English clubs topped expenditure in January but laid out 65 per cent less than last year

England was the most active nation in international transfers this January but spent 65 per cent less than last year, according to new figures released by Fifa.

Almost 60 per cent of recorded spending in the governing body’s international transfer matching system (ITMS) came from clubs in the “big five” nations – England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – with England leading the way with £136 million.

That is a 65 per cent decrease from last January’s recordbreaking mark and the fourthhighest total in the nine winter windows for which the ITMS has been in operation.

The ITMS recorded 591 January signings by clubs from the big five nations, more than 10 per cent up on January 2018, though that includes 117 players returning from loan spells.

Just over 90 per cent of England’s spending came from Premier League clubs, though that was the lowest figure among the five nations – the Bundesliga accounted for more than 98 per cent of Germany’s spending.

Italian clubs spent just over £110m – a 459 per cent increase over last January’s figure, illustrating the volatility of year-to-year spending in the mid-season window. Globally, AC Milan were the biggers spenders, paying £31m each for Krzysztof Piatek and Lucas Paqueta.

Chelsea led the way in England, buying Chrstian Pulisic, pictured, for £56.5m and before immediately loaning him back to Borussia Dortmund, then paying £9m to take Gonzalo Higuain on loan from Juventus.

German and Spanish clubs spent just over £85m each and France almost £73m.

Overall spending across the big five was £490m, down 37.5 per cent on last year but, as Fifa notes, “realigned with the trend observed in previous years”. The global total was (£831.6m), down 19.4 per cent.

0 Christian Pulisic: £56.5m.