Liverpool pay most as spending on agents fees rises

Ian Watson
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Premier League clubs paid out nearly £130million to agents last year – a £15million increase on the year before.

Liverpool spent the most of any club, £14.3million, followed by Manchester United (£13.8m) and Manchester City (£12.4m) with the total reaching £129.86million for the year ending September 30. Chelsea and Arsenal both spent £11.9million while at the other end of the scale newcomers Watford spent £1.6million.

The total spent in the Championship was £26.1million, £3.2million in League One and just £1million in League Two.

Fees are not just paid to agents when transfers happen, but also when players sign new contracts.

During the period in question, there were 172 inbound transfers and loans in the Premier League, 542 new or improved contracts and 573 outbound transfers and loans – a total of 1,287 transactions, all of which could have led to an agent’s fee being paid.

The biggest payers in the Championship were Cardiff (£2.8m), Fulham (£2.7m), QPR and Reading (both £2.3m).

Further down the pyramid, League One club Bury and League Two’s Accrington Stanley Hartlepool did not pay anything at all in to agents.