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Moroccan Football Clubs Lead in Profitable Player Transfers

Saturday 09 March 2024 - 10:20

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A collaboration between Asharq Business and Bloomberg titled "Mercato Asharq 2023" delves into the lucrative realm of player transfers within Arab football clubs with meticulous detail. Over the past five years, from 2019 to 2023, these clubs have collectively amassed an impressive $220 million from selling player contracts, with Moroccan clubs emerging as the undeniable champions in consistently generating profits.

The comprehensive sixth edition of the report presents a compelling narrative through 28 illustrative charts, meticulously curated from official FIFA reports and tracked by the Transfer Matching System (TMS). It serves as a testament to the growing financial prowess of the region's football clubs in the ever-evolving player transfer market.

Moroccan clubs have established themselves as leaders, consistently yielding profits exceeding $32 million over the past five years. Their dominance persisted in 2023, with remarkable profits of $7.6 million, only $1 million shy of their 2022 performance. This unwavering profitability cements Morocco's position as a formidable force in the player transfer arena, outshining its Arab counterparts.

While Moroccan clubs have set a high standard, Tunisian, Algerian, Iraqi, and Jordanian counterparts have also managed to turn profits from selling player contracts during the 2019-2023 period. Egypt, however, recently joined the ranks of profitable countries, recording modest gains of $6,300 and $800,000 in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Despite this, Egyptian clubs have topped the charts in overall revenue generation during the five-year period, amassing an impressive $51.5 million – a staggering 23.4% of the total revenue earned by Arab clubs from international player transfers. Saudi clubs closely followed with revenues exceeding $49 million, solidifying their position as a financial powerhouse in the region.

The Saudi Arabian influence in the international transfer market extended beyond revenue generation. In 2023 alone, Saudi clubs led the charge with revenues approaching an astonishing $17 million. Their net spending, the difference between expenditure on purchasing players and revenue from selling them, painted a vivid picture of their financial might. Over the past five years, Saudi Arabia's net spending amounted to a staggering $1.22 billion, with a remarkable $953 million spent in 2023 alone.

Qatari clubs ranked second in net spending in the international transfer market over the same period, recording $307 million, followed by clubs from the UAE, Egypt, and Libya. This surge in player transfers has proven to be a boon for Arab clubs, with their foreign player sales soaring by an impressive 41% in 2023, reaching $50.7 million compared to less than $36 million in the previous year.

The "Mercato Asharq 2023" report stands as a testament to the burgeoning financial prowess of Arab football clubs in the international transfer market. As the region's clubs continue to flex their financial muscles, the stage is set for an even more exciting and lucrative future in the world of player transfers.