Contents
England (Premier League)
Winners
– The Premier League as a whole made history with its record-breaking spending. The Premier League’s global and domestic broadcast revenue has risen by 17% for the 2025-2028 cycle, reaching a total of £12.25 billion. This has given the league an unparalleled financial muscle.
– Liverpool were the standout spenders, with a record outlay of £446 million. They broke the British transfer fee record twice, first with Florian Wirtz for £116 million and then with Alexander Isak for £125 million. Despite the high spending, they managed to offset a significant portion of it through sales, including Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.
– Arsenal also had a strong window, spending over £250 million and ending up with the highest net spend in the league. They brought in key players like Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres, reinforcing their status as a title contender.
– Sunderland, a newly promoted club, had what many called their best-ever window. They showed their ambition by bringing in a mix of experienced players and rising talents like Bryan Brobbey from Ajax.
Mixed
– Manchester City had a mixed window. They made some solid acquisitions, including Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Aït-Nouri, but also had some questionable high-profile moves, such as Gianluigi Donnarumma and Rayan Cherki. They also saw the departure of key players like Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker, which some analysts see as the end of an era.
Losers
– Newcastle United suffered a blow with the loss of star striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool. Despite spending over £250 million, their failure to adequately replace him left them less competitive, even with their Champions League status.
– Fulham, Burnley, Leeds, and Wolves were criticised for their poor recruitment. Fulham, in particular, was given a low grade for their uninspiring activity.
Spain (La Liga)
Winners
Real Madrid clearly dominated the summer transfer market in Spain. They made the three most expensive signings in the league: Dean Huijsen for €62.5 million, Álvaro Carreras for €50 million, and Franco Mastantuono for €45 million. Overall, they led the league in spending, with investments of around €181 million. This aggressive strategy is particularly impressive given the strict financial rules in La Liga, making their moves stand out for their ambition and execution.
Mixed
– Atlético Madrid: Although they weren’t the top spenders, Atlético were still very active with significant investments, including Alex Baena and Johnny Cardoso. They positioned themselves solidly but didn’t make the headline-stealing impact of Real Madrid.
– Barcelona: Barcelona had a tough time with tight finances, balancing strategic player sales with new signings. They managed to bring in Marcus Rashford on loan and signed goalkeeper Joan García for €25 million. However, they also had to sell or loan out other players, such as Ansu Fati and Pablo Torre, to manage their limited salary cap.
Losers
– League-wide: La Liga as a whole lost ground due to strict financial controls. Despite clubs spending a total of around €708 million, the league’s net spend was a modest €50 million. This shows that clubs had to sell players to meet their budgets. For example, Getafe had to sell top players just to be able to register their new squad members, which highlights how the rigid rules are forcing clubs into bad deals.
– European spending race: More broadly, La Liga clubs as a whole fell well behind even Serie A and the Bundesliga in transfer spending, and were completely overshadowed by the Premier League’s huge €3.6 billion summer outlay.
Germany (Bundesliga)
Winners
– Bundesliga clubs as a whole had a very good summer financially, bringing in about £758.9 million from player sales and only spending around £563.7 million. This shows that the league is still a great place to develop and sell talented players.
– RB Leipzig also showed their ambition and strategic thinking by signing several promising players, including Johan Bakayoko and Yan Diomande, with a total investment of around €116 million.
Mixed
Bayern Munich had a mixed summer. While they strengthened their team with big names like Luis Díaz (£65.5 million) and Nicolas Jackson (a loan with an obligation to buy for around £70.5 million), they also lost key players like Kingsley Coman and Thomas Müller and failed to get top targets like Florian Wirtz. Their window was given a “C” grade, showing that they were being careful amid internal power struggles. A new trend has also been seen, with German clubs signing “overlooked” talent from the Premier League. Borussia Dortmund, for example, signed Carney Chukwuemeka, while Bayern snapped up Jackson. This shows a growing interest in finding value in players from England.
Losers
Bayer Leverkusen had a very difficult summer. Despite raising over €270 million from the sales of players like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Granit Xhaka, and Jonathan Tah, they reportedly compromised the balance and stability of their squad. Their former coach, Erik ten Hag, who was sacked just two games into the season, even said that the club had suffered a “talent drain.” The Bundesliga as a whole found itself under increasing pressure from the Premier League’s huge spending spree, which sparked concerns about the long-term competitiveness of the league. This is made worse by fan-favourite ownership structures like the 50+1 rule.
Italy (Serie A)
Winners
– Napoli were the clear winners for their smart planning and continuity under manager Antonio Conte. The club kept its core group of players and added high-impact signings like Kevin De Bruyne and Noa Lang. This puts them in a strong position for another title challenge.
– AS Roma also made some clever moves under new manager Gian Piero Gasperini. They signed Evan Ferguson and Wesley, which earned them very good ratings from the media. The team also managed to keep Artem Dovbyk, who was a key player for them.
Mixed
Juventus took a careful but big approach. Under new general manager Damien Comolli, they made a few purchases, signing Edon Zhegrova and Loïs Openda late in the window, while also selling several players. It was a transfer window that was all about stability rather than bold spending. Inter Milan and AC Milan didn’t have standout windows, but Inter did secure some good reinforcements, like Petar Sučić and Luis Henrique.
Losers
Overall, Serie A was overshadowed by the transfer spending in England and Germany. No Italian club matched the level of activity seen in those leagues. Financial problems and a lot of managerial changes across the league have limited the ability of many teams to make big changes to their squads. For example, AC Milan were the biggest spenders in Italy with a reported €164 million, but they also saw the departure of key players like Tijjani Reijnders to Manchester City and Theo Hernandez to Al-Hilal. They did, however, get back to a positive net spend, which shows that the league is still having to make a profit from transfers to balance the books. This shows that the Serie A as a whole is still struggling to compete financially with other European leagues.
France (Ligue 1)
Winners
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) were the clear winners in France. They signed Lucas Chevalier from Lille for around €40 million, positioning him as a long-term replacement for Gianluigi Donnarumma and reinforcing their ambition to have a strong team for years to come. Despite a generally careful transfer window, PSG’s smart signings continue to give them an advantage in both France and Europe.
Mixed
Marseille had a flurry of new signings, including Ángel Gomes and Timothy Weah, and they also made Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s stay permanent. However, some off-field issues, such as the disciplinary problems involving Jonathan Rowe and Adrien Rabiot, cast a shadow over their otherwise positive recruitment.
Losers
– Ligue 1 as a whole is still overshadowed by leagues like the Premier League and Bundesliga in transfer spending. The league’s financial power remains limited despite some individual wins.
– Smaller clubs like Paris FC are increasing their investment (e.g., signing Otávio from Porto), but they remain underdogs in the financial hierarchy of European football.
Netherlands (Eredivisie)
Winners
– Ajax continued their model of smart business. They sold stars like Jorrel Hato and Carlos Forbs, and then reinvested that money into new players like Oscar Gloukh and Raúl Moro, which helped them balance youth and experience.
– Feyenoord also had a good window, selling players like Igor Paixão and bringing in new ones such as Sem Steijn for a club-record fee and Anel Ahmedhodzic.
Mixed
PSV Eindhoven showed a lot of ambition. They signed Paul Wanner, Dennis Man, and Alassane Pléa, but they also lost key players like Noa Lang and Johan Bakayoko. This has led to questions about how well the squad will work together.
Losers
On a league-wide scale, the Eredivisie had a quieter transfer window compared to other leagues. This suggests they are taking a more sustainable approach rather than spending a lot of money.
Sportmonks: Your transfer window companion
When the transfer window is in full swing, with media headlines flying, rumours swirling, and people needing clear information. That’s when Sportmonks really shines.
Confirmed transfers, crystal-clear
As summer 2025 unfolded, publishers, platforms, and media teams relied on our Transfers API within the Football API 3.0 suite. Whether they needed the “latest transfers,” transactions by team, player, or within a specific date range, our endpoints delivered. All with precise filters like include=fromTeam,toTeam,player to give you exactly the data you need. That meant no more second-guessing or delays. Users saw definitive, structured transfer data in real time, turning speculation into certainty.
The rumour mill, finally organised
Rumours used to be a headache, filled with misinformation and chaos. Not anymore. In mid-2025, we launched the Transfer Rumours API, which was designed to bring order to speculation. Each entry includes the player and clubs involved, a probability rating (low, medium, high), a fee estimate, a source name and link, and the date of the rumour. This transforms rumour fatigue into strategic insight. Whether it was for fan engagement tools, media buzz feeds, or fantasy drafts, teams had early access to what was brewing and could do more than just react; they could plan.
A complete football data ecosystem
Confirmed transfers and rumours are just part of the story. Our Football API 3.0 goes far deeper, delivering live scores, line-ups, semi-live ball coordinates, a pressure index, offside events, predictive line-ups, referee statistics, weather over the pitch, and even coach performance. Everything sits on one unified platform. So, whether your users want to compare transfer activity against performance or predict line-ups before a match, they can.
How this sets you apart
While others were juggling fragmented feeds, Sportmonks’ platforms were already ahead, offering:
– Accuracy & speed in confirmed transfers.
– Structured speculation with rumour confidence levels.
– Rich, integrated football data to enrich stories, alerts, and dashboards.
Track every transfer with Sportmonks
Stay on top of the market with Sportmonks Football API. From confirmed deals to structured rumours, our data keeps you ahead with speed, accuracy, and insight. Power your apps, dashboards, or media coverage with the most reliable transfer feed in football.
Faqs about the transfer window
