Total Transfer Spend In Europe's Big 5 Leagues Dropped In '18

Total transfer spend in Europe’s big 5 leagues in '18 dropped by 2.4% to €5.82B ($6.76B), with Premier League clubs accounting for 36.5% of the spend, according to Paul Nicholson of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. According to a CIES Football Observatory report, the drop "does not indicate that the transfer market is set for a cool down." In '18, new transfer spending records were set by the Premier League and La Liga. While the Premier League increase was 2.1% over '18, collective La Liga club spending "rocketed upwards" by 80.4% compared to '17. According to the CIES, the drop in spending is "not expected to become a trend." However, the CIES warned of the "dangers to competitive balance" within European competitions and the big 5 leagues of "rising transfer fees" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 9/5).