The Premier League spent more than £409m on agent fees from 2024 to 2025, with Chelsea the biggest spenders in the top flight, accounting for £60.4m of that figure.
The Football Association (FA) released data collated from February 2, 2024 to February 3, 2025, which revealed that the entire National Football League spent nearly half a billion pounds on agents across the year, with a total figure of £483.6m.
Chelsea spent £60.4m paying player representatives, nearly as much as the entire Championship, who spent £63.2m across the same span of time. The Blues also led the standings in last year’s figures, but have made savings of £14.7m on that figure of £75.1m.
Manchester City were the next-biggest spenders in the Premier League, coughing up £52.1m, with their local rivals Manchester United further behind on £33m, the third-highest figure.
League leaders Liverpool paid £20.8m in the year the data covers, with Aston Villa (£25m.1), Newcastle (£24.4m), and Arsenal (£22.8m) all above them.
Last season’s three promoted clubs, Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester, were among the lowest spenders on fees for player representatives alongside Everton. Ipswich spent the smallest amount in the top flight, £6.2m, with all four clubs the only ones under eight figures.
The FA data release noted, “Payments included in these figures may have been made in relation to transactions that were entered into before the first date of this reporting period.
“As a result, the total payment figure per Club will not necessarily relate directly to those transactions listed involving a Football Agent registered in England for the same period.”
Leeds were the biggest spenders in the Championship, with £8.8m going to agents, but the majority of the teams were more frugal, with most in the low millions and Burnley second-highest on £5.3m. Oxford United spent the least, a little over £572,000.
The numbers, unsurprisingly, dwindled significantly with every step further down the pyramid, with League One spending £7.6m on agent fees, League Two £2.7m, and the National League a little over £952,000. Huddersfield (£1.1m), Fleetwood Town (£284,000), and Forest Green Rovers (£133,000) were the highest spenders in their respective leagues.
By contrast the women’s game spent significantly less, with only £2.2m paid out by Women’s Super League clubs and under £286,000 by Women’s Championship sides.
League leaders Chelsea topped the standings in the WSL with £622,000 paid out to agents, dwarfing second-placed Manchester City on £288,000 and third-placed Arsenal on £220,000. Bottom-ranked Crystal Palace also spent the least in the league, just under £60,000.
