English clubs spent and received the most money from international transfers in 2024 according to a new FIFA report, further underlining the Premier League’s financial might.
Six Premier League clubs were in the top 20 highest-spending European teams, with Manchester United second only to Paris St Germain after a busy summer which included the captures of Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs De Ligt and Manuel Ugarte.
The Premier League’s financial strength was arguably best illustrated by the fact that three teams outside the traditional ‘Big Six’ – Brighton, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest – also featured in the top 20.
In all, English clubs spent 1.88 billion US dollars (£1.5bn) and received 1.34bn dollars (£1.1bn) in 2024.
However, only one deal involving an English club buying featured in the top five biggest deals of the year in FIFA’s Global Transfer Report – United’s signing of Yoro from Lille.
Manchester City’s sale of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid was also in the top five.
Overall, spending on international transfers in men’s football reached 8.59bn dollars (£6.9bn), second only to 2023’s record high spending of 9.66bn US dollars (£7.8bn).
Almost 40 per cent of all transfer fees was accounted for by the top 2.5 per cent of transfers, FIFA found.
Transfer spending in the women’s game again broke records in 2024, reaching 15.6 million US dollars (£12.5m).
The transfer market could yet be significantly impacted as football works through the ramifications of the Lassana Diarra ruling by the European Court of Justice last October.
FIFA has opened a global dialogue after rules governing the movement of players where a contract has been terminated without just cause were found to be contrary to European Union law.
