Premier League: 2013 winter transfer window

The 2013 winter transfer window in the Premier League was characterised by the highest spending among the five major European leagues, at €145m. It also had the second highest number of transactions (295), behind the Serie A (341), while its balance of payments has the largest deficit across the Top 5 (- €82m).

English clubs completed 64% of their purchases abroad, but 61% of their sales to other clubs in the Premier League, Championship and the English lower divisions. Thus, two of the top three players bought in the Premier League during the 2013 winter transfer window are other Premier League clubs.

The 2013 winter market in the Premier League also saw a strong imbalance between the number of departures and arrivals of players on loan. Thus, loans make up 70% of player sales, but only 10% of arrivals. No other European championship in the Top 5 shows such an imbalance. The Premier League, along with the Bundesliga, are the only of the European Top 5 whose number of arrivals that came in the form of a purchase fee (28) exceeded the number of arrivals that came in the form of a…