Every professional sports league has its own free agency period, and when a notable player is not under contract it can be a frenzy to sign them for big money. The problem is that a big name player is needed to create hype around North American free agency. That is what makes the European soccer “Transfer Window” so special. First off, there are two opportunities, one in the summer offseason and one midway through the season in January. Two chances to get a big name and create a splash. But the other beautiful thing about the Transfer Window is that any player, no matter their contract situation, can move teams, either permanently or “on loan”; basically a rental.
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| Big names that moved clubs. From top left and clockwise: Angel di Maria, Mario Balotelli, Luis Suarez, Shinji Kagawa, James Rodriguez, and Alexis Sanchez. All shown with their new teams. |
The most recent Transfer Window closed on September 1, 2014 at 11 PM (British time), and the final numbers at the end of the day were nothing short of staggering. According to Forbes.com, the total gross spending of Premier League clubs alone was 835 million British Pounds. To put that into perspective that is nearly 1.4 BILLION U.S. dollars. This is due in part to improved broadcast deals for the league, mainly with the United States, meaning there is more money to spend. Manchester United is often compared to the New York Yankees due to their deep pockets and frivolous spending, and the Red Devils flexed their muscle this summer, leading the league with a £150 million gross spending spree; roughly 16% of the Premier League’s gross total. That trumps Liverpool, the next highest spender, by £23 million. But then we look at net spending, because every team also sold players which cuts into the gross expenditure, and United still topped the rest of the pack with a net spend of £122 million; 30% of the total net spending by the entire league. Yes, a single team was almost a third of the leagues net outlay. Across all leagues in Europe big names and stars of the World Cup swapped clubs, including James Rodriguez, Mario Balotelli, Luis Suarez, Alexis Sanchez, and Radamel Falcao. Some of the biggest stars in the game move to new clubs within a summer, something rarely seen in America, and there is so much hype and media generated by this event. Fans stay up all hours of the day to see the latest signings, and there are television shows across the UK dedicated to the final hours. It’s treated like a national holiday. So, I will be the one to say it: soccer has the best free agency period, and it’s not even close.
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| Radamel Falcao after his move to Old Trafford |
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