PSG, Corinthians lead football's big-spenders list

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil’s reigning FIFA Club World Cup champions Corinthians have been ranked second behind France’s Paris Saint-Germain among the world’s highest spending clubs so far in 2013.

At the midway point of FIFA’s European winter transfer window on Wednesday, Corinthians had spent 22.375 million euros and Paris Saint-Germain 40 million euros, according to German football website Transfermarket, reports Xinhua.

Other clubs to feature on the list are Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk (15.2 million euros) followed by England’s Liverpool (15 million euros) and Chelsea (13.9 million euros).

Since Jan 1, Corinthians have signed striker Alexandre Pato from Milan, defender Gil from Valenciennes and midfielder Renato Augusto from Bayer Leverkusen.

The FIFA-sanctioned European winter transfer period, which began Jan 1, closes Jan 31 in England and Feb 2 in Italy, Spain, Germany and France.