With five of the top 10 most expensive signings of the January 2023 transfer window involving Chelsea speaks volume about the spending spree Premier League clubs intend to do. With Chelsea all set to sign world cup winner Enzo Fernandez for a record €121m fee, former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has said European clubs cannot keep up with Premier League spending sprees. He went onto add that The Premier League will always lead in Europe when it comes to transfers, but Real Madrid won't surrender easily.
With the world cup winner Enzo Fernandez all to set to move to Chelsea, Premier League clubs have all gone out of the way to sign the best talents all across the globe. With spending is so much that they have spent over a record-breaking £800million during the January window. The spending is such that they have outspend the combined totals of LaLiga, Ligue 1, Serie A and the Bundesliga.
The Real Madrid boss even said that despite the English Club's spending spree there is no gaurantee that they will necessarily dominate in UEFA competitions. The statement comes before his side's clash with Valencia in the first week of February -"We know what happens there," he said. "With the television rights, they can spend higher amounts. It will continue like this. Europe will follow the Premier League, it gives them an advantage. Even so, the competition against them, in Europe, it will not end."
Ancelotti's side are preparing for a busy four-week period that will see them juggle matches across four competitions, including the Club World Cup. Though Madrid are ready to rise to the challenge, Ancelotti said the congested schedule laid out by UEFA and FIFA is a pressing concern for big clubs. He said,"We're in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, the last 16 of the Champions League and the Club World Cup," he added. "We don't throw away competitions.
"It is a [tough] calendar. LaLiga wants to do its thing, FIFA wants to do its thing, UEFA wants to do its thing. It doesn't let us have days off.
"The calendar is a very serious issue. We are excited to fight in all these competitions, but the calendar limit is being exceeded. We have to do something to avoid this," he further added.
With Opta inputs…
