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Transfer window figures underline Premier League dominance over Serie A and European leagues

So, then, whose fault was it? Is former England international John Barnes correct when he says that David De Gea’s failed transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid collapsed essentially because both clubs were psyching each other out, waiting to see who would blink first. By the time, they had resolved their horse dealing, the transfer deadline had passed.

This is that time of year when we are all forced to deal with transfer news, given that the summer window has just closed. Inevitably, as much as the big deals attract attention - for example, Manchester United’s £36 million for Monaco teenager, Anthony Martial – there are always those like De Gea who got away.

If you think, the De Gea deal was mishandled, what about Napoli’s attempt to buy Sampdoria midfielder, the 24-year-old international, Roberto Soriano?

Napoli had set their sights on Soriano earlier this summer but only agreed terms with Sampdoria in the early afternoon of Monday, the last day of the transfer window. At that point, Soriano’s agent sat down to talk with Napoli about the player’s “image rights”. And, guess what, the haggling went on too long and in the end, Napoli missed the deadline to complete the deal.

As commentators, clubs and fans alike try to assess the impact of these transfers, which sides did well and which less so, one economic indicator yet again emerges loud and clear.

If you ever had any doubts about the extent to which the Premier League (economically) dominates world soccer, then look at the final figures from this summer’s trade.

In euros, the Premier League clubs spent €1.106 billion this summer on new players. This is almost twice as much as the next big spender, Serie A clubs, on €606.8 million. Put another way, the Premier League clubs this summer spent practically as much as Serie A and the Spanish Liga combined.

In the wake of the lucrative Premier League television deal announced by Sky and BT last February, these figures are only logical. Essentially, that deal, starting in the 2016-2017 season, will earn the 20 Premier League clubs an astonishing £5.136 billion for three seasons, or approximately £1.7 billiion per season. By comparison, Serie A, will earn £691 million or approximately just 40% of Premier League earnings from TV rights this season. Some difference, no?

Despite all the above, however, Serie A has been busy this summer, spending much more than in the last five years when the total figure was sometimes less than half of the €606 million spent this year.

A number of factors might explain this trend. For a start, defeated Champions League finalists, Juventus, have been active given not just their success last season but also that they are essentially building a new post-Pirlo team. Secondly, that Champions League run has served as a “stimulation” to historic rivals such as Inter Milan, AC Milan, Napoli and Roma.

Not for nothing, Inter’s Indonesian owner Erick Thohir has supplied coach Roberto Mancini with practically a new team in the shape of Colombian defender Murillo (Granada), Brazilian defender Miranda (Atletico Madrid), Spanish defender Montoya (Barcelona), Brazilian defender Telles (Galatasaray), Brazilian midfielder Melo (Galatasaray), Croatian midfielder Perisic (Wolfsburg), Serbian midfielder Ljajic (AS Roma) and Montenegrin striker Jovetic (Manchester City).

Even if the other clubs have also been busy, one can only agree with Gazzetta Dello Sport when it states that Inter, with this squad and two last gasp, Jovetic inspired wins on the opening two days, are now in pole position in the Serie A starting grid.

All of which, however, is not to say that this summer’s spending allied to Juve’s great year represents an impending Italian renaissance. The road ahead for Italian football remains complicated and, for the time being, Serie A clubs will struggle to compete with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich et al, both on the pitch and at the transfer table.