The Biggest Spenders And Record Breakers Of The Transfer Window

Although the transfer window for English and Scottish league clubs has closed, the deals made were substantial.

Premier League teams spent a total of over £1.96 billion this summer, more than double the amount spent by Serie A, their nearest rival.

Eight clubs in the Premier League broke their transfer records. But which club made the best deals? Who were the biggest spenders? And which club didn’t spend much?

Mikel Merino joined Arsenal, and Manuel Ugarte moved to Manchester United. Who else could have moved before the transfer window closed?

Here’s a look at how the transfer deadline day unfolded and the significant deals made.

After the transfer window closed, major deals were announced. Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling joined Arsenal on loan for one season, and the Blues confirmed the signing of Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho on a similar deal.

Both transfers required deal sheets, extending the deadline by two hours, keeping fans waiting late into the night for confirmation.

England striker Ivan Toney completed a £40 million move from Brentford to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.

Before allowing Sancho to leave, Manchester United made the highest fee of the day, signing Paris Saint-Germain and Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte for an initial £42.1 million, potentially rising to £50.5 million with add-ons. This move balanced out with the departure of Scott McTominay to Serie A side Napoli for £25.7 million.

Forward Eddie Nketiah also moved from Arsenal to Crystal Palace in a deal worth around £30 million.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, they couldn’t secure a striker of their choice, as their bid for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen fell through.

Before the window closed, Arsenal sold goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to Southampton for £25 million.

How Much Did Title Contenders Spend?

Record Premier League champions Manchester City had the lowest net spending among Premier League clubs, making a profit of £115.8 million. They spent £21.4 million on Brazilian winger Savinho but also sold players like Julian Alvarez and Joao Cancelo, which contributed to their profit.

None of the top three teams from last season excelled in net spending. Arsenal spent £93.9 million, including £38.4 million on Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori and £27.4 million each on Spanish players David Raya and Mikel Merino, but recouped £76.8 million from sales.

Liverpool’s purchases included midfielder Federico Chiesa and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, but they sold Fabio Carvalho, Sepp van den Berg, and Bobby Clark, making a profit of £14.4 million.

Manchester City, having won four consecutive Premier League titles, face 115 charges of alleged financial rule breaches, which they deny.

A Busy Window for Chelsea

Chelsea had a bustling transfer window. Since Todd Boehly took over in May 2022, their total outlay has exceeded £1.3 billion. They sold more players than they bought, offloading 12 players and acquiring 10, spending over £203 million in total.

The Blues ended with a net spending of £46.5 million, more than 12 other Premier League clubs. Notable sales included Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid for £35.6 million, Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa for £38 million, and Romelu Lukaku to Napoli for £28.2 million.

This amount does not include Belgian goalkeeper Mike Penders, who will join Chelsea next summer for around £17 million, or Brazilian Estevao Willian, who will also join next season for £29 million.

Brighton and Record-Breaking Transfers

Brighton had the highest net spending in the Premier League at £153.6 million from an outlay of £195.7 million. They broke their own transfer record with a £39.9 million purchase of Georginio Rutter from Leeds, £29.9 million for Yankuba Minteh from Newcastle, and more than £25 million each for Ferdi Kadioglu, Brajan Gruda, Mats Wieffer, and Ibrahim Osman.

Brighton sold Billy Gilmour for £12 million on deadline day and Denis Undav for £22 million earlier in the window, generating some revenue.

Newly promoted Ipswich had the next highest net spending at £107.6 million.

Brighton wasn’t the only club breaking transfer records. Bournemouth bought striker Evanilson for an initial £31.7 million, Brentford signed Igor Thiago for £30 million, and Fulham purchased Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe for an initial £27 million. Aston Villa, Ipswich, Nottingham Forest, and Tottenham also set new transfer records.

Promoted Clubs Spend Big

The three promoted clubs spent significantly to improve their chances of staying up and avoiding relegation. Ipswich and Southampton each spent over £100 million, while Leicester spent more than £75 million.

Ipswich invested £109 million in 10 players, including Chelsea’s Omari Hutchinson for £20 million after a successful loan. Southampton’s signings, including the deadline-day arrival of Ramsdale, came from various divisions.

Leicester City’s acquisitions came exclusively from top divisions, with four of their seven signings from the Premier League and one each from the Italian, Portuguese, and Belgian leagues.

League One’s Record Transfer

From the Premier League to League One, Birmingham set a new record by signing Fulham striker Jay Stansfield for over £10 million on deadline day. The previous record for League One transfers was Sunderland’s £4 million signing of Will Grigg from Wigan Athletic in 2019.

This pushed Birmingham’s total spending to £30 million, a significant amount for League One.

Stansfield, 21, returns to St Andrew after scoring 12 goals on loan for Birmingham last season and winning the Player of the Year award. He had scored for Fulham in a recent match against Birmingham before his switch.