Premier League makes transfer window profit for first time
Wednesday 1 February 2017 08:56, UK
Premier League clubs sold more than they bought in January, making a net profit for the first time in the history of the transfer window.
Between them, the 20 clubs made a net £40m profit last month, according to analysis by Deloitte's Sports Business Group.
Spending by top-flight clubs reached a six-year high for the transfer window at £215m, but sales to overseas clubs and the Football League exceeded that by £40m.
Chinese clubs, who are able to buy players until the end of February, have not been shy in splashing the cash on Premier League talent, with Oscar heading to Shanghai SIPG for around £60m and Odion Ighalo leaving Watford for Changchun Yatai in a £20m deal on Deadline Day.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Southampton paid around £17m to Napoli for forward Manolo Gabbiadini and Robbie Brady swapped Norwich for Burnley in a £13m switch, taking spending for the 2016-17 season to a record £1.38bn.
Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: "Spending by Premier League clubs in this January's transfer window totalled £215m, surpassing last year's total of £175m as the second-highest ever, behind January 2011.
"The sales of Oscar, Dimitri Payet, Odion Ighalo and Memphis Depay, as well as around £20m worth of sales to Championship clubs, have helped Premier League clubs record net receipts for the first time in a transfer window.
"As was the case last year, it is clubs in the bottom half of the table who have driven expenditure this January, investing in their squads in an attempt to secure survival. This is no surprise given clubs' reliance on the revenues generated from the Premier League's broadcast deals."
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