Last season Premier League transfer fees shot up by 100 per cent - after being static around the £300 million mark for the four previous seasons. The KPMG Forensic Football Transfer Monitor shows last seasons transfer fees rocketed to over £600 million.
Increasing levels of investment in playing staff will inevitably lead to litigation when disputes arise over player valuations. Manchester United are currently in a tug-of-war over Carlos Tevez, currently on loan at Old Trafford. It is believed the club is keen to sign the Argentinean, but the Glazers, United’s owners, disagree with Tevez’s ‘owner’ MSI (Media Sports Investments) over the player’s valuation.
New owners at Premier League clubs, combined with the increase in broadcast payments to clubs for the 2007-08 season, have been cited as key drivers of the unprecedented rise in spending. The January 2008 transfer window saw a particularly high number of big-money transfers, such as Nicolas Anelka’s move from Bolton Wanderers to Chelsea for £15 million. The window saw more than double the amount spent than in any previous January period.
For more details, contact Geoff Mesher at geoff.mesher@kpmg.co.uk
Source: KPMG Forensic Football Transfer Monitor
