European Football Clubs Spent 鈧3.3bn on New Transfer Deals, 40% Less Than in 2019

The year 2019 has witnessed a record value of football transfer deals, with clubs in Europe鈥檚 鈥淏ig five鈥 leagues spending 鈧5.5bn, 鈧900m more than the 2018 summer transfer window. However, with far less money available to football clubs and a steep drop in footballers鈥 value, the coronavirus outbreak triggered a sharp fall both in the volume of transactions and transfer fees. According to data presented by SafeBettingSites, the combined value of 1,381 transfer deals completed in the 2020 summer transfer window hit 鈧3.3bn value, a 40% plunge year-over-year.

Premier League Clubs Completed 鈧1.6bn Worth of Deals, 48% of Total Deal Value this Season

As the leading European football league in terms of revenue and brand value, the Premier League also tops the list of completed transfers deals in season 2020/2021. During the 2020 summer transfer window, Premier League鈥檚 clubs spent a total of 鈧1.6bn on acquiring players, almost 50% of total transfer deal value this season, revealed the TransferMarkt and The Guardian data. Statistics show that Kai Havertz鈥檚 鈧80 million worth transfer from Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea represents the most valuable deal in Premier League and Europe in the 2020/2021 season.

With 鈧882.3 million spent on 353 transfer deals, Italy鈥檚 Serie A ranked as the second-leading football league in Europe. On September 1st, a former Lille player Victor Osimhen signed a five-year contract for SSC Napoli with a transfer fee of 鈧70 million, the most valuable deal in Serie A this season, and the third-largest in Europe. Statistics also show the market value of the 21-year old centre-forward player jumped by 鈧10 million in 2020, growing from 鈧30 million in December 2019 to 鈧40 million in August.

Spanish La Liga ranked third among the European football leagues, with its clubs spending 鈧807.1 million on 256 transfers. The TransferMarkt data revealed that Arthur Melo鈥檚 鈧72 million worth transfer from Barcelona to Juventus represents the most valuable deal in Spain this season and the second-most valuable in Europe.

Top Three Football Transfers hit 鈧222 Million Value

The Guardian and TransferMarkt data revealed that football clubs competing in the French Ligue 1 spent a total of 鈧736.9 million on 323 transfer deals at the start of the new season, ranking in the fourth place among the 鈥淏ig five鈥 European leagues. Bundesliga clubs follow, with 鈧600.7 million worth of transfer deals, respectively.

In 2019, the combined value of the three most valuable football transfers amounted to 鈧323 million. Joao Felix鈥檚 鈧126 million worth transfer from Benfica to Atletico Madrid represented the biggest deal last year. Antoine Griezmann鈥檚 transfer from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona and Eden Hazard鈥檚 transfer from Chelsea to Real Madrid followed, with 鈧120m a 鈧100m value, respectively.

Statistics indicate the combined value of the top three football transfers in the season 2020/2021 hit 鈧222 million, 31% less compared to last year鈥檚 three most valuable deals.