clubs

This summer, 35% of deals involving a transfer fee have been from one Premier League club to another, which is an increase from last year, when the figure was 30%.

That then increases to 44% in instances where Premier League clubs have bought players from lower down the English football pyramid.

On top of that, the Premier League net spend remains over £1bn for this window – by far the most in Europe – despite many of the biggest sales this summer coming from the English league too. Bundesliga and Ligue 1 clubs have received more in transfer fees than they have spent.

Aside from French-based duo Barcola and Bouaddi, the majority of major signings made by Premier League clubs this month have been from rival clubs in the same division.

They include England team-mates Rogers and Anderson, while Newcastle sold Tonali to Spurs and Guimaraes to Arsenal.

Manchester United snapped up Baleba from Brighton after a 12-month chase to aid their midfield revamp, while Tottenham‘s recruitment of Fernandes and Savio is in the same category.

But why are English clubs buying each other’s players more than ever this summer instead of shopping abroad for the biggest deals?

One reason could be the temptation for players who are proven in the Premier League.

Many of last season’s big-money signings – with a good chunk of them coming from the Bundesliga – failed to meet expectations or justify their transfer fee.

There have also been deals this summer involving the same clubs, possibly with accounting in mind, with Chelsea and Villa selling players to each other.

And there is also a feeling that teams abroad increase the transfer fees they are asking for when English teams – with all their TV riches – show interest in their players.

Unai Emery has insisted that there are no “good relations” between Chelsea and Aston Villa after a series of transfers between the clubs.

On Sunday Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez joined Chelsea from Villa, completing the eighth deal between them in the past four years.

Martinez’s move to Chelsea comes after Nicolas Jackson’s transfer the other way last week.

No two Premier League clubs have exchanged more players, on permanent or loan deals, in the past four years.

But Villa boss Emery said the relationship between the two clubs is “only through the deals for money”.

“Good relations?” he said. “They want to kill us and we want to kill them!

“We have good players and we can sign one player off them, it’s not a good relationship – it’s a deal for money and a deal for players.

“I am happy for Emiliano Martinez and Morgan Rogers and I know I am not happy for Chelsea.”

A series of deals betwen the clubs began after Chelsea‘s owners, BlueCo, took control of the club in 2022 and signed Carney Chukwuemeka from Villa for £20m that summer. Ian Maatsen (£37.5m, to Villa), Omari Kellyman (£19m, to Chelsea) and Axel Disasi (a £5m loan deal, to Villa) subsequently moved between the clubs.

This summer alone has brought four more deals. Morgan Rogers completed a £117m move Chelsea, while Alejandro Garnacho joined Villa on loan with a conditional obligation to buy in a deal worth around £43m.

Jackson then moved to Villa for £65m, before Martinez followed.

Since 2022, Chelsea have paid Aston Villa £163.5m for players. Villa have spent £102.5m on Chelsea players including Axel Disasi’s loan fee. That figure could rise to £150.5m should certain criteria be met to make Garnacho’s loan move permanent. Chelsea believe the terms are easily reachable.