"Over the summer, clubs across the world spent $9.76 billion on acquiring about 12,000 new players. Both numbers were record highs, according to FIFA. Around 1,000 more players changed teams in 2025 than did in 2024, and the near-$10 billion outlay was a more-than-50% increase over the summer spending in the previous year. Most of the money was spent by UEFA clubs: $8.5 billion, which was a $3 billion increase from just the year before."
"Unsurprisingly, most of that money was spent by members of the Big Five top leagues in Europe and their associated lower-down-the-ladder clubs. England led the way with $3.19 billion spent on transfers, while Spain, Germany, France, and Italy all spent over $650 million, too. All in all, clubs across these five countries spent $6.5 billion -- two-thirds of the entire global transfer spend."
"And what did they get? Per Transfermarkt data, there were 203 transfers for at least €10 million across the Big Five leagues over the summer. And through mid-November, those players have combined to play ... only 45% of their team's minutes. It gets a little better when you look at the more expensive deals, but not by much: the players with fees of at least €35 million have played 49% of the minutes."
Summer 2025 global transfer activity reached record highs with $9.76 billion spent to acquire about 12,000 players, roughly 1,000 more moves than 2024 and a more-than-50% spending increase. UEFA clubs accounted for $8.5 billion of the outlay, a $3 billion rise year-over-year, with about 7,350 incoming players there and roughly 20% involving transfer fees at an average fee of $4.27 million. Big Five nations spent $6.5 billion combined, led by England's $3.19 billion. Among 203 transfers of at least €10 million, those players have logged only about 45% of team minutes, with €35M+ signings at 49%.
Read at ESPN.com
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