Barcelona break records in historic transfer window

Prime Time Sport have presented a study called the 'Soccerex Transfer Review 2014-15' where they have analysed football's main transfers - notably including Barcelona, who were one of the most active clubs during the summer window.

Barça, as warned by Josep Maria Bartomeu, underwent a lot of changes, starting at the very top with Luis Enrique Martinez coming in as manager. 

There were lots of transfers, too, with the club ranking second in the study with their spending of €157million.

Only Louis van Gaal's Manchester United, who spent a massive €196million on the likes of Angel Di Maria and Ander Herrera, managed to outspend Barça.

Esteve Calzada, a former director of marketing at Barcelona, presented the study at the Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester and also revealed that la Liga BBVA had invested (€476m) and sold (€520m) more than ever before in the league's history.

The transfers of Spanish players was €166m, confirming that the youth acadamies continue to profit despite the national team's disappointing turn out at the World Cup.

However, the Premier League still leads the way in terms of investment with over €1billion, while the Bundesliga, after la Liga, was third with €276m invested.

As for Barça, they needed the changes byt they also were forced to act by the transfer ban imposed on them buy FIFA - although that could yet be overturned. Eleven players left the club, while eight came in, as mentioned before, for €157m.

Real Madrid spent €120m and Atletico Madrid €110m. 

Barça were able to offset their spending, however, by bringing in €79m for the players who departed Camp Nou.

They're still behind Madrid in that aspect, though. Los Blancos are experts in selling players and managed to total €113m due to players being sold - only Southampton exceeded that amount. Their most significant sale, of csoure, was Angel DI Maria for €75m.

Finally, if the signing of Luis Suarez is a Barça recored (€81m), so too is the sale of Alexis Sanchez (€42.5m) to Arsenal. Cesc Fabregas (€33m) also became the highest priced Masia graduate when he signed for Chelsea.

Finally, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Claudio Bravo were also record goalkeeper signings at €12m each.