The Premier League were way out ahead in the summer market spending stakes this year.
When the transfer window closed on Monday, Premier League clubs had spent £858m - more than was splashed out in Spain's La Liga (£425m), Italy's Serie A (£260m) and France's Ligue 1 (£100m) combined.
Even Germany's finest could not compete, with Premier League clubs' outlay three times higher than the Bundesliga's spending of £250m plus another £100m.
Much of the money comes from huge TV deals in England and allow even a middling Premier League club to splash out more than the vast majority of foreign clubs on fees and wages.
Of the total summer spending, Premier League clubs forked out £520.8m on players from overseas clubs (outside England, Scotland and Wales).
Spending on those from British clubs (£336.9m) was just 39 per cent of the total. Spanish clubs collectively received £239.1m for 15 players, including Angel di Maria (£59.7m), while other big recipients were Portugal, France and Holland.
