January transfer record $1.5 bn spent by clubs last month

Football clubs worldwide spent a January transfer record $1.57 billion last month, a FIFA report said Thursday, as the number of international transfers for the winter window reached an all-time high.

Fuelled by heavy spending from English Premier League clubs, the total outlay represented a near 50 percent increase from the same period last year -- and eclipsed the January 2018 record by some $230 million.

English clubs accounted for 57.3 percent of the overall spend after splashing out a combined $898.6 million, with Chelsea alone forking out £320 million ($390 million) on eight new players.

France came in a distant second at $131.9 million.

The number of international transfers for the January window also reached new highs -- there were 4,387 in men's football and 341 in the women's game.

The $774,300 spent in transfer fees in women's football also set a new January record -- rising by 58.7 percent compared to last year and a 14-fold increase on the 2019 winter window.

FIFA last month published its global transfer report for 2022, with clubs spending some $6.5 billion on international transfers -- an increase on the two previous years as football recovers from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.