Big Spending Bundesliga
September 1, 2007
According to calculations by German sports agency SID, Germany's top clubs have spent a staggering 203.71 million euros ($277.8 million) during the close season.
This figure smashed the previous mark of 147 million euros spent in 2001.
Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich helped massage the figures by splashing out 69 million euros during a summer spending spree to recruit the likes of French star Franck Ribery, Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni and German striker Miroslav Klose.
Wolves buy almost an entire new squad
VfL Wolfsburg, who are coached by ex-Bayern boss Felix Magath (right), have also been very active on the transfer front, with 17 new players brought in.
The club is controlled by German car giants Volkswagen and spent 29.5 million euros this summer.
It was the Lower Saxony club who broke the 200-million barrier, when they signed Brazilian midfielder Grafite for 8 million euros from French side Le Mans on Friday.
Werder speculate to accumulate
And Bremen spent the 12 million euros they made on Klose's transfer to Bayern when they bought Brazilian midfielder Carlos Alberto from Corinthians for a club record of 15 million euros.
They also added Germany's under-21 international Sebastian Bönisch to their squad on Friday afternoon for 3 million euros from Schalke 04.
The Royal Blues, last season's runners-up, have limited their expenditure to 10.5 million euros, just as defending champions VfB Stuttgart did.