FINAL DATA: January 2026 Transfer Tracker
Image Credit: Christopher Bill
The January transfer window is a perfect opportunity for football clubs in most leagues across Europe and other continents to re-tool their squads, which is done for several reasons, including: avoiding relegation, making a run to qualify for a continental club competition and aiming to win the league title or a continental title.
In other places in the world — as well as some northern European leagues (think those in the Nordic countries, bar those in Denmark) — the January transfer window extends beyond one month because it is those clubs’ offseason. This means that some clubs may completely overhaul their squads ahead of the following season. As a result, those leagues experience a lot more transfer activity.
That said, while the Holidays for most people serve as a relaxing period with friends and family, for footballers and management personnel, it may be the final days living in a city or even in a particular country.
For the first time, we are tracked all transfers that occurred within Europe’s top five leagues:
Bundesliga (Germany);
LaLiga (Spain);
Ligue 1 (France);*
Premier League/EPL (England);** and
Serie A.
This tracker identifies the number of transfers among the top five European leagues, by league, and the total amount of British pounds spent and earned by clubs within these leagues. That said, the tracker includes overlap in money spent due to intra-league transfers: players moving from one club in a league to another club in that same league.
The January 2026 transfer window will close for clubs from Bundesliga, EPL, Ligue 1 and Serie A on February 2, 2026 at 19:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or 14:00 Eastern Standard Time (EST). The deadline for clubs from LaLiga is at 22:59 GMT, or 17:59 EST.
The data presented below account for transfers completed and registered within The Guardian’s database until February 6, 20:30 GMT.
Transfer Spending and Revenue, by League
Since the start of the transfer window, the 20 clubs from the EPL were the highest spenders among those from all five leagues. As of February 6, 2026, EPL clubs collectively spent £458.5 million, while accumulating £261.0 million in revenue — also the highest among all five leagues — throughout the January 2026 transfer window.
As well, during the same period, the 18 clubs from Bundesliga have collectively generated the lowest revenue among the five leagues, totalling only £15.6 million. At the same time, the 18 Bundesliga clubs spent £78.7 million.
Finally, the 20 clubs from LaLiga have collectively spent the least amount of money among all five leagues, totalling £66.7 million; these 20 clubs also generated £106.0 million in revenue, largely amassed by Atlético Madrid, which sold midfielders Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo De Paul to EPL club Tottenham Hotspur and Major League Soccer club Inter Miami,*** respectively, and forward Giacomo Raspadori to Serie A club Atalanta BC.
It is worth noting, however, that these amounts solely include transfers with a disclosed fee; transfers containing undisclosed fees are not included. They also exclude loan deals that include purchase options.
Figure 1 shows the amount of money spent and earned in transfer income by clubs in each of Europe’s top five leagues. Transfers indicated in this figure exclude permanent transfers containing an undisclosed fee, free transfers, loan transfers and loan terminations.
Source: The Guardian
Notes: The figure accounts for permanent transfers containing known fees; transfers containing undisclosed fees are not included. It also excludes add-ons/bonus fees associated with permanent transfer fees and loan deals that include loan fees and/or purchase options at the end of their terms.
The figure was last updated on February 6, 2026.
Types of Transfers/Transactions, by League
As of February 6, 2026, clubs from Europe’s top five leagues have collectively spent £1.1 billion in transfer fees. This amount excludes that from transfers without disclosed fees. The amount also excludes loan transfers, a popular type of transaction in the January transfer window. Clubs send players on loan to offer a chance of more playing time. Such a transaction also serves as a potentially temporary solution until the end of the season to offload one player and replace that player with another who is more suitable to the manager’s playing system.
The other type of transfer is a free transfer, which involves no fees and generally applies to players who are either free agents or are set to become free agents at the end of the current season. Players in the latter category typically join their new club once the season concludes.
Figure 2 presents the number of transactions completed by clubs within the top five European leagues throughout the January 2026 transfer window, by league. Data indicated in the figure are divided into four categories: permanent transfers with fees, free transfers, loan transfers and released players who had their contracts terminated.
Source: The Guardian
Notes: Permanent transfers with fees include loans converted to permanent transfers and transfers containing undisclosed fees.
The figure excludes loans that ended or were terminated during the transfer window.
The figure was last updated on February 6, 2026.
Notable Permanent Transfers and Loans
Since the start of the January 2026 transfer window, several clubs across Europe’s top five leagues have spent significant amounts of money on talented players to bolster their squads. Throughout the transfer window, the 10 most-expensive permanent transfers include the following:
Antoine Semenyo (forward): From EPL club AFC Bournemouth to league rivals Manchester City for £62.5 million;
Jérémy Jacquet (defender): From Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais (Rennes) to EPL club Liverpool FC for £60.0 million;****
Jørgen Strand Larsen (forward): From EPL club Wolverhampton Wanderers to league rivals Crystal Palace for £43.0 million;
Lucas Paquetá (midfielder): From EPL club West Ham United to Brazilian Série A club CR Flamengo for £36.7 million;
Brennan Johnson (forward): From Tottenham to league, and London-based, rivals Crystal Palace for £35.0 million;
Conor Gallagher (midfielder): From Atlético Madrid to EPL club Tottenham for £34.6 million;
Ademola Lookman (forward): From Atalanta to Atlético Madrid for £30.3 million;
Lorenzo Lucca (forward): From Serie A club Udinese to league rivals SSC Napoli for £30.0 million;***
Oscar Bobb (midfielder): From Manchester City to league rivals Fulham FC for £27.0 million; and
Mohamed Kader Meïté (forward): From Rennes to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal for £26.0 million.
Other permanent transfers involving notable include goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, defenders Marc Guéhi, Jamaal Lascelles and Oleksandr Zinchenko, midfielders Mattéo Guendouzi and Ismaël Koné,*** as well as forwards Valentín Castellanos, Ciro Immobile, Giacomo Raspadori, Rayan and young talent Robinio Vaz.
Regarding loan deals completed during the January 2026 transfer window, the notable loans lasting until the end of the 2025-26 season are the following:
Sacks Boey (defender): From Bundesliga club Bayern Munich to Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray;
João Cancelo (defender): From Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal to LaLiga club FC Barcelona;
Endrick (forward): From LaLiga club Real Madrid to Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais (see our profile on the player here);
Seko Fofana (midfielder): From Rennes to Primeira Liga club FC Porto;
Niclas Füllkrug (forward): From West Ham to Serie A club AC Milan;
Tyrique George (forward): From EPL club Chelsea FC to league rivals Everton FC;
Evann Guessand (forward): From EPL club Aston Villa to Crystal Palace;
Noa Lang (forward): From Napoli to Galatasaray;
Lorenzo Lucca (forward): From Napoli to EPL club Nottingham Forest;
Douglas Luiz (midfielder): From Serie A club Juventus FC to Aston Villa;
Ethan Nwaneri (forward): From EPL club Arsenal FC to Marseille;
Kalvin Philips (midfielder): From Manchester City to EFL Championship club Sheffield United;
Daniele Rugani (defender): From Juventus to league rivals ACF Fiorentina;
Alisson Santos (forward): From Primeira Liga club Sporting CP to Napoli;
Marc-André ter Stegen (goalkeeper): From Barcelona to league, and local, rivals Girona FC;
James Ward-Prowse (midfielder): From West Ham to league rivals Burnley FC; and
Bryan Zaragoza (forward): From Bayern Munich to Serie A club AS Roma.
* Ligue 1 includes AS Monaco, which are based in the Principality of Monaco.
** The EPL may include a number of clubs from Wales. These clubs, which currently participate in one of the English Football League’s top four divisions, include EFL Championship clubs Swansea City and Wrexham AFC, EFL League One club Cardiff City and EFL League Two club Newport County. That said, there are no Welsh clubs competing in the EPL for the 2025-26 season.
*** Denotes loans that were converted to permanent transfers during the January 2026 transfer window.
*** Jérémy Jacquet will join Liverpool in summer 2026. The France U-21 defender will spend the remainder of the season at Stade Rennais.
