Premier League Agent Fees Hit £460m

Premier League clubs paid a combined £460m to agents between February 2025 and February 2026, marking a 13% increase on the previous year.

The figures, covering payments registered with the The Football Association, include fees linked to transfers, contracts and deals involving players, coaches and clubs.

Chelsea were once again the highest spenders, paying £65.1m to agents for the third consecutive year.

The west London club recently announced a record £262m pre-tax loss for the 2024–25 season, the largest in Premier League history. Chelsea have partly attributed their financial position to a high volume of player trading, offloading nearly £300m worth of talent in order to comply with UEFA regulations.

Over the past three reporting cycles, Chelsea have spent around £200m on agent fees.

Aston Villa ranked second with £38.4m, representing the biggest year-on-year increase of any club, up £13.4m. This rise was driven largely by contract renegotiations and new player registrations under manager Unai Emery.

Manchester City were third, spending £37.4m, although their outlay dropped significantly by £14.8m compared to the previous year.

Elsewhere, Arsenal (£32.1m), Liverpool (£33.9m) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (£26m) all recorded notable increases in agent payments.

Newly promoted Sunderland saw their spending rise sharply from £2.2m to £10.6m following their return to the Premier League via the play-offs.

Several clubs reduced their agent fees, including Brentford, Fulham, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United.

Newcastle United reduced payments by £4.1m to £20.3m, while Leeds United cut agent spending by £4.9m to £14m despite securing promotion.

Across other divisions, spending trends varied. The Women's Super League saw a 75% increase in agent fees to £3.8m, with Chelsea again leading at £1.1m.

In the Championship, payments rose 10% to £69.7m, with Ipswich Town the highest spenders at £11.7m.

League One saw a sharp 85% increase to £14m, heavily influenced by clubs such as Luton Town, Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town.

Meanwhile, League Two spending fell slightly by 5% to £2.6m, highlighting contrasting financial patterns across the English football pyramid.