Premier League clubs "made a transfer window profit for the first time, despite near-record spending in January, thanks largely to two big-money moves to China and France playmaker Dimitri Payet's return home," according to Alan Baldwin of REUTERS. Analysis by Deloitte showed EPL clubs "splashed out" an estimated £215M ($272.4M) in the transfer window that closed on Tuesday but brought in £40M ($50.7M) more than they paid out. That took the clubs' total spending for '16-17 to almost £1.4B ($1.77B), breaking last season's record of a combined £1B for the summer and January windows and confirming the Premier League as Europe's "biggest spenders." Ligue 1 clubs spent a total of about £130M ($164.7M) in January, ahead of the Bundesliga on £85M ($107.7M) and Serie A on £80M ($101.3M). La Liga clubs spent about £20M ($25.3M), although Real Madrid was banned from signing players. Premier League clubs' total spending in the January window was the second highest after Jan. '11's £225M (REUTERS, 2/1). In London, Stephen Keenan reported the EPL's bottom six clubs represented 50% of total spending in January, contrasting with the summer '16 window which saw the top six account for "almost 60% of expenditure." Deloitte Sports Business Group partner Dan Jones said, "Expenditure in January 2017 took the Premier League's total transfer expenditure for the 2016-17 season to almost £1.4 billion -- an increase of 32% on 2015-16 and far in excess of any other league in world football" (LONDON TIMES, 2/1). The PA reported Chinese clubs, which are able to buy players until the end of February, "have not been shy in splashing the cash on Premier League talent," with Oscar heading to Shanghai SIPG for a reported £52M ($65.9M) and Odion Ighalo leaving Watford for Changchun Yatai in a £20M deal on deadline day (PA, 2/1).
