Record $9,63b spent on 2023 transfers

Football clubs worldwide spent a record $9.63 billion (8.88 billion euros) on international transfers last year, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 by more than $2 billion, according to a Fifa report published yesterday. 

The latest figures represent a 48.1 percent increase compared to 2022 when transfer spending began to climb again after two years of belt-tightening due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The top 10 player transfers in 2023 accounted for over 10 percent of the entire outlay. Those deals included Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid, Enzo Fernandez joining Chelsea and Harry Kane signing for Bayern Munich. 

English clubs, led by Chelsea, again topped the list by splashing out a combined $2.96 billion — three times as much as those in France, which placed second on the list. — SuperSport.