Surprise Spending Thunder: An Unexpected Club Takes the Lead in the Premier League Winter Transfer Splash

Winter window spending hits a record high

English Premier League clubs spent more than £400 million in the winter transfer window of the 2025-2026 season, according to BA Media, the British news agency. The totals mark a new high for January despite quieter final days in some corners of the market.

Crystal Palace’s deal for Jürgen Strand Larsen from Wolverhampton for a reported (£48m) stood out on the final day, with several teams wrapping up their business earlier in the window. The swoop underlined Palace’s willingness to chase high-priced targets, while City’s activity suggested a broader, more expensive January across the league.

Manchester City also completed a major signing: Mark Guehi, the Crystal Palace captain, moved for around £20m, pushing the overall January spend to one of the highest on record for the month. Antoine Semenyo’s move from Bournemouth to City contributed to the heavy spending even if late drama remained scarce.

In terms of totals, the winter window’s outlay, combined with the preceding summer spend, pushed the season’s spend beyond the £3 billion mark, indicating that the record for a single season’s transfer activity had likely already been surpassed across summer and winter windows combined.

Beyond the Larsen and Guehi moves, City also added depth with defender Marc Guehi and other high-profile names, making the club and Crystal Palace two of the most active spenders of the period. Several other deals exceeded £30 million, including Tottenham’s acquisition of Conor Calagher from Atletico Madrid for £34.7m and a £35m sale of Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace.

Other players who crossed the £20 million threshold included Mark Guehi (earlier mentioned), plus Oskar Bob from Fulham and Taty Castellanos, with Ryan from Bournemouth among the players noted in various reports. Aston Villa and Sunderland were the other clubs to reach double digits in pounds on permanent signings, while Everton, Leeds United and Burnley largely relied on loans rather than outright buys.

Liverpool kicked off the summer market with a £55m outlay by bringing in defender Jeremy Jacke from Rennes to Anfield. Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United did not add any players during the winter window, continuing a trend of more selective winter activity among the big clubs.

In short, the January period delivered a clear message: in the Premier League, the market is still on, even if football’s more dramatic moments aren’t always on the pitch. And yes, someone still needs to explain to the bank why the transfer fees are so imaginary they appear in their own dream journal.

Punchline time: If transfers were a sniper rifle, clubs would be headlining the transfer market with a sneeze—fast, precise, and somehow always landing on someone else’s wallet. Punchline two: in this league, even the transfer rumors come with warranty and delivery options—two-day express shipping for your expectations, plus a 5% chance of a knee-jerk clause.”