The La Liga has been the subject of intense criticism over the last few days, particularly due to the departure of Lionel Messi and the CVC deal that was rumoured to be in place for 50 years.
With the pandemic affecting football all around the globe, it seems that the Spanish league has taken a huge hit when it comes to the finances. And that is reflected in their summer spending as well. Here are the top five most expensive signings in La Liga this summer:
5. Ante Budimir (Mallorca to Osasuna) €8m
4. Emerson Royal (Betis to Barcelona) €9m
3. Boulaye Dia (Reims to Villareal) €13m
2. Juan Foyth (Spurs to Villareal) €15m
1. Rodrigo De Paul (Udinese to Atlético) €35m
In total, the money spent in La Liga for the top five signings is €80 million. On an average, that amounts to €4 million per club. La Liga placing wage caps for all teams has also made the situation worse for the management, with Messi’s departure being the most prominent example of the issue.
On the other hand, the Premier League is prospering, with clubs outside the top 6 being able to match La Liga’s most expensive signing in terms of money. Take a look at the five most expensive Premier League signings this summer:
5. Cristian Romero (Atalanta to Spurs) €55m
4. Ben White (Brighton to Arsenal) €58m
3. Jadon Sancho (Dortmund to Man Utd) €85m
2. Romelu Lukaku (Inter to Chelsea) €115m
1. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Man City) €120m
The total amount spent by Premier League clubs for their top five signings is €433 million and that averages out to 21.5 million for every club.
What’s evident here is that the disparity between the two leagues is increasing not only in finances but also in management. Teams outside the European spots can afford to pay a big fee for transfers in England while the same cannot be said in Spain.
With fans returning to stadiums, there is hope that some stability can be restored to the clubs, but support must also come from the league to help the teams in this difficult situation. And so far, that has not been provided.
