The fact that transfer window records have been broken once again is hardly a surprise. Spending by Premiership clubs on the closing day was £210m compared with £155m last year as they scrambled to close last minute deals. Overall spending was a record £1.4bn.
Some widely predicted transfers did not go ahead and some players are stuck in clubs where they are clearly unhappy, leading one commentator to describe the final day as ‘anti-climatic’.
The fact that transfer window records have been broken once again is hardly a surprise. Spending by Premiership clubs on the closing day was £210m compared with £155m last year as they scrambled to close last minute deals. Overall spending was a record £1.4bn.
Some widely predicted transfers did not go ahead and some players are stuck in clubs where they are clearly unhappy, leading one commentator to describe the final day as ‘anti-climatic’.
Sanchez stayed at Arsenal, something which a spokeswoman for Arsenal supporters described as ‘bitter sweet’ on Radio 5. One can predict a media feeding frenzy centred on the idea that Arsenal are in a mess. We can expect a lot of the tall poppy syndrome which is not to deny that the Gooners have big problems.
Some of the details are interesting. Deloitte Sports Business report that Premier League clubs’ summer spending as a proportion of estimated 2017-18 revenue is 31 per cent. Some analysts think that 20 per cent would be a more sustainable figure.
Net expenditure is £665m, £20m less than last summer’s record of £685m. Four clubs received more than they spent in transfer fees – Swansea City, Arsenal, Burnley and Stoke City.
Championship clubs spent £195m on player transfers in the summer 2017 transfer window, a decrease from the £215m spent in 2016.
Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: ‘Premier League clubs have broken their own record for transfer expenditure for the sixth summer in a row.’
‘When analysed in the context of generating record broadcast, commercial and matchday revenues, Premier League clubs are spending well within their means. While the transfer record for a single player has again been broken by a major European club, the Premier League’s clubs enjoy an unrivalled depth of purchasing power, as a result of the league’s relatively equal – and transparent – distribution of broadcast revenues.’