A quiet January transfer window in the Premier League is a short-term blip rather than the start of a new trend, according to leading finance company Deloitte.
English top-flight clubs spent just £100million, down from a staggering £815m last January and an average of just over £319m since the 2016-17 season, when the value of domestic television rights first jumped past £5billion for a three-year cycle.
The threat of sanctions under the league’s profit and sustainability rules, with Everton already docked 10 points this season, has been cited as a potential reason – though spending over the full season still hit £2.4bn, second only to last season’s £2.7bn.
Calum Ross, assistant director in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, told the PA news agency: …