Premier League clubs pass £1.18bn transfer window record nine days before deadline

Ben Rumsby 23 August 2017 • 4:48pm

Romelu Lukaku has been the most expensive Premier League signing of the window... so far Credit: getty images

Premier League clubs have broken their own summer spending record with more than a week to go before the transfer window closes.

Southampton’s £15 million signing of Wesley Hoedt from Lazio took the outlay by England’s 20 elite teams to more than £1.18 billion - the mark achieved the previous year - according to sports analysts sportingintelligence.

Hoedt completed his move nine days before the window closes, with plenty more deals expected before the 11pm deadline on August 31.

Premier League clubs have just begun the second season of global broadcast rights deals totalling £8.4bn over three years, with the first having seen their combined summer spending breach the £1bn barrier.

In the last 12 months, 18 of the 20 teams have broken their transfer record, 12 in the current window, including Liverpool (Mohamed Salah, £36.9m), Arsenal (Alexandre Lacazette, £46.5m), Chelsea (Alvaro Morata, £70m), Tottenham Hotspur (Davinson Sanchez, £42m), and Everton (Gylfi Sigurdsson, £45m).

Alexandre Lacazette — Arsenal are one of 12 Premier League teams to break their transfer record during this window Credit: PA

Manchester City also made Kyle Walker the world’s most expensive ever defender after signing him from Spurs for £50m, rising to £54m.

Net spending in the current window was said to stand at £565m, with the 20 teams having also received £619.9m in transfer fees.

Manchester City (£221.5m) were identified as the biggest spenders, ahead of Manchester United (£145.8m) and Everton (£139.9m).

Pep Guardiola — Manchester City are the biggest spenders Credit: Getty images

Paris St Germain’s summer shopping spree could outstrip them all, however, following their world-record £200m signing of Neymar from Barcelona.

Barca may also end up the window’s biggest spenders amid suggestions they are plotting a new £138m bid for Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho.

The Spanish giants have already paid China’s Guangzhou Evergrande £37m for former Spurs midfielder Paulinho and have been trying to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele, whose parent club are demanding £138m as well.