), Andrew Robertson (£8.10m) Signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain provided not only a welcome change for Liverpool but also important depth to the squad. With Mohamed Salah and Dominic Solanke on board, and all efforts from Barcelona to sign Philippe Coutinho so far resisted, Liverpool look far stronger than last season. Sead Kolasinac (Free transfer) The Gunners managed to hold onto star forward Alexis Sanchez for one more season and strengthened their attacking options with the addition of Frenchman Alexandre Lacazette. But their weakest departments — midfield and defence — haven’t been spruced up.
Manchester United defender Phil Jones has expressed bemusement over the two-game suspension given to him by UEFA for insulting a doping official after last season’s Europa League final.
Jones was also fined €5,000 for “insulting and abusive language towards the doping control officer” and a “lack of co-operation and respect” following United’s 2-0 win over Ajax in Stockholm in May.
“To be honest, I couldn’t believe it,” he told reporters ahead of England’s World Cup qualifier against Malta in Ta’Qali on Friday.
“It’s slightly harsh. You see players go in for leg-breaking challenges and they get a onegame ban or a two-game ban. I could understand if I didn’t comply with the rules, but I did.”
top clubs had spent a record €600 million by the time the transfer window closed on Thursday with Bayern Munich boss Uli Hoeness wary of the spiralling prices.
Bayern set a new club and Bundesliga record when they signed French midfielder Corentin Tolisso from Lyon for €41.5 million in June.
“At the moment, this is a
A vote of no confidence against Barcelona’s beleaguered board was launched by a disgruntled member of the club on Friday with the aim of removing president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Agusti Benedito, who lost out to Bartomeu in club elections in 2015, attended the club’s offices at the Camp Nou stadium to request the ballot papers necessary for his censure motion.
“The crisis at Barcelona is social, institutional and economic,” said Benedito.
Dejan Lovren testified on Friday in the multi-million euro corruption trial of former Dinamo Zagreb boss Zdravko Mamic, considered the most powerful man in Croatian football.
Lovren, 28, appeared as a witness to provide details on his 2010 transfer from Dinamo to French side Lyon.