Premier League January spending fell for the first time since 2012 with a quiet deadline day capping off a relatively low-spending window. Deadline-day and January spending were less than half of last year’s totals, with 12 deals on 31 January totaling £50m – bringing the month’s spending to £180m, according to figures from the Sports Business Group at Deloitte.
January 2018 saw £430m spent by Premier League clubs, with £150m on deadline day alone. However, the Premier League was still the highest-spending league in European football in the most recent window, outstripping Italy’s Serie A on around £140m.
The biggest deal on transfer deadline saw Newcastle break their record to sign £20m Paraguayan playmaker Miguel Almiron from MLS side Atlanta United – as well as signing Monaco defender Antonio Barreca on loan. Wolves signed Atletico Madrid full-back Jonny Castro Otto for £15m after a successful loan spell. The next highest fee was £7m as Ante Palaversa moved to Manchester City but immediately returned to Hadjuk Split on loan.
Leicester signed Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans on loan – sending Adrien Silva the other way. Fulham confirmed the signing of Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic on a short-term deal 90 minutes after the deadline passed, having signed Hoffenheim midfielder Havard Nordtveit on loan earlier in the day. Crystal Palace signed Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi on loan, revealing the news after midnight.
Peter Crouch will have the chance to add to his 108 Premier League goals after joining Burnley from Stoke, with Sam Vokes going the other way. Cardiff spent £4m on Reading midfielder Leandro Bacuna. The only other Premier League signings saw Brighton recruit two youngsters and send them back to their clubs on loan. League One Sunderland have agreed a £4m deal with Wigan for striker Will Grigg – a move which would be in the country’s 10 most expensive signings of the window if it is confirmed on 1 February.
English youngsters Reece Oxford (West Ham to Augsburg) and Emile Smith-Rowe (Arsenal to RB Leipzig) completed loan moves to the Bundesliga. Scottish champions Celtic signed Borussia Dortmund right-back Jeremy Toljan on loan – as well as Ukrainian winger Maryan Shved and American defenders Manny Perez and Andrew Gutman, but have loaned the three youngsters back out.
