English clubs spent 80% less on international transfers compared to their record spending in January 2023, a FIFA report released on Tuesday said.
FIFA said the total number of international transfers across men’s and women’s football — meaning players who moved from one country to another — increased to a record 5,073, but English clubs were uncharacteristically measured in their spending.
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English clubs’ restraint on spending has been heavily linked to the Premier League‘s enforcement of Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR) that has seen Everton face a 10-point deduction, as well as an additional charge alongside Nottingham Forest.
Outside of England, spending was mostly unaffected. FIFA said the total amount spent on international transfer fees amounted to $1.46 billion — a reduction of 8.2% compared to last January — although it still marked as the second-highest total in any January window in history.
French clubs spent the most last month after an outlay of $291.9 million.
However, English clubs’ cautious spending did not translate into the women’s game, with Chelsea signing forward Mayra Ramírez from Levante for a world-record fee in the region of €450,000 ($485,000) with a further potential €50,000 in add-ons.
FIFA also said women’s football saw record spending of $2.1m, two-and-a-half times larger than last year.
