A total of 4,716 international transfers were completed in men’s football during the 2024 January window, an increase of 0.6% compared to the previous January window, according to FIFA’s International Transfer Snapshot. Total spending on transfer fees hit $1.46 billion in men’s football, and a record expenditure of $2.1 million in women’s football.
Women’s football spending on transfer fees were 165.5% higher than in January 2023. The total number of international women’s transfers remained relatively stable, with 357 transfers across borders, an increase of 0.3% compared to January 2023.
With total spending on transfer fees of $1.46bn in men’s football during the 2024 January window, clubs’ total outlay is 8.2% short of the record spending observed in January 2023, yet still at the second highest level ever.
French clubs topped the table for spending on international transfer fees of male players in January 2024, with a total outlay of $291.9m, more than double the amount they spent in the previous January window.
January spending by English clubs decreased sharply by almost 80% compared to their record spending in January 2023. Nevertheless, their combined total still represented the second highest out of all the associations.
The list of incoming transfers in the women’s game was jointly headed by England and Spain, each with 29 transfers, whereas Sweden and the USA were joint top of the table for outgoing transfers, with 30 apiece.
FIFA will publish the next snapshot in September 2024 after the conclusion of the mid-year registration period.
Highlights
*5,073 international transfers completed across men’s and women’s football, yet another increase compared to the previous record set in January 2023
*Clubs’ total spending on transfer fees reached $1.46bn in men’s football, second highest ever in any January window
*Record spending in women’s football: $2.1m, more than 2.5 times the amount spent in January 2023
