2014/15 Premier League spending over £950m

Premier League clubs spent around £130m in the January transfer window, according to analysis by the Sports Business Group at Deloitte. This was the same amount spent in January 2014 (£130m), but significantly less than the record level seen in January 2011 (£225m).

Dan Jones, Partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented: “Given the record level of spending seen in the summer, it is not entirely surprising that we haven’t seen a new record for the January window. However, with all Premier League clubs recording record revenues, we might have expected one or two more major deals in this window.

“Despite the relative restraint we have seen in the January window, 2014/15 is still a record season for Premier League spending. Last season saw Premier League spending surpass the £700m threshold for the first time, and the revenue growth at Premier League clubs is such that they have been able to record a combined transfer spend this season of over £950m.”

Some of the key findings from the analysis of the January 2015 transfer window include:

• Premier League clubs spent £130m to acquire new players in the January 2015 transfer window (2014: £130m; 2013: £120m; 2012: £60m; 2011: £225m).  A summary of Premier League clubs’ player transfer fees spending for each of the previous January transfer windows (2003-15) is set out in the chart below.
• The acquisition of new players from overseas clubs accounted for £65m (50%) of Premier League clubs’ gross transfer spending, followed by acquisitions from fellow Premier League clubs (£55m, 42%), and acquisitions from Football League clubs (£10m, 8%).
• Premier League clubs concluded around £45m of player transfer fees on deadline day, slightly more than was seen on the January deadline day last year (2014: £35m).
• Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have been the biggest gross spenders in this window, accounting for around 50% of the total Premier League spend.
• In aggregate, Premier League clubs have now spent over £1.3 billion to acquire new players in the 13 January transfer windows (2003-15). On average, the clubs’ transfer spending in January is equivalent to around one-fifth of total transfer spending in each year.
• Premier League clubs’ net transfer spend was around £40m (2014: £35m; 2013: £70m; 2012: £25m; 2011: £90m), this being the net amount that flows to overseas clubs and Football League clubs. Player transfers out of the Premier League generated around £30m of receivables for the clubs, including from the transfer of André Schürrle to Wolfsburg.
• Over the past decade, Premier League clubs’ January transfer spending has typically exceeded that of other European leagues. This is due in part to the Premier League’s long-established mechanism that distributes broadcasting revenues on a more equal basis compared to the other big five leagues.
• Top division clubs in Italy are the second highest gross spenders this January, with total reported transfer spending of around 50% of the Premier League total. Total transfer spending by top division clubs in both Germany and Spain was around 40% of that by Premier League clubs. Meanwhile gross transfer spending by French clubs was around a quarter of that seen at Premier League clubs.

End

Notes to editors

Basis of preparation
The Sports Business Group at Deloitte has published their analysis of transfer spending following the close of every transfer window since 2003.  Each year the Sports Business Group at Deloitte also release the Deloitte Football Money League and Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance.

The information on player transfers is based on publicly available information in respect of the acquisition of players’ registrations by clubs, including from www.bbc.co.uk and www.premierleague.com, and further analysis carried out by the Sports Business Group at Deloitte.  The information is based on reported transfers as at 23:59 on 02 February 2015, following the close of the January transfer window at 23:00 on 02 February 2015. Further commentary about the transfer market is included in the Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance.  The figures contained in this release will not necessarily be the same as the cost of acquiring players’ registrations as recognised in the financial statements of each club. Under accounting requirements, the cost of acquiring a player’s registration includes the transfer fee payable (including any probable contingent amounts), plus other direct costs such as transfer fee levy and fees to agents.

About the Sports Business Group at Deloitte
Over the last 20 years Deloitte has developed a unique focus on the business of sport. Our specialist Sports Business Group offers a multi-disciplined expert service with dedicated people and skills capable of adding significant value to the business of sport. Whether it is benchmarking or strategic business reviews, operational turnarounds, revenue enhancement strategies or stadium/venue development plans, business planning, market and demand analysis, acquisitions, due diligence, expert witness, audits or tax planning; we have worked with more clubs, leagues, governing bodies, stadia developers, event organisers, commercial partners, financiers and investors than any other adviser.

For further information on our services you can access our website at www.deloitte.co.uk/sportsbusinessgroup

About Deloitte
In this press release references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte LLP, which is among the country's leading professional services firms.

Deloitte LLP is the United Kingdom member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”), a UK private company limited by guarantee, whose member firms are legally separate and independent entities. Please see www.deloitte.co.uk/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of DTTL and its member firms.

The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.

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