Uefa warns of growing two-speed transfer market driven by Premier League spending

Uefa's newest report on the European club talent and competition landscape says spending by Premier League clubs this summer has created a clear divide in the transfer market, splitting European football into what the governing body calls a "two-speed system."

According to the report, Premier League clubs spent an estimated €4.6bn on transfers this year — more than the combined spending of the next eight largest European football markets. Uefa's executive director of finance, Andrea Traverso, said the trend is concerning, noting that transfer values are rising sharply, particularly in England, adding pressure to club finances going forward.

Widening gap

English clubs were involved in more than 60% of transfer deals and paid an average of around €24m per player bought, compared with only €4m to €5m in other major European leagues. Traverso warned that any correction in transfer values or slowdown in buyer demand could pose serious risks to clubs carrying significant debt.

The report found that transfer spending by the 20 Premier League clubs equals 56% of their combined annual revenue, well above the pre-pandemic decade average of 33%. It also highlighted a sharp rise in transfers between English clubs themselves, up 44% to €1.55bn, making the English domestic market alone as valuable as the next five league-to-league markets combined.

The number of transfers exceeding €50m rose from 14 in summer 2024 to 35 this year, with Premier League clubs responsible for 29 of them. Meanwhile, European clubs earned an estimated €6.8bn in profit from academy player sales, an increase on the previous year, as clubs lean on youth sales to meet financial regulations. Uefa said it found little evidence that multi-club ownership structures were being used to artificially inflate or deflate transfer fees.