Football clubs worldwide spent a record $9.63 million (8.88 million euros) on international transfers last year, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 by more than $2 billion, according to a FIFA report published Tuesday.

The latest figures represent a 48.1% increase compared to 2022 when transfer spending began to climb again after two years of belt-tightening due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The top 10 player transfers in 2023 accounted for over 10 per cent of the entire outlay. Those deals included Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid, Enzo Fernandez joining Chelsea and Harry Kane signing for Bayern Munich. 

English clubs, led by Chelsea, again topped the list by splashing out a combined $2.96 billion — three times as much as those in France, which placed second on the list.

Read full story on sport.timesofmalta.com

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