Last week’s transfer window deadline had football fans and pundits on the edge of their seats, as they poised for details of the latest signings. Facebook and Twitter were rife with rumours and speculation. Premier League clubs had spent a mammoth £835m by close of business last Monday, positively dwarfing last year’s collective spend of £630m.
Man United splash out
It came as no surprise that Manchester United topped the list of English clubs, with an eye-watering final bill of £150m according to City Index. A huge chunk of the spends went to signing 26 year old Real Madrid winger, Angel Di Maria, who cost a cool £59.7m. The team also took on Monaco’s Radamel Flacao, 28, who was part of a £6m loan deal. If he fits the Manchester United mould, the club have also been given the option to sign him for £43.5m in the summer 2015 season.
A suave £75m for Suarez
Liverpool sold their controversial forward, Luis Suarez, for £75m to Barcelona, giving them a considerable amount of spending power. Their final transfer bill came in at £117m, with £50m of that going to Southampton for three players; Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren.
Chelsea Dagger
Chelsea spent a total of £91.3m on their transfers, with notable signings from Spain. They welcomed Filipe Luis and Diego Costa from Madrid, and midfielder Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona. Other notable transfers this summer included Arsenal’s signing of Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez. At £35m, he was the second biggest signing of the season.
Lucrative TV deal
The Premier League transfer spend has seen a significant year-on-year increase, suggesting that we may soon see the total figure top the £1bn sooner rather than later. The sharp increase is down to the huge amount of money being pumped into the clubs from lucrative TV deals. 2013 marked the beginning of a three year deal with Sky and BT, which was worth a staggering £3.018bn – 70% more than the previous deal.
Whilst many have suggested these figures are outrageous, football agent Rachel Anderson was quick to defend the spending culture within the Premier League, telling BBC Sport:
“Is the spending reckless? It depends how you look at it. If you compare the spending to normal people in normal life then, yes, it is reckless. But if you compare it to blockbuster movies or a singer from a TV reality show who can’t sing very well, then it is worth it. It is worth it for the entertainment they produce.”