Chelsea top agent spending with £75m as Premier League clubs splash £409.5m

Chelsea emerged as the Premier League‘s biggest spender on football agents and intermediaries, shelling out over £75 million during the 12-month period leading up to February 2024. This hefty expenditure reflects a broader trend among top-flight clubs, who collectively paid a staggering £409.5 million to agents.

Despite substantial investment, Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea squad faced inconsistency in the Premier League and suffered a setback in the League Cup final against Liverpool.

Manchester City closely trailed Chelsea, with their outlay on agent fees surpassing £60 million. These figures, disclosed by the Football Association, encompass payments made by Premier League, EFL, and National League clubs, possibly including transactions initiated before the reporting period began in February 2023.

Chelsea and Manchester City’s significant spending dwarfed that of their rivals, with Manchester United ranking third in agent fees expenditure at £34 million, less than half of Chelsea’s total.

Chelsea’s agent spending aligns with their hefty investment in transfer and loan fees since Todd Boehly assumed ownership of the club in 2022, surpassing the £1 billion mark. Notable among these transactions is the potential British record signing of midfielder Moises Caicedo, which could reach £115 million.

Other top-flight clubs also made considerable agent fee payments, with Liverpool (£31.5m), Arsenal (£24.7m), and Aston Villa (£21.1m) each surpassing the £20 million mark. Tottenham (£19.7m) and Newcastle United (£18.8m) closely followed suit.

Among Premier League clubs, Luton Town had the lowest agent spending at £2 million, while relegated clubs Leeds United (£13.2m), Leicester City (£8.1m), and Southampton (£7.5m) led in costs among current Championship teams.

The Championship clubs collectively spent £61.3 million on agent fees, contrasting with League One’s £5.1 million expenditure, where Derby County (£434,465) topped the list.

In League Two, Wrexham, owned by Hollywood personalities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, led spending with £347,027. Overall, current League Two clubs disbursed £2.4 million to agents and intermediaries, with Forest Green Rovers (£266,191) emerging as the only other club spending over half of Wrexham’s total.