NEW DELHI: According to a report published by England's Football Association (
FA
),
Chelsea
's spending on intermediary and agents' fees in the past year amounted to £75.14 million ($93.39 million). This figure represents nearly a fifth of the total amount paid by
Premier League
clubs during the same period.
The FA's report reveals that Premier League clubs collectively spent £409.5 million on intermediary and agents' fees for the 12-month period from February 1, 2023.
Manchester City
ranked as the second-highest spender in the league, with expenditures totaling £60.62 million. Following closely behind were
Manchester United
(£34 million),
Liverpool
(£31.5 million), and
Arsenal
(£24.76 million), rounding out the top five in terms of spending on
agent fees
.
Notably, Chelsea's expenditure on agent fees alone surpassed the amounts paid by most top-flight clubs for transfers. Additionally, Chelsea's spending on agent fees exceeded the combined total of agent fees paid by clubs in the second-tier Championship, which amounted to £61.34 million.
These figures highlight the significant financial investments made by clubs, particularly in the Premier League, in securing the services of players through intermediary and agents' fees.
The transactions involve new signings plus outgoing players or squad members who had their contracts updated.
After Chelsea were taken over by American Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, they bet big on young players signing long-term contracts, spending more than $1 billion in transfer fees since they bought the club in May 2022.
However, Chelsea have struggled to reach the lofty heights they did under former owner Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, with the London side finishing 12th last season while standing a lowly ninth in the current campaign.
(With Reuters inputs)
English (US) ·