The summer transfer window is over for the Premier League, and what a summer it was. Just over £ 1.4 billion was spent on players during the transfer period, breaking yet another transfer window spending record (ESPN, 2017). Clubs within the Premier League have now exceeded the previous summers’ spending for a sixth straight year. This past Thursday, August 31, was deadline day and a record £ 210 million was spent on players, most notably, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mamadou Sakho, and Danny Drinkwater (ESPN, 2017).
Perhaps the high spending on deadline day had to do with the initial start of the Premier League season, which began on August 12. Clubs have had the chance to see their players compete on field, and evidently some clubs felt they were still in need of a change. Fan favorite Arsenal has begun the season 1-2, sitting two spots above relegation. Their recent sale of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to rival Liverpool may be the sign of rebuilding for that of Arsenal. Liverpool, on the other hand, went out and purchased a player they felt would help them continue their success at the top of the league table.
As the popularity of the Premier League increases, largely in part because of their television partnership with NBC Sports, and British TV, club revenues have also increased. These increased revenues have allowed many teams to spend more on players during the summer transfer window. Despite the increase in both revenue, and spending, clubs within the Premier League are still spending within their means. Over the last 15 years, Premier League clubs have continued to spend roughly a quarter of total revenues on transfer spending (ESPN, 2017). As revenues continue to increase, spending will surely follow, as this trend does not appear as if it is going to slow down in the future.
ESPN. (2017, September 1). Premier League total summer spend reaches record £1.413 billion. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from http://www.espnfc.us/story/3193819/premier-league-total-summer-spend-reaches-record-total
By Rocco P. Porreca, Ed.D.
Dr. Rocco P. Porreca is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Newbury College in Brookline, Mass. Porreca has taught previously at Lynn University, and the University of Miami.