Premier League transfer spending has risen to 286 million pounds this year and lower league English clubs are increasingly reaping the financial benefits, a survey showed on Thursday.

Consultants Deloitte said just under half of 2005 spending went to overseas clubs compared with 60 percent last year and lower division English clubs received 50 million from Premier League sides compared with 37 million in 2004.

"There have been a far greater number of clubs benefiting from this redistribution in 2005 compared to previous years," said Deloitte's Paul Rawnsley in a statement.

"Over a dozen Championship (second division) clubs have each benefited by at least one million pounds." The mid-year transfer window closed on Wednesday and transfers are now stopped until the January window opens.

Transfer spending by Premier League clubs totalled 260 million in 2004 and 250 million in 2003, although expenditure totalled more than 320 million in 2000/1 and 2001/2.

Spending by Premier League clubs is about double that of clubs in Italy's [Images] Serie A and Spain's Primera Liga.

Champions Chelsea, supported by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, were the biggest Premier League purchasers in the August window with deals worth a reported 56 million followed by Newcastle United with 38 million and Liverpool 19 million.

Chelsea's purchases have contributed about one third of total Premier League spending since July 2003.

"Looking forward, whilst we still think that the Premiership holds the strongest hand in the world transfer market, we expect that the level of transfer spending by Premiership clubs will be lower over the next year," said Deloitte's Dan Jones.

"The World Cup will inevitably impact upon the timing of player transfers in 2006 and it will be interesting to see what effect it has on spending levels in each of the major European leagues."

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