"We've reached a point in European football where the Premier League has by far the biggest spending power among the big five leagues. It had been a gradual push in the 21st century, before the COVID-19 pandemic truly solidified things. Ultimately, Premier League clubs were able to power through despite the loss of income from having no fans in the stands due to their massive TV deal, which wasn't the same case elsewhere in Europe."
"The behavior of recently promoted clubs is an example of how much things have changed. Sunderland have forked over around £100 million in the hopes of avoiding relegation, which follows what happened with Ipswich Town last summer. Beyond that, promoted and lower-tier clubs can also acquire heralded young prospects from historic clubs outside of England, as seen with Southampton acquiring Mateus Fernandes last summer from Sporting CP."
"Given how much Premier League clubs can spend these days, there are bound to be some transfers to pique people's curiosity, and that is the genesis of this piece. We're going to be looking at the five most intriguing transfers, in this writer's humble opinion, heading into the 2025-26 season. Five of them will be discussed, in ascending order from last year's standings, starting with one of the promoted clubs in their return to the English top flight after a two-year absence."
Premier League clubs now possess far greater spending power than other big five European leagues, a gap widened by the COVID-19 pandemic and massive domestic and international TV deals. The TV income allowed English clubs to absorb matchday revenue losses, unlike many continental counterparts, leaving them better positioned despite recent domestic TV stagnation. Promoted clubs increasingly spend heavily to avoid relegation, illustrated by Sunderland's c. £100 million outlay and Southampton's signing of Mateus Fernandes from Sporting CP. That financial distortion enables Premier League clubs to recruit top young prospects globally and fuels debates about the league's effective super-league status. Transfers for 2025-26 will reflect these dynamics.
Read at ESPN.com
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