In a flurry of activity during the January transfer window, football clubs globally spent a staggering $1.46 billion on player transfers, marking the second-highest expenditure in the history of the winter window.
According to a report released by FIFA on Tuesday, the total number of transfers reached 4,716, representing a 0.6% increase from the previous year.
French clubs topped the list of highest spenders, splurging $291.9 million, double their expenditure from the same period last year.
Nearly 59.9% of these transfers involved at least one club from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
The report highlighted a significant decrease in spending by English clubs, plummeting by 80% compared to their record high in January 2023.
Nonetheless, their expenditure, alongside their French counterparts, constituted the second-highest percentage of payments compared to all other football associations.
European clubs accounted for 77.9% of global spending and received over 60% of the fees.
A notable increase was seen in South America’s share, rising to 11.5% to reach $168.8 million, marking the first time a continental federation other than UEFA surpassed the 10% threshold since 2017.
Contract-expiring players constituted 60.6% of total transfers, followed by loan deals at 14.8%.
Players aged between 18 and 23 represented the largest demographic, comprising 63.9% of total spending.
On the women’s side, FIFA’s report revealed a doubling of spending during the winter window, reaching $2.1 million, a 150% increase compared to the same period last year.
The number of transfers totaled 357, marking a 0.3% increase, bringing the overall number of transferred players from both genders to 50.73.
English and Spanish clubs led the way in transfers with 29 each, while Sweden and the United States emerged as the top exporting countries for female players, with 30 transfers each.
