Skip to main content

The changing transfer market

Transfer spending across Europe's top five leagues is estimated to have fallen by 61 per cent as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic according to a report by CEBR: https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/january-transfer-spend-expected-to-fall-by-61-due-to-covid19-pandemic-b917928.html

The transfer market in the UK held up well in the summer when more than £1bn was spent by top English clubs.  However, it was distorted by one or two clubs with unlimited funds.

The winter window is usually quieter than the summer one.  Even so, Premier League clubs spent £230m in last year's pre-pandemic transfer window.   They have spent just £65.1m so far this month.  The last time the total was below £100m was in 2012.

In addition to the effect of the pandemic which has made clubs more reluctant to spend money, Brexit has also been a factor.  All foreign players must adhere to a new points-based system, based on factors such as how often they have played in top leagues or national teams.   There are also new limits on the number of players under the age of 21 who can be signed by clubs.

One signing that has satisfied Home Office rules was the £37m capture of Amad Diallo by Manchester United from Atlanta.  He applied for the visa in person in Rome.  It will make more difficult the recruitment of little known players such as Leicester City's signing of Mahrez in 2013 from Ligue 2 Le Havre.

With under 18s stopped from moving to UK teams from overseas altogether, clubs will no longer be able to fill their academies with the best European players, arguably creating more opportunities for younger British players.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fulham requires big funding from owner

After lengthy delays, Fulham’s shiny, new Riverside Stand has finally opened, creating “a unique Thameside destination with first class facilities for supporters and partners on match days, as well as for the wider community year-round”. This ambitious project has increased Craven Cottage’s capacity by around 4,000 to 29,600, while it has also taken advantage of the club’s fantastic location and wealthy catchment area by including two Michelin star restaurants, a rooftop swimming pool, corporate hospitality and event space, all benefiting from views of the Thames. Chief executive Alistair Mackintosh observed, “Fulham is the sort of club that can have a business class or first class and have fans that turn left on a plane.” Indeed, there is also an exclusive members club – with a football season ticket as an optional extra. It’s fair to say that “the times they are a-changing”, as this is a long way from the traditional pie and a pint. However, in a world where clubs face the tw...
Post a Comment
Read more

Threat of financial calamity removed from Baggies

West Bromwich Albion had effectively been in decline ever since the club was sold to a Chinese consortium in August 2016, paying a figure north of £200m to buy former owner Jeremy Peace’s stake. Controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai’s ownership was fairly disastrous for the club, but his unloved tenure finally came to an end after Bilkul Football WBA, a company ultimately owned by Florida-based entrepreneur Shilen Patel and his father Dr Kiran Patel, acquired an 87.8% shareholding in West Bromwich Albion Group Limited, the parent company of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. This change in ownership was urgently required, due to the numerous financial problems facing West Brom, including growing high-interest debt and serious cash flow concerns, following years of no investment from the former owner. Indeed, West Brom’s auditors had already rung the alarm bell in the 2021/22 accounts when they cast doubt on the club’s ability to continue as a going concern without making player s...
1 comment
Read more

A poor financial record, but new hope at Everton

I recently saw an amusing video online in which a group of Everton fans were rebuked in jest for being hopeful.  Football fans in general tend to swing between excessive optimism and excessive pessimism, but for many it seems that moaning is in their bloodstream (Spurs fans probably take the trophy).  However, Everton fans have had plenty to moan about on and off the pitch.   Let’s hope that a new era is about to begin for this grand old club. Everton’s 2023/24 financial results covered a fairly momentous season, when they ended up 15th in the Premier League, though they would finished three places higher if they had not received an 8-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR). It was a worrying time for Everton fans, as the club faced a “perfect storm” of issues, including large financial losses, an ever increasing debt burden, a challenging stadium build and the tortuous sale of the club. There were eve...
Post a Comment
Read more