Fifa raises alarm bells over gap in rising transfer fees and number of deals
Big spenders return as economies bounce back, but compliance official is worried 12pc of deals have generated US$929m in player trading
Transfer spending is increasing globally as some countries recover from the economic downturn, says a Fifa official, while questioning if clubs are hiding money from some player moves.
"Certainly the economic fortunes of certain countries are getting better, others are falling," said Kimberly Morris, who oversees integrity at Fifa's transfer unit. "I think people are maybe feeling a bit more optimistic on the whole and that may be the reason there is an increase. There is certainly a clear increase."
The costliest deal in the summer transfer window in Europe so far has seen 21-year-old Brazil forward Neymar join Barcelona from Santos for €57 million (HK$760 million).
English clubs tend to be the biggest spenders, and the most expensive Premier League import this summer has been Brazil midfielder Fernandinho, who was bought from Shakhtar Donetsk by Manchester City for £30 million (HK$352 million).
Registering cross-border deals with Fifa's Transfer Matching System has been mandatory since 2010 in a bid to curb money laundering and corrupt deals. The online system requires buying and selling clubs to input matching information, including payment schedules, before a transfer is approved.
Speaking at a World Sports Law Report conference in London, Morris questioned why the US$929 million this year has been generated by only 12 per cent of deals, with the rest appearing to be free moves. Morris highlighted how the "bulk of transfers don't generate the bulk of wealth".
