Soccer

English clubs made net transfer loss of over €6bn between 2011 and 2020

Manchester City the biggest spenders on international deals during that time

Rúben Dias has signed a new long-term deal at Manchester City until 2027. Photograph: Matt McNulty/Manchester City FC via Getty Images

Mon Aug 30 2021 - 19:09

English clubs made a net loss of €6.1 billion on international transfers in the period between 2011 and 2020, a new report has found.

Teams in England accounted for over a quarter of international transfer expenditure in that time, with €10.5 billion spent out of a global total of €41 billion according to a new Fifa report.

The net loss for English clubs once transfer receipts were taken into account was €6.1 billion.

Manchester City may have decided to pass on Cristiano Ronaldo in the current transfer window but the Fifa report, published to mark a decade since the introduction of its transfer matching system, named them as the world's biggest spenders on international deals.

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The report does not put a figure on City’s spending but found the Blues were involved in 130 incoming international transfers, of which 59.2 per cent involved a fee. Twelve English clubs were among the 30 biggest-spending clubs in the world, with all of the top-spending sides based in Europe.

Chelsea were second, with 80 per cent of the 95 incoming international deals they conducted involving a fee according to the report.

Meanwhile, Rúben Dias believes signing a new long-term Manchester City contract just one year after joining the club “speaks for itself” as a statement of joint intent.

Dias has committed his future to the Etihad Stadium until summer 2027, signalling his desire to help Manchester City dominate club football.

City signed Dias from Benfica for £50 million (€58 million) last summer, and the 25-year-old defender’s impact propelled Pep Guardiola’s side to the 2021 Premier League crown.

Dias was named Premier League player of the year as City swept to the title by 12 points, with Guardiola’s men also reaching the Champions League final.

Revealing City initiated talks over a new deal, Dias said: “It means a lot and it speaks for itself.

“I am very happy, and I am also very happy that the club felt the confidence to do it. The club wants to be the best and that is an ambition I love and want to be a part of.

“The club wants to be in the top five, top three in the world. I share the ambition of the club and that is probably one of the most important things.”

City lifted the English League Cup to add to their Premier League title last term, but Dias has insisted he is nowhere near sated when it comes to trophies.

Guardiola’s men opened the new campaign with a 1-0 loss at Tottenham but have followed up that defeat by thrashing both Norwich and Arsenal 5-0 in successive league matches.

And if City’s two hefty victories are not ominous enough warning for the rest of the league, Dias has left no doubt when extolling the tunnel vision of the Etihad men.

“Obviously it was a great season, but the best season can only be the one that’s coming,” Dias told Manchester City’s official club website.

“Every year everything starts from zero and for you to prove it again and again and again, I think that’s the biggest trophy you can have in football.

“You’ve got to do it as often as you’re able, and that’s what we’re coming to.”

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