sport news Premier League January spending dwarfs Serie A and LaLiga trends now

sport news Premier League January spending dwarfs Serie A and LaLiga trends now
sport news Premier League January spending dwarfs Serie A and LaLiga trends now

sport news Premier League January spending dwarfs Serie A and LaLiga trends now

Premier League clubs made a mockery of the belief the January transfer window is a difficult one with a record £815million shopping spree.

Powered by Chelsea's aggressive spending, England's top-flight flexed its financial muscles once again with the enormous gulf between it and the other top European leagues painfully apparent.

Chelsea alone spent more than all clubs in Serie A, LaLiga, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga combined, with even low-ranking Premier League sides able to poach top quality players from leading European clubs.

The problem has never been more acute in Spain and Italy, where a combined January spend of £50m barely made a dent in Premier League outlay.

It's a situation that is breeding frustration and resentment in those countries as the reputation of their competitions diminishes.

Premier League clubs splashed out £815m in the January window, with Chelsea leading the way by signing £107m Enzo Fernandez and others to dwarf other European leagues

Premier League clubs splashed out £815m in the January window, with Chelsea leading the way by signing £107m Enzo Fernandez and others to dwarf other European leagues

Real Madrid had a very quiet January window

It was the same story at crisis-hit Juventus in Italy

In contrast to the Premier League, financial constraints meant the likes of Real Madrid in Spain (left) and Juventus in Italy (right) were unable to spend at all

THE VIEW FROM SPAIN - PETE JENSON

As far as LaLiga is concerned this huge gulf in spending isn't really down to the pandemic or the gulf in television revenue, it's a direct consequence of Spain's competition having strict rules on what teams can and can't spend and the Premier League being a wild west free-for-all.

'The British market is a doped market,' said Javier Tebas the day after window creaked shut in Spain with barely a deal being done.

'You can see it clearly in this winter market where Chelsea have made almost half the signings in the Premier League.

'The Premier League is a competition that loses billions of pounds in the last few years. And this is financed with contributions from the patrons, in this case large American investors who finance at a loss. 

'This does not happen in the Spanish league and neither does it happen in the German league. 

'In our control of economic sustainability we do not allow contributions to cover losses in these barbaric amounts and that is what makes the difference in the markets.'

It's true that Spanish clubs' finances are policed more strictly than any other league in Europe with clubs obliged to offer up economic data and financial projections before every window so a 'maximum squad spend' can be calculated.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas was especially vocal about the Premier League's spending, calling it a 'doped market'

LaLiga president Javier Tebas was especially vocal about the Premier League's spending, calling it a 'doped market' 

Barcelona were another Spanish club to have a quiet January amid their financial strife

Barcelona were another Spanish club to have a quiet January amid their financial strife 

Gross January spend in top European leagues  

Premier League - £815m

Ligue 1 - £110m

Bundesliga. - £60m

LaLiga - £25m

Serie A - £25m

Source: Deloitte

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Tebas did admit: 'We also have to recognise that commercially they (Premier League) have a higher turnover than us, but not in the volume of this difference. 

'It is quite dangerous that the markets are doped, inflated, as has been happening in recent years in Europe, because they can jeopardise the sustainability of European football.'

A couple of Todd Boehly type figures in Spanish football would certainly boost LaLiga spending levels but wealthy investors would want the big two clubs in Spain if they were to enter the market, and both Real Madrid and Barcelona are member-owned and so therefore out of bounds. 

Other clubs are not as attractive, perhaps because of the restrictions on spending levels not backed up by revenue. 

Tebas would argue that for the sake of a now stable financial situation with clubs not in debt to the tax authorities or to each other, and not in danger of going bust – the sacrifice is worth it.

Investors such as Chelsea's Todd Boehly would be unable to buy Barcelona or Real Madrid

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