Football clubs spent $8.59 billion on transfers last year

(Patria) - Clubs around the world spent $8.59 billion on international transfers last year, the International Football Federation (FIFA) announced yesterday in its Global Transfer Report.

This figure is the second-highest expenditure after the record year of 2023, when clubs spent $9.63 billion on international transfers.

Clubs completed 22,779 transfers in men's football. FIFA also announced that a record 78,742 international transfers were made in total across men's, women's, and amateur football last year.

English clubs were once again the top spenders, with $1.88 billion spent on incoming transfers, while also receiving $1.34 billion for outgoing players.

The most expensive international transfer was the move of Argentine striker Julian Alvarez from Manchester City to Atletico Madrid, in a deal worth approximately $78.26 million, plus $20 million in potential add-ons.

🤝 All-time record of international player transfers completed
📈 Women’s football continues to grow, with total spending more than twice the amount compared to 2023

Read the 2024 edition of the Global Transfer Report, alongside the interactive Global Transfer Report website:

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) January 30, 2025

Among the top five international transfers were also Goncalo Ramos from Benfica to Paris St Germain, Leny Yoro from Lille to Manchester United, Joao Neves from Benfica to Paris St Germain, and Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig to Barcelona.

PSG was the European club that spent the most on international transfers, although the amount spent by the Parisians was not specified, followed by Manchester United and Lyon.

The most transfers occurred between Brazilian and Portuguese clubs, totaling 485, including arrivals from Brazil to Portugal (262) and from Portugal to Brazil (223).

Women's football reached a record expenditure of $15.6 million on international transfers in 2024, more than double the spending in 2023 ($6.1 million).

The largest transfer in women's football last year was $862,000, which Bay paid in February for Zambian international Racheal Kundananji upon her arrival from Madrid CFF.

However, in January of this year, that record was broken when Chelsea paid $1.1 million for the transfer of 24-year-old American international Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave.