The summer transfer market 2024 has gone through two-thirds of its course. Although no “blockbuster” deals have been activated yet, the Premier League still shows its spending power by far outstripping other leagues in player transactions.
Leny Yoro of Manchester United is currently the highest-valued newcomer in the summer 2024 transfer window.
The most active team in the Premier League transfer market is Aston Villa. After securing a spot in the Champions League, Villa Park’s team has spent 176 million euros to bring in: Amando Onana, Ian Maatsen, Ross Barkley, Iling-Junior, and others.
Manchester United follows closely behind Aston Villa, having spent 105 million euros to welcome the duo Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee. Chelsea also spent 105 million euros to bring in many young talents for their future project. The newly promoted Ipswich Town has also spent 73 million euros to prepare for their goal of avoiding relegation in the new season.
Despite spending over 1 billion euros, according to statistics from transfermarkt.com, Premier League clubs have only brought in 72 new players, much fewer than other leagues such as Serie A (109 newcomers) or Bundesliga (102 newcomers). This number shows that the amount of money Premier League clubs have to pay for players is significantly higher than other leagues. On average, a Premier League club spends about 14.5 million euros per new player, while in Ligue 1, it is 5.05 million euros, in Serie A, it is 4.6 million euros, and in Bundesliga, it is only 3.9 million euros.
Regarding the statistics of the highest transfer fees in the summer of 2024, the Premier League also shows the gap in resources and spending capacity between the leagues. In England, Manchester United spent 63 million euros just to acquire the signature of 18-year-old talent Leny Yoro, while Aston Villa had to pay 60 million euros to Everton for Amando Onana. In contrast, in Serie A or Ligue 1, there are no new players valued over 35 million euros.
English clubs have significant purchasing power partly due to the enormous television rights revenue from the Premier League. The league was sold for a record 7.8 billion euros over four years, equivalent to 1.95 billion euros per year from the 2025-2026 season. The current contract for the period 2022-2025 is already 5.8 billion euros over three years, and each Premier League team receives at least over 100 million euros per season, a figure much higher than other leagues.
Not only is the Premier League the biggest spender on player purchases, but in terms of sales, it also shows its superiority. To date, the total amount of money Premier League clubs have earned is nearly 760 million euros, double that of Serie A and triple that of Ligue 1. Notably, this amount was achieved with only 110 players sold, 18 fewer than Serie A, and among the top 5 most expensive players in the summer of 2024, four played in the Premier League last season. This shows that players in the Premier League are valued much higher than those in other leagues.
These statistics demonstrate the Premier League’s dominance in player spending, and this figure will likely increase in the coming days as big clubs like Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool start participating in the transfer market. The arrival of more top players in the Premier League will only make the league more exciting and deserving of its title as the most attractive league on the planet.