ARSENE Wenger thinks the January transfer window is unfair and perhaps that partly explains why Arsenal have spent a third as much as Chelsea since it was introduced in 2003.
There is also the fact that Chelsea splash the cash, with ‘Fernando Torres’ and ‘£50million flop’ rarely far away from each other after the Spain striker became the priciest ever purchase in this window five years ago.
It is signings like that which put Chelsea top with their £214.2m total, followed by three other clubs that have topped a ton in Manchester City (£131.1m), Liverpool (£120.1m) and Tottenham Hotspur (£105.7m).
Then come Manchester United (£87.2m) and, bringing up the rear for the Barclays Premier League’s big six, Arsenal (£68.9m).
Their manager is not a fan of the winter window and even called for it to be abandoned previously. ‘I think it should be completely cut out,’ Wenger said in January 2013. ‘Or limited to two players.’
Since he couldn’t beat them, he joined them. Despite Wenger’s denouncement, Arsenal are sixth in the list as the richest clubs dominate the top-end of the table.
This study by Sportsmail included trawling through every transfer made during the mid-season transfer window in the last 13 years but not including the current one, going by the latest figures on file for each player.