Global transfers during the January window exceeded $2 billion (£1.6bn) for the first time in men’s football, with Premier League champions Manchester City contributing 10% of the total spend, amounting to $223 million (£179m) on four new players, according to FIFA data.
Pep Guardiola’s squad at the Etihad Stadium was strengthened by the additions of Omar Marmoush, Nico González, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis during the January transfer window.
This helped solidify the Premier League’s status as the highest-spending league with a total outlay of $621.6 million (£498.7m).
Following the Premier League, the top five spenders were clubs from Germany ($295.7m), Italy ($223.8m), France ($209.7m), and Saudi Arabia ($202.1m).
On the receiving end, French clubs collected the highest amount in transfer fees at $371 million, followed by German clubs ($226.2m), English clubs ($185.2m), Portuguese clubs ($176.4m), and Italian clubs ($162m).
Brazil led the way with the highest number of incoming transfers (471), followed by Argentina (265), Portugal (207), Spain (200), and England (190).
Argentina also topped the list for outgoing transfers (255), with Brazil (212), England (211), the United States (188), and Portugal (170) completing the top five.
A total of 5,863 transfers were completed, marking a 19.1% increase from January 2024, which was the previous record, according to a report by FIFA’s Legal & Compliance Division.
The overall spending of $2.35 billion was 57.9% higher than the 2024 winter window and 47.1% above the prior record set in January 2023.
The most significant transfer of the window in men’s football was Jhon Duran’s $79.9 million (£64.1m) move from Aston Villa to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr.
In the women’s game, new records were also set, with $5.8 million (£4.66m) spent on transfer fees (+180.6%) and a total of 455 international transfers in January.
English clubs were the top spenders in women’s football as well, with $2.3 million in spending and 39 incoming transfers. January 2025 also marked the first transfer window in women’s professional football to witness transfer fees exceeding $1 million (£802.9k).