Liverpool’s £123m Bradley Barcola signing takes Premier League spending to £3bn
Premier League clubs are on course to threaten last year’s record £3.1bn summer spending on deadline day after Liverpool completed the £123m signing of Bradley Barcola.
Teams in England’s top division have already shelled out around £3bn in the current window, which is set to close across Europe tomorrow night at 11pm.
That leaves them around just £100m short of the benchmark set last summer, when Premier League clubs flexed their collective financial muscle to an unprecedented degree.
Barcola, who completed his move from back-to-back Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on Monday, is the most expensive signing of the window by an English club.
His arrival marks the third time Liverpool have spent more than £100m on a player in little over a year, following last year’s signings of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.
Manchester City, meanwhile, signed Brazilian winger Allan Elias from Palmeiras as a £34m replacement for his compatriot Savinho, who joined Tottenham Hotspur last week.
Nottingham Forest finalised the arrival of Colombia right-back Daniel Munoz from Crystal Palace in a £22m transfer that reunites him with manager Oliver Glasner.
Among the big deals which could yet push the total past the 2025 mark are City’s proposed double swoop for Enzo Fernandez and Cody Gakpo.
Chelsea have priced Argentina midfielder Fernandez at £120m, while City’s purchase of forward Gakpo from Liverpool is reported to carry a fee of £85m.
Deadline day set to be busy for Premier League clubs
Tottenham Hotspur and Everton could also be busy on deadline day, with the clubs discussing the transfer of Senegal winger Iliman Ndiaye from Merseyside to north London and a possible move the other way for Brazil forward Richarlison.
Everton have also shown interest in signing Monaco’s USA striker Folarin Balogun, who was at the centre of a red card row at this summer’s World Cup.
Liverpool are set to sign 18-year-old Belgian goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Genk for £30m and are thought to remain in the market for a winger, especially if Gakpo departs.
Ipswich Town and Leeds United both hope to bolster their squads before the cut-off, according to their respective managers Gary O’Neil and Daniel Farke.
Premier League clubs smashed through the £3bn spending barrier last summer, dwarfing the previous high of £2.4bn in 2023, in anticipation of the proceeds from improved central media rights contracts.
This year spending has been driven by the likes of Chelsea and Spurs, both keen to reverse their fortunes under new managers.
City and Newcastle United have also spent heavily, yet could finish the window with a positive trading balance owing to recouping through sales.