Clubs around the world will spend a record £7.6bn on international transfers in 2023, according to a FIFA report.
This is an increase of 48.1% from 2022 and beats the previous record set in 2019 by £1.6bn.
English clubs were the biggest spenders, with a record £2.3 billion in January and summer last year.
The World Governing Body's report only looks at cross-border migration, not internal migration.
Global spending fell in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but rebounded last year, with Germany receiving the most transfer fees totaling £950m, followed closely by France ( England (£820m) and Italy (£810m).
In terms of international spending, the Saudi club were second on the list (£765m), with Neymar, Allan Saint-Maximin and Jordan Henderson all among players on lucrative contracts.
Transfers for the top 10 players generated more than 10% of the total amount spent in transfer fees in 2023.
These transfers include Jude Bellingham's move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid (£88.5m), Enzo Fernandes' move from Benfica to Chelsea (£107m) and Rasmus Hejlund's move from Atalanta. Includes a move to Manchester United for £72m.
In six of the top 10 deals, English teams were the acquiring clubs.
The number of women's international transfers has also increased by more than 20% compared to 2022 (from 1,571 to 1,888), with annual spending reaching a record high of £4.8m.
The most expensive international transfers in women's football include Gilles Lord from Wolfsburg to Manchester City (over £300,000), Keira Cooney-Cross from Hammarby to Arsenal (over £140,000) and Portland They include Lindsay Horan from the Thorns to Olympique Lyon (over £214,000). ).
The last three transfer windows (January 2023, summer 2022 and 2023) have each set new Premier League spending records, but the January 2024 transfer window There was a decrease in spending..
The transfer deadline is this Thursday, but only 13 players have been signed by Premier League clubs, eight on permanent transfers and five on loan deals, for a published fee of £45.4m.
