Record Premier League transfers set to continue

LONDON: Top soccer stars are well-placed to continue to command record transfer fees from English clubs, with wages to match, but less famous teammates could see their pay come under increasing pressure.

Analysis from consultancy firm Deloitte shows the credit crunch has not dented soccer transfers, with around 500 million pounds ($894 million) spent on new players by English Premier League clubs this summer, up from around 470 million in 2007.

Last-minute deals in the summer transfer window, including Robinho's move to Manchester City from Real Madrid for around 32.5 million pounds and Dimitar Berbatov's signing to Manchester United from Tottenham Hotspur for $57.7million, helped secure the record spend, with January transfers taking the total for 2008 to around $1.2 billion.