Carlo Ancelotti insists Real Madrid’s lack of spending has NOT hurt their Champions League hopes

Carlo Ancelotti is confident the Premier League’s historic £815million January spending spree will not ‘end the competitiveness that exists in Europe’, ahead of Real Madrid’s last-16 clash with Liverpool in the Champions League later this month.

The English top flight smashed its January transfer window spending record last month, with Chelsea in particular splashing over £300m, accounting for 37 per cent of the league’s expenditure.

Todd Boehly bolstered Graham Potter’s squad with eight new additions including British record transfer Enzo Fernandez (£107m), Ukrainian star Mykhailo Mudryk (£88m) and French defender Beniot Badiashile (£35m) – whilst also securing a summer move for Christopher Nkunku from Red Bull Leipzig (£63m).

Meanwhile, Liverpool recruited Cody Gakpo for £44m, top four hopefuls Newcastle signed Anthony Gordon on a deal worth £45m and Tottenham secured the deadline day swoop of Sporting Lisbon right-back Pedro Porro for £42m.

By comparison, all 20 LaLiga clubs spent a combined total of just £33m in January, marking a six-year low in the Spanish top flight.

Carlo Ancelotti isn’t worried by the Premier League’s recording-breaking £815m January spree

Ancelotti, who marshalled Real Madrid to LaLiga and Champions League success last term, is not concerned by the league’s lack of spending and does not expect the Premier League to change the landscape of European football drastically.

Content with the players at his disposal, the manager urged that Real Madrid ‘did not need’ to seek improvements in January.

‘We have not gone to the market because we did not need to,’ Ancelotti said during a press conference ahead of Madrid’s 0-0 draw with Real Sociedad on Sunday. 

‘If you plan well and carry out your plan, it is not necessary to go into the winter market. If you have to, then it is because something has happened. 

‘We have thought that it was not necessary to intervene in the winter market because the squad is fine.’

The Italian boss forecasts that expenditure in the Premier League will only increase as a result of the league’s television rights and exposure.

He continued: ‘We all know what happens in the Premier League, their television rights are much higher than in other leagues. 

‘I think this will continue as such. They have the advantage of being in the Commonwealth league.’

World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez is on the brink of completing his £107m move to Chelsea

Liverpool – who face Madrid next in the Champions League – recruited Cody Gakpo for £44m

Ancelotti urged that spending in the English top flight will not end ‘competitiveness’ in Europe

‘But I don’t think this is going to end the competitiveness that exists in Europe. Last year, neither the Champions League nor the Europa League was won by English teams. 

‘It is clear that the internal competition is going to be more competitive and fun.’

Los Blancos face off against Champions League finalists Liverpool in the tournament’s round of 16 later this month.

The two sides hold plenty of history in the competition, not only in last season’s showpiece but also in the 2017-18 final, which Real Madrid won 3-1 thanks to a second-half double from substitute Gareth Bale.

Premier League giants Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea also qualified for the Champions League knockout phase, with last-16 clashes against Leipzig, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

Real Madrid won the Champions League last campaign after beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final