After 18 market days, The Premier League spent almost 31 million pounds on signings and 25 of these were made by Tottenham Hotspur to bring to Radu Dragusín. It is being a slow winter market, especially compared to a year ago, when English clubs spent more than 800 million, and the threats of sanctions, the obvious departure of three teams and Saudi Arabia’s disbanding plays a key role here.
Premier clubs They put aside the big expenses of the past in a tighter winter window and where more transfers are being sought as opportunities in the market.
Last year, 20 clubs spent 800 million pounds (740 million euros), led by Chelsea, who spent 300 million on players such as Mykhailo Mudryk (88 million), Enzo Fernández (108 million), Benoit Badiashile (35 million) and Noni Madueke (29 million). In that window, Southampton paid 63 million, Arsenal 60 million, and Bournemouth 56.
This season, spending was led by Tottenham with the signing of Dragusin and The remainder was completed through transfers and minor mergers.
The main reason for this austerity is the fear that the Premier has caused in its complaints to clubs that exceed the allowed expenditure. The competition allows losses of 105 million pounds to occur within three years and when this is exceeded, they can face economic and sporting sanctions.. After 32 years of the Premiership, Everton, in November, received a 10 point penalty for declaring losses of 124.5 million in the 2021-2022 season.
It is the biggest penalty in the league’s history, surpassing what Portsmouth received in 2009-2010 for declaring bankruptcy, and it may not be the only one, as this week the Premier announced new charges against Everton and Nottingham Forest for for the same reason, exceeding the loss limit.
All this, while Chelsea are being investigated for fraudulent signings during the Romand Abramovich era, and Manchester City are being accused of 115 financial irregularities.
In the absence of an update to the Premier’s revenue and retention rules, which were set up in February 2013, clubs are afraid to spend more than they should and that is why they are holding back. A clear case is Chelsea, who want and need a striker, but to make any signings they must let Conor Gallagher or Armando Broja leave. Not even a loan, for a club with a salary bill of 150 million, seems viable.
Saudi Arabia, which broke the bank last summer with more than 1 billion spent, has slowed its momentum, due to the tendency of players, with the case of Jordan Henderson being the most notable, to leave the country . Without the Saudi oasis that pays millions for any footballer, it’s hard to find a revenue window that justifies the costs.
Added to these two events the situation regarding relegation is somewhat relaxed. For example, in winter 2022, Southampton, involved in relegation, was the second team to spend the most, Bournemouth, fourth, Leeds United, seventh, Wolverhampton Wanderers, eighth, Nottingham Forest, ninth, and Leicester City, ten. .
This year, relegation seems to be practically decided, with Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United condemned to drop to the Championship (English Second Division), so the teams that could be involved in it, such as Brentford, Forest, Crystal Palace or Fulham they don’t need any more than they need to get through the rest of the season unscathed.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
