Exploring the European professional football inter-league transfer market:A network analysis approach

Transfer patterns among clubs in Europe’s top five football leagues are analyzed with a focus on inter-league player mobility. The inter-league transfer market is modeled as a network and Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGMs) are applied to identify structural and club-level effects. Results show that participation in UEFA tournaments and greater nationality diversity within teams are associated with increased inter-league transfer activity, while relational and structural embeddedness appear to play a limited role