Infantino blasts Premier League’s agent spending spree

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has criticised Premier League clubs’ spending on agents.

Infantino said more money should be going to “the clubs that trained and developed the players signed from abroad”.

Premier League clubs spent a combined £409.5m on agents and intermediaries in the 12 months to February 2024, said a Football Association report.

“Most of this money is leaving football,” Infantino said.

In an Instagram post, he contrasted this to the 30m Euros (£25.8m) received by European clubs from the Premier League for players they had brought through, in compensation and solidarity payments.

He added these payments “are imposed by FIFA regulations and are vital for thousands of less privileged clubs who struggle to generate sufficient revenue, and are therefore crucial for developing, training and giving opportunities to young players all over the world”.

A FIFA report in December said English clubs accounted for almost a third of a record $888m (£702m) spent on agents’ fees in international transfers in 2023.

FIFA has been trying to limit the amounts agents could earn from deals but has so far been thwarted in its efforts by a series of legal challenges that have put the plans on hold.

“At FIFA, we are trying to implement some clear and fair rules to the transfer system, including agent regulations, for the sake of transparency, accountability and better redistribution across all levels of the game,” Infantino added.

“Because of that we were sued by some agents, but FIFA will continue to defend its position in court.”

“I call on governments and lawmakers to join us and play an active role in ensuring the funds generated in transfers are kept within football and are shared with clubs from all around the world, as they are key for current and future generations of footballers.”