La Liga’s slower transfer market has been the topic of much conversation on the Iberian peninsula of late, and the numbers behind it paint what many feel is a concerning picture for Spanish football.
While the Premier League has often outspent La Liga in the past, for some time they could be relied upon to be second on that list, as recently has 2021. Yet according to Diario AS, five other leagues have spent more than La Liga (€252m) this summer: Premier League (€1.449b), Serie A (€573m), Ligue 1 (€494m), Bundesliga (€451m), Saudi Pro League (€442m).
This is one of a number of surprising figures, such as the fact that Real Madrid have spent more than the rest of the league put together. In total, La Liga has brought in €340m in sales, meaning that they are €88m in profit in total, but many clubs are still struggling to fit into their salary limits, with wages clearly forming a much larger part of their costs.
In addition, it is pointed out that Arsenal (€231m) are close to the La Liga total themselves, and that without Real Madrid’s spending, the league’s spend would in fact be closer to the Portuguese league (€111m). Los Blancos have not sold anyone for money, meaning their entire spend is loss and by a distance the largest. Villarreal are the side that have made the largest net profit (€98m), while Barcelona are second on that list with €62m.
Real Sociedad, Real Betis, Athletic Club and Osasuna are yet to spend any money on transfer fees, despite finishing in the top half last season. Seven teams are in a negative balance, Athletic Club and Osasuna are even.
La Liga have defended these numbers by saying that all they have done is balance income and outgoings, noting that the success of a league in their view is not defined by spending, but rather its long-term sustainability. Ligue 1 and Serie A clubs have both had tax delays granted by the governments.
It should also be pointed out that increasingly players are commanding large wages and moving as free agents. Equally, there is a danger that if La Liga loses quality consistently, then it will be more difficult to attract players to the league.