Soccer

Premier League biggest spenders but other leagues made surplus

La Liga generates net surplus of €112m despite Gareth Bale transfer

Gareth Bale’s €100m fee may have been the highest of the summer but overall Premier League clubs spent far more than they took in. Photograph: Getty Images.
Gareth Bale’s €100m fee may have been the highest of the summer but overall Premier League clubs spent far more than they took in. Photograph: Getty Images.
Wed Sept 04 2013 - 01:00

Premier League clubs may have eclipsed their European rivals in terms of spending during the transfer window but Spain’s and Italy’s top flights have made an overall surplus from player trading.

Deadline day spending of €165 million by England’s top-flight clubs pushed the total splashed out in the summer transfer window to €745 million – smashing the previous record.

In Spain and Italy the spend was €400 million in each league, but the Primera Division (€112 million) and Serie A (€12 million) generated net surpluses despite Gareth Bale’s world record €100 million transfer to Real Madrid.

In Germany’s Bundesliga, the net spend was only €60 million compared to €470 million in England.

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The advent of Uefa’s financial fair play measures, plus economic difficulties in those countries, appear to have contributed to a more prudent approach.

Analysis by Deloitte said Premier League clubs’ gross spending on players was 29 per cent up on the 2012 figure of €578 million and €155 million more than the previous record of €590 million set in 2008.

Alex Thorpe, consultant in Deloitte’s sports business group, said each Premier League club is benefiting from a share of an extra €700 million of TV revenues this season after the negotiation of huge new broadcasting contracts.

“Whereas many clubs around Europe have been reliant on selling players in order to spend, the financial advantages Premier League clubs enjoy has enabled net spending of €472 million across the league,” said Mr Thorpe.

The four English clubs competing in this season’s Champions League – Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United – accounted for for €270 million, 37 per cent of the total.

With Tottenham having spent some €120 million it means the leading five clubs last season made up more than half of all spending.

“The story of this summer transfer window is of new records: a new record for Premier League spending as well as a new world transfer record fee. Premier League clubs’ gross spending this summer is €745 million, beating the previous record of €590 million set in 2008. Whilst the sale of Gareth Bale brought €100 million into the Premier League, net spending is also a record, at €472 million,” said Deloitte’s Dan Jones.

Top-flight clubs spent about €165 million on deadline day, including deals taking Mesut Ozil to Arsenal for €50 million and Marouane Fellaini to Manchester United for €32 million compared to €130 million on the same day last year.