PARIS, Feb 9 — Football clubs worldwide spent a January transfer record US$1.57 billion (RM6.78 billion) last month, a Fifa report said today, as the number of international transfers for the winter window reached an all-time high.
Fuelled by heavy spending from English Premier League clubs, the total outlay represented a near 50 per cent increase from the same period last year — and eclipsed the January 2018 record by some US$230 million.
English clubs accounted for 57.3 per cent of the overall spend after splashing out a combined US$898.6 million, with Chelsea alone forking out £320 million (RM1.68 billion) on eight new players.
France came in a distant second at US$131.9 million.
The number of international transfers for the January window also reached new highs — there were 4,387 in men’s football and 341 in the women’s game.
The US$774,300 spent in transfer fees in women’s football also set a new January record — rising by 58.7 per cent compared to last year and a 14-fold increase on the 2019 winter window.
Fifa last month published its global transfer report for 2022, with clubs spending some US$6.5 billion on international transfers — an increase on the two previous years as football recovers from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. — AFP
