7x more than 200 million
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This year’s winter transfer window is still open for just under two weeks. The most expensive transfer to date is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with a transfer fee of 75 million euros, which Paris Saint-Germain transferred to SSC Napoli for the Georgian’s services. Only four players in football history cost more money in winter. Of the clubs, PSG and Manchester City have invested the most so far, with 75 million euros each. Citizens coach Pep Guardiola also moved up to the top among the coaches with the highest winter expenses.
A selection from Transfermarkt’s database showed that since 2000, seven coaches have spent more than 200 million euros on new signings. Guardiola moved into second place with the recent signings of Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, worth €40m and €35m respectively. This brings the Catalan’s total costs for new staff in January during his coaching career to 254 million euros. If the 75 million euros that are supposed to flow for Eintracht Frankfurt’s top striker Omar Marmoush are soon added, Guardiola would be at 329 million euros. That would still mean he wouldn’t come close to the leader in these statistics: Graham Potter.
This was partly responsible for one of two winter changes in history that exceeded the 100 million euro mark. On January 31, 2023, Chelsea FC, under the management of the Englishman Enzo Fernández, had a new club record signing for 121 million euros. presented. In total he has spent 380 million euros on 58 players during his career. Unsurprisingly, the five most expensive all come from his 31-game tenure with the Blues. In addition to Fernández, they include Mykhaylo Mudryk (70 million), Benoît Badiashile (38 million), Noni Madueke (35 million) and Malo Gusto (30 million).
Coaches with the highest winter expenses: Klopp and Schmidt in the top 20
Behind Potter and Guardiola, Arsenal’s iconic coach Arsène Wenger ranks third with 220 million euros, of which Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang was the biggest January transfer with 63.75 million euros, before Jürgen Klopp is one of two Germans in the top. 20 follows closely behind. The former Liverpool man has a winter spend of €219m for 22 players, with Virgil van Dijk’s €84.65m arrival at Anfield being the highest. The most expensive professional he brought to Borussia Dortmund in the winter is Kevin Kampl at 12 million euros. The second German coach is Roger Schmidt, currently without a club, with 144 million euros in 18th place in the rankings. Thomas Tuchel landed just outside the top 30 with around 98 million euros.
Overall, the January transition period tends to be quieter than in the summer as clubs have already spent most of their budgets and all that remains is to look for financially viable deals in the market. This is also illustrated by the number of transfers that cost over 100 million euros. Two in the winter – in addition to Fernández and Philippe Coutinho – there are 14 in the summer. The coach with the highest total expenditure since 2000 is Guardiola with an incredible 2.1 billion euros.