Premier League clubs paid £130m to agents in 2014

Premier League clubs paid out nearly £130 million (€185 million) to agents last year — a £15m (€21m) increase on the year before.

Tue, 01 Dec, 2015 - 00:00

James Whelan

Liverpool spent the most of any club, £14.3m, followed by Manchester United (£13.8m) and Manchester City (£12.4m) with the total reaching £129.86m for the year ending September 30.

Chelsea and Arsenal both spent £11.9m while at the other end of the scale, Premier League newcomers Watford spent £1.6m.

The total spent in the Championship was £26.1m, £3.2m in League One and just £1m 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), Queens Park Rangers and Reading (both £2.3m).

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

Premier League spending on agents:

AFC Bournemouth.................. £2,328,862

Arsenal................................... £11,928,584

Aston Villa............................ £4,986,058

Chelsea.............................. £11,961,206

Crystal Palace........................ £4,719,931

Everton.................................. £4,479,432

Leicester City.......................... £4,057,727

Liverpool................................£14,301,464

Manchester City................... £12,429,380