Transfer Deadline Day: Record low trades completed on a quiet day

Premier League clubs spent a record £3.1bn in the summer, far more than they spent in the winter.

The £390m figure for this window was not significantly down on previous winters, with January always being less important than the summer because it is a very difficult time for clubs to recruit effectively.

It’s harder to do this on deadline day, but this day was particularly quiet, for several reasons.

One would be the big spending last summer, while the other could relate to a new Financial Fair Play (FFP) system that will come from next season.

The Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) will replace the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), meaning total team costs in the Premier League from 2026-27 must be limited to 85% of the club’s revenue.

“There will always be a degree of concern in terms of maintaining your financial system ahead of a more active market [the summer window]Paul McDonald of FootballTransfers.com said.

“Clubs wanted to ensure they were in a compliant position rather than having the additional headache of getting stuck under the new rules.”