Prem pay over odds

THE Premier League’s mountain of TV cash is the gift that keeps on giving – particularly for clubs on the Continent.

England’s top-flight clubs are paying over the odds for almost everyone, particularly after the shortened transfer window kicked in this season.

Rob Wilson, football finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “English clubs pay more than the market value because clubs in Europe know that they can afford it. If you’re an English club buying English talent then you spend more as well.

“The other variable is the transfer window. It closes on August 9, which means clubs have to do business much more quickly.”