In a rare exception nowadays, English clubs didn’t emerge as the biggest spenders in the recently concluded January window. Instead, it was France whose clubs turned out to be the biggest spenders in the winter market. According to the numbers presented by InstantCasino.com, French clubs (Ligue 1 and lower leagues) spent a total of $291.9m in January.
English clubs second biggest spenders with a $184m spending
The recent January window was rare as English clubs, particularly from the Premier League, decided not to flex their financial muscles. A big reason behind this sudden reversal in policy was the ongoing FFP limitations on several clubs.
In the absence of English clubs, it was French clubs from Ligue 1 who decided to take the reins in the window. According to the latest FIFA data, French clubs spent a total of $291.9m on transfers in January. They also had the highest net spend in January at $208.5m. Lucas Beraldo and Gabriel Moscardo’s respective transfers to Paris-Saint Germain were the biggest transfers to France in January.
English clubs, mainly Premier League, were somewhat behind Ligue 1 with a total spend of $184m and a net spend of $122.6m. Radu Drăgușin’s transfer from Genoa to Tottenham was the biggest January arrival in English football.
German clubs were the third biggest spenders in European football in January, with a total spend of $151.8m. However, the German clubs managed a more considerable net spend than the English clubs at $133.1m. Sacha Boey’s move to Bayern Munich was the biggest incoming transfer in German football.
Spanish clubs managed a total spend of $148.7m and a net spend of a mere $78.6m. Vitor Roque’s move to Barcelona was the biggest January transfer in Spain.
Italian clubs were the lowest spenders among the big five league systems, with an expenditure of $82.2m. In fact, Italian clubs managed to turn a profit in the window with a negative net spend of $14.9m.
Portuguese clubs turned a profit of $82m in January
Portuguese clubs were once the biggest earners in a transfer window. Clubs in Portuguese Primeira Liga have been one of the biggest markets for major European clubs, and this was the case in January. Portuguese clubs sold talent worth $132.2m in January to make a net profit of $90.7m.
It was a significantly profitable window for Belgian clubs, too, as they made a net profit of $81.8m in the January window.
You can find the original story with graphs and statistics here: https://instantcasino.com/news/french-clubs-biggest-spenders-in-january-with-a-292m-outlay-on-transfers/
