Championship new boys Newcastle United and Aston Villa both spent a lot more than European champions Real Madrid this summer.
Aston Villa owner Dr Tony Xia, right
Championship owners, Mike Ashley of Newcastle and Dr Tony Xia of Aston Villa, have wasted no time in making sure their clubs’ stint in England’s second tier is a short one.
But in doing so not many would have expected arguably the worst team in the Newcastle’s history and the third worst team in Premier League history in Villa to outspend Champions League winners Real Madrid.
Madrid president Florentino Perez isn’t known as the man responsible for igniting the Galaticos for nothing. He loves going big in the transfer market.
Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, left
But, surprisingly, not this time round. Until the Spanish club lost out to Manchester United for Paul Pogba, the last five world transfer records belonged at the Bernabeu.
The summer of 2016 proved quiet in the capital. Instead of chasing the huge headline deals, Alvaro Morata’s return (£25m) marked the only signing from Perez.
On the other hand, Villa and Newcastle’s spending both went over double the amount Madrid splashed.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, left
Villa brought in nine new players, costing £50 million, though that does not include Albert Adomah’s undisclosed fee after arriving from Middlesbrough. Ross McCormack’s transfer proved the biggest of them all, moving to Villa Park for £12 million.
Newcastle had a very busy window, with 12 arriving at a cost of £55 million. Matt Ritchie and Dwight Gayle, both signed before the season started, moved to St James’ Park for £10 million each, representing the standout buys.
In fairness, both sides had a lot of rebuilding work to be done, and that comes at a price, but the figures are an indication the English football has inflated to a whole new level in 2016.
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