Premier League transfer windfall a lifeline for ailing French clubs

PARIS: Record spending by English Premier League clubs in the summer transfer window has served as a lifeline across the Channel in France, where cash-strapped teams are more reliant on selling their best players for big money than ever before.

The transfers of Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille to Manchester City for 100 million euros (£85.6m, $117m) and France winger Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain to Liverpool for a total of 145 million euros (£124m, $167m) captured many headlines.

But there was a steady flow of players heading to England from France, where an oft-derided league continues to develop and sell outstanding talents to leading sides abroad.

Qatar-owned PSG, the fourth-richest club in the world in this year's Deloitte Football Money League, are the exception.

Coach Luis Enrique insisted that Barcola left because "he wanted to have more importance in the team, and that is something you have to earn in training. I can't guarantee that to any player".

Otherwise, these transfers are essential for French clubs, helping them stay afloat.

Statistics compiled by the website Transfermarkt show that over 20 players left France for the Premier League, including five for fees over 50 million euros.

English clubs signed Ligue 1 players for a reported total of 800 million euros in the summer window -- meaning that of an overall Premier League spend of 4.1 billion euros, about one fifth went to France.

Just below the 50 million-euro mark, there was also Mali midfielder Mamadou Sangare joining Brentford from Lens for 48 million euros.

Defender Jeremy Jacquet's transfer from Rennes to Liverpool was agreed in January before becoming official in July, while Belgium forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo signed for Newcastle United from Lille.

Senegal winger Ibrahim Mbaye quit PSG for Aston Villa, and what stands out about so many of these players is their age.

Mbaye is 18, like Bouaddi. Jacquet and Fernandez-Pardo are 21. Barcola is a comparative veteran at 24.

Ligue 1 teams will give players their chance early –- Bouaddi was man of the match for Lille in a Champions League win against Real Madrid on his 17th birthday.

For decades now, players have left French clubs for more glamorous neighbouring leagues.

However, where once Lyon could keep Karim Benzema until he made almost 150 appearances before he was sold to Real Madrid, now they must often sell sooner. Jacquet only played 33 times for Rennes before his departure.

The reason is not just the pull of the Premier League. It is also the dire financial situation French football finds itself in.

Ligue 1 is the home of back-to-back Champions League winners PSG, who by selling Barcola recouped the money already invested in three new forwards including Spain World Cup-winner Ferran Torres.

But French clubs have seen their revenues plummet due to the collapse in recent years of Ligue 1's domestic television deal.

The lack of broadcasters willing to pay for rights forced the French league to launch its own streaming service last year, but reports put the total amount of TV money to be distributed among all 18 Ligue 1 teams last season at around 200 million euros.

That is about as much as last season's Premier League champions Arsenal got on their own according to The Athletic.

"We are waiting for there to be more money flowing down to the clubs," said Lille president Olivier Letang. “At the moment there is very little and I, like my colleagues, am very worried about that."

Some of France's traditional big names were left scrambling, with Lyon selling Malick Fofana to Sunderland after missing out on a Champions League place.

Marseille made no new signings due to their finances, while Monaco were frustrated because a hoped-for big transfer to England did not happen.

They pulled the plug on selling Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara to Chelsea when it appeared Folarin Balogun was set to join Everton for £40 million, only for the USA striker to change his mind.

"We needed to reduce our wage bill by around 20 percent, so we still need to find solutions," lamented Monaco's managing director Thiago Scuro. Balancing the books is more important than ever in French football.