By Victor Kanayo
World football governing body FIFA has revealed that clubs globally spent a record $2.35 billion on international transfers in men’s football.
The amount represents an increase of nearly 58 per cent from 2024.
FIFA’s International Transfer Snapshot further revealed that this figure is also 47.1 per cent higher than the previous record set in January 2023, when total spending reached $1.57 billion.
With 5,863 international transfers taking place between 1 January and 4 February, this also marks a 19.1 per cent increase from last year’s record for the highest number of players moving during the January window.
Highest Spenders
English clubs topped the table for spending on international transfer fees last month, with a total outlay of $621.6 million.
Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City alone spent over $224 million to sign Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, and Juma Bah.
However, the most expensive player signed in January was Colombian forward Jhon Durán, who moved from Aston Villa to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr for around €77 million ($79.97 million) plus add-ons.
Other Leagues
FIFA reported that Germany ($295.7 million), Italy ($223.8 million), France ($209.7 million), and Saudi Arabia ($202.1 million) completed the list of the top five countries in terms of club spending in January.
On the other hand, clubs in France received the highest amount in transfer fees at $371 million, followed by clubs in Germany ($226.2 million), England ($185.2 million), Portugal ($176.4 million), and Italy ($162 million).
Brazil recorded the most incoming international transfers (471), while Argentina had the highest number of outgoing players (255).
Women’s Transfers
Women’s football also saw a record $5.8 million spent on transfer fees in January, representing a massive 180.6 per cent increase on the previous record, with 455 international transfers completed.
English clubs led the way in women’s football as well, spending $2.3 million on players, while also making the most incoming international transfers with 39 signings.
It is now expected that the busy transfer period will yield positive results for clubs as the current football season reaches its climax in a few months.
