[Sport] Austerity is gripping the transfer market in Spain

[HiTLeR]

 

With the urgent need to reduce salary bills and expenses in Spanish clubs due to the outbreak of the emerging "Corona" virus, the big clubs in Spain have tended to make money instead of spending it during the summer transfer period.

 

If there were any doubts about the financial plight of Spanish clubs due to the Corona pandemic, these doubts were completely dispelled with the closing of the summer transfers yesterday evening, Monday, in light of the apparent decline in spending by Spanish clubs in the transfer market.

The Spanish sports health "AS" reported today, Tuesday, that Spanish clubs spent 65% less money than they spent in the same transfer period last year.

The Spanish clubs spent one billion and 301 million euros (one billion and 532 million dollars) to strengthen their ranks during the last summer transfer period, but they spent only 410 million euros this time.

 

In return, Spanish clubs sold players totaling € 455m.

During the transfer period this summer, Spanish clubs tried to fill the financial gap that resulted from the losses they incurred as a result of the decline in match income, in light of the closure of the stadiums to the public attendance due to the Corona crisis.

Most Spanish clubs have resorted to this step to reduce their financial gap.

"AS" has devoted its front page to talking about an important fact, which is that it is the first time in 40 years that Real Madrid has not concluded any deal during the summer transfer window.

At least, Real fans feel they knew this, as Florentino Perez, the club's president, referred to it weeks ago when he said: "It is difficult to ask players to reduce their salaries and then make huge deals with new players."

 

Barcelona, on the contrary, raised a huge noise during the past weeks and even closed the transfer window yesterday, and most of this noise was about the possibility of contracting with Eric Garcia from Manchester City, England, and Memphis Depay from Lyon, France. None of the players moved to Barcelona this summer.

Not only did Atletico Madrid fail to close any big deal with the closing of the transfer market yesterday, but it also sold Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Parti to Arsenal for 50 million euros.

With the exception of the Spanish transfer rules, Atletico will have another month now after the main transfer window is closed to sign with a local substitute because the penalty clause in Barty's contract was met, leaving the club without an alternative but to sell.

 

Among the biggest Spanish clubs, Sevilla was the only one to bid farewell to the transfer market by strengthening their ranks.

The club signed Dutch defender Karim Rakik from Hertha Berlin, and Osama Idrisi contracted from Alkmaar.

 

In Valencia, there was disappointment not to include any new player, and Radio Cadena Ser indicated Monday evening that Javi Garcia might quit coaching the team.

In conjunction with the state of austerity in the transfer market, Barcelona announced on Monday that its financial losses last season amounted to 97 million euros.

The club's meager activity in the transfer market reflected its suffering from these financial losses.

 

In an attempt to get rid of the salary of Brazilian midfielder Ravinia Alcantara, Barcelona agreed to move the player to Paris Saint-Germain.

The transfer was supposed to be free of charge, but Barcelona got 3 million euros.

Barcelona also loaned center-back Jean-Claire Todibo to Benfica for two million euros.

But Barcelona failed to sign the player Garcia from Manchester City to cement this position.

AS stated that Barcelona sold players for a total sum of 126.5 million euros and included players for a total of 124 million euros.

But the biggest gain for Barcelona was achieved through the disposal of the salaries of a number of great players, namely Luis Suarez, Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and Ravenia.

On the other hand, the Real did not spend any money to join new players, but rather sold players whose total sale amounted to 89 million euros, as Sergio Regilon moved to Tottenham, English and Ashraf Hakimi to Inter Milan, Italy, noting that Hakimi's sale alone amounted to 70 million euros.

 

The transfer market cannot be judged only by the value of the fee. Evidence of this is that Real Sociedad was one of the most beneficiaries in the transfer market this summer, as it included the famous veteran player David Silva in a free transfer after the end of the great player’s association with Manchester City.