English clubs dominated 2021 transfer spending with £1bn outlay
English clubs outspent their closest rivals in Italy by more than £500m
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.English clubs spent over £1billion on international transfers in 2021 despite the financial uncertainties created by the Covid-19 pandemic, new data published by Fifa shows.
The amount spent was recorded in the world governing body’s figures as 1.386bn US dollars, equating to just over £1billion and dwarfing the second-highest spending country, Italy by more than £500million.
Premier League clubs, chiefly boosted by world-beating broadcasting deals, were the buyers in seven of the 10 biggest transfers in 2021.
These included Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku’s move to Chelsea from Inter Milan, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane’s transfers to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid respectively, and Ibrahima Konate’s arrival at Liverpool from RB Leipzig.
England also topped the league for receipts from outgoing international transfers, generating 548.8m US dollars (just under £400m).
Ten of the top 20 biggest-spending clubs in Europe were English. Manchester United topped the chart with Chelsea second, Arsenal fifth, Tottenham sixth and Manchester City eighth.
The Premier League’s bottom club Norwich were next (14th), followed by Brighton (15th), Aston Villa (18th), Leicester (19th) and Liverpool (20th).
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments