Summer transfer market ends: The total amount of reinforcements in the Spanish league is one-fifth of the Premier League, with a difference of 488.5 billion yen – Soccer Travel from Spain – Overseas Soccer Column: Daily Sports

The Spanish league's summer transfer market ended on September 1st, with Argentine national team forward Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), former Spanish national team midfielder Carlos Soler (Real Sociedad), and Chilean national team forward Alexis Sanchez (Seville) coming in a hurry on the final day.

While the two Madrid clubs in particular showed flashy movements, many clubs, including Barcelona, Getafe and Seville, suffered from financial difficulties and salary caps (limits such as transfer fees divided according to the player's contract years and player annual salaries), and as last summer, there have been noticeable transfers on loan and freelance reinforcements.

: Alexis Sanchez (photo taken on June 28, 2014)

■Sold due to the issue of salary caps

The amount of reinforcements for the entire Spanish league this summer was 78.25 million euros (approximately 120.425 billion yen). It has increased by about 160 million euros (27.2 billion yen) since last summer, but it is about 600 million euros (102 billion yen) lower than the 2019-20 season, when it hit a record high, and since the COVID-19 pandemic, many clubs are still in a difficult financial position.

Looking at the total amount of reinforcements in the five major European leagues (Spain, England, Italy, Germany and France), the Premier League recorded a record high of 3.582 billion euros (approximately 608.94 billion yen), overwhelming others just like usual.

Following this, Serie A ranked second for the second consecutive year with 1.176 billion euros (approximately 199.92 billion yen). Last summer, the Bundesliga, which came in fourth place last summer, came in third with 815.53 million euros (approximately 138.640.1 billion yen), and last summer, the French league, which came in third with 618 million euros (approximately 105.06 billion yen).

Although the Spanish League, which was the lowest in the last summer, stepped up to fourth place, the gap between the Premier League and the last year is still very large. It has opened to 2.873.75 million euros (approximately 488.537.5 million yen) from 1.766 billion euros (approximately 300.22 billion yen) last summer.

The reasons why the Spanish League's total reinforcement amount is about one-fifth of the Premier League's results in differences in sponsorship fees and broadcasting rights fees, as well as the strict financial management that is levied on each club. For example, using the broadcasting rights fees for the 2023-24 season, Sheffield United, the lowest in the Premier League, earned 132.3 million euros (approximately 22.491 billion yen), which is about 15 million euros (approximately 2.55 billion yen) more than A Madrid, third in the Spanish league, which is about three times the lowest in the Almeria.

Regarding the struggles of financial management, you can see from Getafe Chairman Angel Torres, who said, “We need to sell players. This will ruin the Spanish league, but the rules are rules. We have to follow that. We will have to sell Uche.” In the end, Getafe had the star transfer to Crystal Palace on a loan on the final day of the transfer market to clear the salary cap issue, and managed to register seven new players.

: Mustangouto (AP) attends press conference to join Real Madrid

■Real's 30.4 billion yen supplemented four players

The Spanish league's most reinforcement funds this summer were Real Madrid, who had long-time supporters, Modric and Lucas Vazquez, who left the team and replaced manager from Ancelotti to Xavi Alonso. He particularly strived to strengthen his defensive team, spending a total of 179 million euros (approximately 30.43 billion yen) to acquire 18-year-old young Argentine national team midfielder Mustantuono, Spanish national team defender Heisen, England national team defender Alexander Arnold, and Spanish defender Curellas, who came from the River Plate for the highest transfer fee of Spain this summer, with 63 million euros (approximately 10.71 billion yen).

A Madrid is close in second place with 178 million euros (approximately 30.26 billion yen). Major reforms were implemented with the departure of eight people who have made contributions, including De Paul and Correa. He has strengthened eight players, including Spanish national team midfielder Baena, who won for 42 million euros (approximately 7.14 billion yen), as well as American national team midfielder Johnny Cardozo, Argentina national team midfielder Armada, Italian national team forward Las Padoli, and Argentina national team forward Nicolas Gonzalez.

The team with the third most reinforcement amounts is Villareal, with 101 million euros (approximately 17.17 billion yen). He was actively working to fill the holes in Baena and Jeremy Pino that he sold, and acquired Georgia national team forward Mikautazé for the highest amount in the club's history of 30 million euros (approximately 5.1 billion yen). In addition, he has made effective reinforcements with Portuguese national team defender Renato Beiga and U-21 Spanish national team forward Alberto Moreiro.

Next, Betis, who acquired the long-awaited Brazilian national team forward Antony for 26 million euros (approximately 4.42 billion yen), came in fourth with 75.3 million euros (approximately 12.81 billion yen). Girona, who reinforced Ukrainian national team forward Banat, who is expected to be the top scorer two seasons ago, with 17 million euros (approximately 2.89 billion years), placed fifth with 29.2 million euros (approximately 4.964 billion yen).

: Marcus Rashford (photo taken on November 22, 2022)

■Rashford is the only Barca

Barcelona, which still suffers from salary cap issues, ranked 6th at 27.5 million euros (approximately 4.675 billion yen). He spent 25 million euros (approximately 4.25 billion yen) on signing Spanish goalkeeper Joan Garcia and 2.5 million euros (approximately 425 million yen) on U-21 Swedish midfielder Bardogzi, and only strengthened England national team forward Rashford with a temporary transfer. Meanwhile, Inigo Martinez, Pablo Torre and Inigo Martinez have left the team.

Despite losing his mainstay Subimendi, R Sociedad, which has Kubo Takefusa, was the only club in the Spanish league that would not be able to strengthen until August, so there were concerns. In the end, he spent 21.5 million euros (approximately 3.655 billion yen), the seventh most in the summer, and acquired Croatian national team defender Chaletta Tsar, former Portuguese national team forward Gedes, Venezuelan national team midfielder Janher Herrera and Carlos Soler. Meanwhile, they were unable to release Sadik and Odriosora, who were not involved in the military.

Mallorca, who has been in his second year with Asano Takuma, has won Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Pablo Torre and forward Birgili, and is ranked 13th with 8.5 million euros (approximately 1.444.5 billion yen). Seville, financially struggling, has become the only club this summer that does not spend any reinforcement expenses at all.

Transfer fees for the Spanish league as a whole this summer increased by 642.9 million euros (approximately 109.23 billion yen) from the previous year. The amount was slightly below the amount spent. Among them, Villareal, who released two main players from the youth organization. It is the only company that earns revenues of 106 million euros (approximately 18.02 billion yen), exceeding 100 million euros.

This was followed by R Sociedad, which sold Subimendi to Arsenal for the highest price in the Spanish league this summer for the highest rate of 70 million euros (approximately 11.9 billion yen), with A Madrid at 78 million euros (approximately 13.26 billion yen), Betis at 61.82 million euros (approximately 10.59.4 billion yen), and Seville at 59 million euros (approximately 10.03 billion yen).

Barcelona ranked 10th at 23 million euros (approximately 3.91 billion yen). The three teams, R. Madrid, Oviedo and Rayo Vallecano, had 0 euros.