International football transfer spending experienced a slight cooling off during the mid-year trading period, according to FIFA research published on Tuesday. Clubs around the world committed a total of $6.46 billion to acquiring players in cross-border deals between June and September – a decrease from the $7.43 billion spent during the same period in 2022.
The average transfer fee paid by European clubs, the richest market, dropped to $3.13 million, down from $3.8 million the previous year. Notably, FIFA’s study doesn’t encompass all transactions, specifically excluding the high-profile transfer of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid. Mbappe joined the Spanish giants as a free agent after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired, although Madrid reportedly paid a significant signing bonus, estimated between $110 million and $165 million.
Despite the overall decrease in spending, some notable transfers occurred, including Julian Alvarez’s move from Manchester City to Atletico Madrid for an estimated €75 million ($83 million) and Leny Yoro’s transfer from Lille to Manchester United for a reported €62 million ($69 million). The FIFA study also excludes transfers between clubs within the same country where the player’s registration remains within the same federation. Several high-profile deals involving clubs within the same country, such as Dominic Solanke’s move from Bournemouth to Tottenham, Pedro Neto’s transfer from Wolves to Chelsea, and Teun Koopmeiners’ transition from Atalanta to Juventus, were not included in FIFA’s analysis.
English clubs dominated the transfer market, both in terms of overall spending and net spending. They invested a total of $1.69 billion in international transfers while recouping $1.25 billion from player sales. Clubs in Italy and Saudi Arabia also contributed significantly to the overall net spending, each exceeding $400 million. Meanwhile, Belgian clubs enjoyed a net profit of $302 million, generating $412 million from selling players abroad while spending only $110 million on acquisitions from other countries. This included notable transfers like Igor Thiago’s move from Club Brugge to Brentford and Ernest Nuamah’s transition from Molenbeek to its sister club, Lyon.
FIFA’s data also highlights the significant role of free agents in the transfer market. Out of the 11,000 international transfers processed during the period, nearly 6,300 involved free agents, underscoring the increasing importance of player contracts and the flexibility it provides for clubs and players alike.
