The Premier League Has Already Broken Records This Transfer Window

One. Billion. Pounds.

For the first time ever, transfer window spending by Premier League clubs has broken the £1 billion threshold.

The previous record was set just last summer at £870 million. This transfer window blew past that number last Thursday, thanks in part to blockbuster deals like Paul Pogba’s return to Manchester United. Major deals, such as Arsenal’s £50 million outlay for Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez yesterday, helped push total league spending even higher toward the end of the window. And at 8:30 am local time today, Deloitte confirmed spending had broken the £1bn mark.

The record-breaking spending is no doubt a product of the massive new television deal that took effect this season, leaving Premier League clubs flush with obscene amounts of cash. The increased revenue has already led to transfer fee inflation, with Chelsea manager Antonio Conte complaining about having to “pay £50m for medium players.”

One story lost in the shuffle, however, are the surprisingly big loan deals that are seeing Premier League stalwarts leave their clubs. Joe Hart was one of four Manchester City players to be sent out on loan right at the end of the window, while Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere looks set to spend the season at Bournemouth.

And of course, David Luiz is coming back to Chelsea, which is great business for physios and shinguard manufacturers.

Transfer deadline day is a lot of things. It’s silly. It can be exciting. It kind of sucks. But it’s undeniably lucrative.