Football: 7 billion euros and 10,000 transfers … FIFA’s record figures for the summer transfer window

2023-09-08 14:08:55

The number of transfers and the total amount of said transfers had never reached such heights. In its overall assessment of the last transfer window (International Transfer Snapshot) published this Friday, the International Federation (FIFA) reports record figures.

Worldwide, total transfer fees reached the historic threshold of 7.36 billion dollars (€6.87 billion) for the period between June 1 and September 1. This represents an increase of 47.2% compared to 2022, and 26.8% compared to 2019, the year of the previous record. A new level was reached with more than 10,000 transfers made during the summer transfer window, the main registration period of the year.

“For this main registration period of 2023, England came out on top in terms of transfer fees paid (€1.84bn), arrivals (449) and departures (514)”, points out Emilio García Silvero, Director of the Legal and Compliance Division of FIFA.

Behind England, Saudi Arabia was the biggest spender (€817.81 billion), followed by France (€803.14 billion), Germany (€712.24 billion), Italy (€664.22 billion) and Spain (€378.91 billion).

For their part, Germany received more transfer fees (€1.03bn) than anyone else. It is the first time that clubs from the same federation have received more than a billion during the main transfer period.

Thanks to intense Saudi activity in the market, Asian Confederation (AFC) clubs contributed 14% to transfer market spending. It is the first time that clubs from a confederation other than UEFA have crossed the 10% mark.

Players’ agents are mechanically taking advantage of this trend. The latter captured $696.6 million (€650 million) in commissions, also setting a new record (36.9% increase compared to 2022), and bringing the provisional total for 2023 to $853 million ( €797.11 billion).

In women’s football, the trend is also on the rise. “For the sixth year in a row, the number of transfers made during the main registration period increased, with 829 moves, 66 of which were for compensation,” said Silvero. These are two new records, increasing by 19.1% and 83.3% respectively compared to previous values. »

In this sector, Europe was the center of activity with 634 incoming transfers and 565 outgoing transfers. Germany is the country with the most arrivals (55), while France has the most departures (53). The amount of transfer fees has more than doubled compared to the main recording period of 2022. The 3 million dollars (2.8 M€) paid constitute a new record in this area.