FIFA says transfer spending is increasing globally

PanARMENIAN.Net -

FIFA says transfer spending is increasing globally as some countries recover from the economic downturn, while questioning if clubs are hiding money from some player moves.

Kimberly Morris, from FIFA’s transfer unit, said $929 million from transfers across different countries was registered in the first half of 2013.

That’s 40 percent more than the $664 million spent between January and June last year, and closer to the 2011 figure of $855 million.

The costliest deal in the summer transfer window in Europe so far has been Brazil forward Neymar joining Barcelona from Santos for $74 million.

English clubs tend to be the biggest spenders, and the most expensive Premier League import this summer is currently Brazil midfielder Fernandinho, who was acquired from Shakhtar Donetsk by Manchester City for $45 million.

Registering cross-border deals with FIFA’s Transfer Matching System has been mandatory since 2010 in a bid to curb money laundering and corrupt deals. The online system requires buying and selling clubs to input matching information, including payment schedules, before a transfer is approved.