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Football transfer fee premiums and Europe's big five

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  • Craig A. Depken
  • Tomislav Globan

Abstract

This article studies the transfer market for international football players. Analyzing a sample of 5,760 player transfers over 14 years, we provide evidence that clubs in English football pay larger transfer fee premiums compared to clubs in the top leagues of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. While the popular press often mentions the English premiums, we empirically demonstrate both their existence and their causal source. Using annual data, we show that the dramatic increase in English premiums is causally linked to the 2012 television contracts the EPL signed with domestic and international broadcasters. These findings have policy implications for the clubs, players, and governing bodies of European football, as well as indirect consequences for export‐oriented football clubs.

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  • Craig A. Depken & Tomislav Globan, 2021. "Football transfer fee premiums and Europe's big five," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 87(3), pages 889-908, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:soecon:v:87:y:2021:i:3:p:889-908
    DOI: 10.1002/soej.12471
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Do, Hung Xuan & Nguyen, Quan M.P. & Nepal, Rabindra & Smyth, Russell, 2021. "When Pep comes calling, the oil market answers: The effect of football player transfer movements on abnormal fluctuations in oil price futures," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).

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