Madrid - Real Madrid spent more on players this summer than the entire 18 clubs of the top-flight German Bundesliga - but the Spanish league's spending was topped by England's Premier League.

England's transfer deadline was to close late Tuesday afternoon after a flurry of activity, taking total spending in the summer transfer window further clear of the 500-million-euro mark.

The English transfer deadline had been extended because of the August Bank Holiday Monday, with the rest of Europe already closed for transfer business at midnight Monday.

Despite the economic crisis, Spanish clubs in the Primera Division spent some 455 million euros.

However, some three-quarters of this came from big-spending Real Madrid and European champions Barcelona. The rest of the league were far less active or restricted themselves to loan deals.

Four of the five biggest transfers this summer were booked to Real, with 94 million euros spent on Cristiano Ronaldo, 65 million for Kaka, 35 million for Karim Benzema and 30 million for Xabi Alonso.

The fifth big transfer was the 65 million euros Barcelona paid Inter Milan for Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

England's spenders were led by Manchester City who, with the help of its Abu Dhabi owners, spent some 140 million euros for among others Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry and Joleon Lescott.

However the so-called big four of Manchester United (with plenty invested in the bank from the Ronaldo and Tevez sales), Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have been noticeably reticent on the transfer market.

In Italy, third in the spending league this summer, Inter Milan spent 99 million euros on new players, but received 102 million from sales. Genoa were also big spenders, forking out 72 million euros, while Juventus spent some 53 million euros, with midfielder Diego from Werder Bremen one of the imports.

Bayern Munich were Germany's biggest spenders, a reported 24 million euros paid to Real Madrid for Dutch winger Arjen Robben taking their investments on the player market to around 75 million euros.

It helped take Germany's spending to about 222 million euros, a Bundesliga record for this transfer period. (dpa)