The Women’s Super League breaks transfer window spending record

Spending records were broken in women’s football this summer with more than £3 million spent in the transfer window, more than double the previous record.

Spending in the women’s game, however, remains completely dwarfed by the £6 billion spent this summer on transfer fees in the men’s game. Fifa says around £560m was spent on agent fees in men’s football this summer – almost 200 times the spend on transfer fees in women’s football.

Free transfers still dominate the women’s market, with 84 percent of all transfers in women’s football this summer involving out-of-contract players.

The WSL window closed on Thursday after a frantic 24 hours that saw four last-minute signings for Manchester United, and it is understood around half a million pounds were spent by WSL clubs alone THURSDAY.

The biggest moves of the WSL deadline included United re-signing defender Gabby George for a fee in the region of £150,000, after meeting the release clause in George’s contract, according to Telegraph sources.

Just before the midnight deadline for international arrivals, Arsenal signed Australian midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross, one of the Matildas’ stars at the World Cup, for an initial fee widely reported to be £140,000, although sources have told Telegraph Sport that this amount could increase. potentially worth up to £300,000 if all add-ons are met.

Analysis: A variation in transfer strategies

The most expensive purchase of the WSL window, however, came much earlier in the July 6 window, when Manchester City signed Dutch star Jill Roord for around £300,000 from Women’s Champions League finalists Wolfsburg.

That proved to be Manchester City’s only addition of the window, during a summer of relative stability for Gareth Taylor’s side compared to previous windows and compared to many of their rivals.

In contrast, neighbors United signed nine players this summer and saw star players Ona Batlle and Alessia Russo leave on free transfers.

However, they kept England goalkeeper Mary Earps, after insisting the Lionesses’ number 1 was not for sale. They rejected an offer from Arsenal which would have been a record fee for a goalkeeper, believed to be around £200,000 according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.