Transfers: 7,590 transactions during the summer market 2017 ($4.71bn ), 37% involving Top 5 clubs

"Between 01/06/2017 and 01/09/2017, 7,590 international transfers were completed worldwide. Global spending reached $4.71bn (€3.95bn), meaning clubs spent almost as much during those three months as they had in the whole of 2016 ($4.79bn, €4.02bn). Once again, clubs from the Big 5 took centre stage, completing 21.2 per cent of the total incoming transfers and spending 77.9% of the total global spend," stated FIFA in its Big 5 Report analysing the 2017 summer transfer window on 13/09/2017.

This report summarises the activity of the international transfer control system (ITMS) during the summer 2017 transfer window. It focuses on the five major countries in Europe: Germany, England, Spain, France, and Italy.

"Big 5 countries recorded a total of 1,608 incoming transfers (+6.2 per cent) and $3.67bn (€3.08bn) spent (+31.7%) this summer, representing new record highs for the period. Spending by the Big 5 this summer was almost three times what it was in the same period in 2012 ($1.24bn). The increase in spending appears to be a consequence of two concurrent factors. First, the increasing…