Premier League Deadline Day Fails to Excite With Lowest January Spending Total for a Decade

Twice a year, football fans around the globe are glued to their preferred news outlets as they eagerly await regular updates for absorbing, and exciting transfer activity.

In the past we've seen countless deals go down to the wire with both arrivals and departures leaving fans in limbo. Remember Fernando Torres, David Luiz AND Luis Suarez all being on the move on 31 January 2011? Phwoar.

This year, however, January deadline day failed to live up to its billing and instead went out with a fairly tame whimper, to say the least.

"I'm absolutely buzzing." ❤️

Jarrod Bowen's first interview as a West Ham United player ⬇️
— West Ham United (@WestHam) February 1, 2020

What is perhaps the most telling is that the overall amount paid by Premier League clubs in January was a mouthwatering £230m - the second highest total ever spent during the winter window.

Yet, only £25m of that was parted with on the 31st, the lowest tally since 2010, when a measly £10m was spent.

According to figures from Deloitte (via the BBC) the £1.6bn spent this season, including the summer window, is the second highest behind 2017/18's £1.9bn. But considering so little was parted with on deadline day, it appears clubs have learnt from past mistakes, both in their pursuits of players and keeping hold of them.

Plenty of sides did their business earlier in the month as the overall figure shows, with deadline day instead dominated by Manchester United's pursuit of Odion Ighalo from Shanghai Shenhua, but that was a loan deal - like five of the 11 other top flight signings.

Jarrod Bowen's late move from Hull City to West Ham was the most expensive deal completed on the final day at £18m, while in second place Brighton's signing of 19-year-old Chelsea defender Tariq Lamptey came in at around £4.5m.

Tim Bridge, director in the sports business group at Deloitte, said of the spending patterns: "Two seasons ago Premier League clubs spent a record £430m in the January transfer window. However, over the last two January windows spending patterns have returned to normal. Clubs are focused on long-term financial stability and are therefore less willing to spend in excess of pre-defined transfer budgets in pursuit of short-term success.

"This is further evidenced by the prominence of more agile transfer strategies, such as utilising loan transfers often with an option to buy, as well as focusing attention towards the promotion of young talent from club academies in recent years."

Across Europe, the top five leagues all surpassed spending figures from the previous winter window. Serie A clubs spent £180m, Bundesliga sides paid £165m, La Liga teams purchased players for £110m and Ligue 1 sides parted with £100m.

Two of the three biggest Premier League signings happened on the penultimate day of the window with United bringing in Sporting CP midfielder Bruno Fernandes for a fee that could rise to £67.7m.

Across the Pennines, Sheffield United broke their club record to sign Genk midfielder Sander Berge for £22m, while down in the capital, Tottenham made Giovani Lo Celso's loan deal permanent for a fee of £27.2m and added forward Steven Bergwijn for £27m.

Wolves spent in the region of £17m on winger Daniel Podence from Olympiacos which, along with Bowen, was one of only six £10m+ Premier League signings in January.

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Source : 90min