The January 2026 transfer window may have ended fairly quietly on deadline day, but the overall figures once again underlined the Premier League's financial dominance across Europe.
Top-flight clubs spent around £400 million on new signings, making it the third-biggest winter transfer window in history, adding to the staggering – and record-breaking – £3 billion splashed out during the summer.
While it fell short of the £830 million record in 2023, this window still surpassed last year's £372m total, with only 2018 seeing a higher mid-season spending total.
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Which Premier League club spent the most during the January 2026 transfer window?
Some of the biggest deals involved the same two Premier League teams – Manchester City and Crystal Palace.
Pep Guardiola's side led the way with a total outlay of £82.5 million, most notably signing Antoine Semenyo from AFC Bournemouth for £62.5 million. The Cityzens also poached Marc Guehi from the Eagles for around £20 million.
Palace were not far behind, ranking second at around £77.38 million, having signed Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolverhampton Wanderers on deadline day for £43 million, while they secured Brennan Johnson for £35 million earlier in the window.
Elsewhere, only one other signing surpassed the £30 million barrier, with Conor Gallagher joining Tottenham Hotspur from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth £34.7 million.
Fulham, Aston Villa, AFC Bournemouth and Sunderland all completed deals above £10 million, while the likes of Everton, Leeds United and Burnley settled for just loan arrivals.
Premier League total spend during the January 2026 transfer window compared to Europe
Despite it being somewhat subdued, the January 2026 transfer window still highlighted the glaring gap between the Premier League and the rest of Europe.
English clubs spent nearly double Serie A's £219 million, while City and Palace alone outspent every single LaLiga team combined. Ligue 1 (£90 million) and the Bundesliga (£99 million) were not that far ahead, either.
Several clubs took a more cautious approach, such as Liverpool opting to pay £55 million in the summer for Jeremy Jacquet, with the defender loaned back to Rennes until then. Meanwhile, league leaders Arsenal were among several teams to sit out, instead focusing on academy investments.
Premier League clubs' total spend during the January 2026 transfer window ranked
1 – Manchester City (£82.5 million)
2 – Crystal Palace (£78 million)
3 – West Ham United (£48.5 million)
4 – Tottenham Hotspur (£47.5 million)
5 – AFC Bournemouth (£36 million)
6 – Aston Villa (£28.5 million)
7 – Fulham (£27 million)
8 – Sunderland (£21 million)
9 – Brentford (£9 million)
10 – Wolverhampton Wanderers (£8 million)
11 – Nottingham Forest (£4 million)
12 – Brighton (£2 million)
13 – Arsenal (£1 million)
14 – Everton, Liverpool, Chelsea, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Burnley (negligible or none)
All data sourced via Transfermarkt.
