Premier League spending soars close to 2008 high

Spending by English football's top clubs hit £485m this summer, back near the highs seen in 2008.

Business analysts Deloitte said spending by the Premier league's 20 clubs had jumped by 33%, or £120m, compared to last year, after a frantic round of buying and selling on the closing day of the transfer window. The country's biggest clubs predictably spent the most, with Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City all spending more than £50m each. Much of the transfer action came late on, with Arsenal sealing deals for Mikel Arteta from Everton and German international centre-back Per Mertesacker right at the death. Deloitte's Dan Jones, partner at the firm's Sports Busines...