Premier League transfer spending down on last year as clubs hesitate in spending TV windfall
An anticipated record-breaking close-season transfer splurge by Premier League clubs has yet to materialise, with spending slower than last summer, according to Deloitte.
English top-flight teams shelled out £475m in July, £40m down on the £515m they spent 12 months earlier and significantly short of a predicted £1bn total gross outlay for the transfer window.
Buoyed by an increase in broadcast revenues, however, Premier League sides are still tipped to near the £1bn mark by the end of August, with a flurry of big deals currently in the offing.
Manchester City’s £37m signing of Germany youngster Leroy Sane has given a significant boost to the 2016 figure, while neighbours Manchester United remain poised to pay £100m for France star Paul Pogba.
City could yet spend big again on Everton’s John Stones, while the nearing of the deadline, which this year falls on 31 August, typically prompts more frenzied activity.
“The prospect of increased revenue from the new broadcast deals next season has encouraged Premier League clubs to invest in this window in order to be as competitive as possible,” said Alex Thorpe of Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.
“With a month of the window still to go, some significant deals in the pipeline and a number of clubs yet to enter the market, we may see another summer of record Premier League spending, possibly breaking the £1bn barrier for the first time.”