MASON Bennett believes that English football clubs are now the strongest in Europe after Premier League teams dominated the January transfer window.
Chelsea were by far the biggest spenders, adding the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez to their squad in recent weeks, with the latter becoming the biggest British transfer fee at a reported £106.8 million last night.
There were some surprising moves too, such as three-time Champions League winner Keylor Navas joining newly promoted Nottingham Forest on loan. Bournemouth, who were also playing Championship football last season, ended up splashing the cash as well. The Cherries were linked with a sensational move for Italian youngster Nicolo Zaniolo, having seemingly beaten Serie A giants AC Milan to his signature before the deal fell through late on.
It shows the immense divide between English clubs and the rest of Europe, with struggling Premier League sides able to compete financially with some of the biggest outfits in world football. Some supporters see this as a major issue, but Mason Bennett believes that it could create an enhanced level of competitiveness at a domestic level.
“You have to give credit to the English game, to be fair,” he told NewsAtDen.
“Obviously you’ve got the Premier League, which is the best league in the world. The Championship for me is right up there as one of the top three or five leagues to watch.
“All the top players want to come to this country and play. The money is here now too because you’ve got American investors coming over and the likes of Newcastle that have Saudi investment.
“It’s catching people’s eyes and everyone wants to invest. The players know the competitiveness of this country and they want to come over, so we’re obviously doing something right over here!”
Photo: Millwall FC