French clubs 3rd biggest spenders in January transfer window

Paris - French clubs splashed out €156 million in the winter transfer window, third only to the big-spending Premier League and Chinese Super League, French league officials said on Friday.

The high-profile arrivals of Julian Draxler to Paris Saint-Germain, Memphis Depay to Lyon, and Dimitri Payet to Marseille were proof that "something is happening," Didier Quillot, executive director general of the French Professional Football League (LFP), said.

Last winter, French sides spent a relatively measly €38 million.

Premier League clubs emerged from the just-ended transfer window in the black for the first time but still shelled out more than €250 million on new players in January.

Chinese clubs spent €218 million, including an Asian-record €60 million when Oscar moved from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG, according to the LFP.

PSG and Marseille were the biggest spenders in France, with the French champion forking out €40 million on German World Cup winner Draxler from Wolfsburg and €30 million for rangy Portuguese forward Goncalo Guedes from Benfica.

Marseille, freshly minted following a takeover by billionaire American Frank McCourt, stumped up €30 million to lure Payet back from West Ham. It also signed veteran Patrice Evra on a free transfer from Juventus.

The French league trumped the Bundesliga, whose clubs spent €97.35 million - shattering the previous record in the winter transfer window there.