Transfer news and deadline day 2015: Premier League clubs smash records with £750m spend
Premier League clubs will today set a new record for summer transfer window spending, after Manchester United agreed a £36m deal for Monaco teenager Anthony Martial yesterday.
Clubs had already shelled out around £730m – fractionally short of last year’s record of £737m – last night, when United’s signing of the forward was still to be confirmed.
But that deal is on course to take English top-flight spending to a new high, while a number of other possible deals in the pipeline could see investment breach the £800m barrier before the 6pm deadline.
United look sure to be the among the busiest, although there was drama last night when question marks emerged over the £29m transfer of goalkeeper David de Gea to Real Madrid, which included £11m-rated Costa Rica stopper Keylor Navas moving in the opposite direction.
Following months of haggling and a deal seemingly being in place, the move appeared close to collapse after it was claimed United failed to submit the necessary paperwork before the close of the Spanish transfer window.
Manager Louis van Gaal, meanwhile, made room in his squad for new arrivals yesterday by agreeing the sale of Mexico forward Javier Hernandez to Bayer Leverkusen for £9m and the departure of back-up keeper Anders Lindegaard to West Brom. United’s move for Martial came as a surprise and was confirmed yesterday when French football chiefs gave the player permission to leave the national team camp and travel to England to conclude the deal. The 19-year-old is considered one of the most talented young players in Ligue 1 but has scored just 15 goals in his senior career and is yet to make his international debut. Martial, part of the Monaco side that knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League last season, joined the principality team from Lyon for around £3.5m two years ago.
Premier League clubs have taken advantage of their increasing financial dominance, driven by booming television contracts, to poach talent from other major European leagues this summer. That spending power is only set to increase next summer when new TV deals take effect that will guarantee even the bottom Premier League club £100m per season – up from around £60m now.
PREMIER LEAGUE SPEND
Summer window £m
2015/2016 729*
2014/2015 737
2013/2014 667
2012/2013 548
2011/2012 485
2010/2011 383
*Confirmed deals up to last night