Winter transfers in the five major European leagues

The 2025 winter transfer window in the five major European leagues witnessed remarkable activity, as clubs sought to strengthen their ranks in preparation for the second half of the season.

According to media reports, the English Premier League has seen record spending, along with strategic moves in the Spanish League, the Italian League, the German League, the French League and the Saudi League.

As in previous years, the Premier League continued to dominate the transfer market in terms of spending, with deals worth £440m (€529m).

37 deals in the English Premier League

The clubs in the English Premier League completed 37 deals, with Manchester City the most prominent in spending, as it spent more than 180 million pounds.

His most prominent signings were the deal to sign the Egyptian Omar Marmoush from Frankfurt for 70 million euros, as well as the signing of the Spanish player Nico Gonzalez from Porto for 60 million euros.

While Aston Villa have also been active, spending around £90m on new signings, including Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford (on loan).

While Liverpool and Arsenal have been quieter this window, neither has signed any new players, while Tottenham have completed a deal for Mathis Tel on loan with an option to buy.

Spanish League

In La Liga, Spanish newspaper AS reported that clubs completed 41 deals in the winter transfer window and spent a total of 150 million euros. Although spending was lower than in the English Premier League, Spanish clubs made strategic moves.

Barcelona have been busy securing a permanent transfer for Dani Olmo, which could have major implications for other European clubs. Despite the fierce competition, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have been the quietest and are expected to continue their battle for the league title.

Spending in La Liga remains more balanced and reflects the strategies of clubs aiming to maintain their position in domestic and international competitions.

Italian League

In contrast, the Italian league witnessed 37 deals during the winter transfer window and spent nearly 200 million euros, with clubs such as Milan, Juventus and Roma among the clubs active in the market.

Milan have made a big signing by signing Joao Felix on loan from Chelsea, while Juventus have added signings to bolster their squad while keeping their budget stable.

Although Napoli were unable to sign their top targets in the market, Fiorentina made some notable signings, including Zaniolo and Fagioli.

German and French leagues

For their part, the German Bundesliga clubs completed 33 deals and spent around 169.85 million euros. According to the Spanish newspaper AS, "This amount is less than some other major leagues, but German clubs have distinguished themselves by their ability to sign promising young players."

Borussia Dortmund have been one of the most prominent clubs in the market this winter, having completed a major deal with Chelsea to sign Carney Chukwuemeka on loan with an option to buy for up to €54m.

RB Leipzig also signed Xavi Simons from Paris Saint-Germain for €50m (plus bonuses).

In the French Ligue 1, according to Reuters, clubs completed 25 deals and spent around 190 million euros. Paris Saint-Germain was the club that spent the most in France, signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli for 70 million euros.

Despite this high-profile deal, Paris Saint-Germain's transfer window was relatively quiet, with this being the only deal the club completed in the winter.

On the other hand, Olympique de Marseille were very active, signing Ismael Bennacer from Milan on loan with an option to buy for €12 million. Although the French league spending was balanced, the PSG deal was the most prominent in the market.

Source: Websites