Premier League clubs have set a staggering new financial benchmark, shelling out a record-breaking £460 million on agent fees over the last year. This eye-watering figure represents a 13% surge compared to the previous 12-month period.
The data, which encompasses transactions processed between February 2025 and February 2026, covers Football Association-registered intermediary payments for player transfers, contract renewals, and coaching appointments.
Leading the financial charge—for the third consecutive year—is Chelsea. The Blues handed over £65.1 million to agents, a massive payout that arrives during a turbulent financial period for the west London side. Just days ago, Chelsea declared a colossal £262 million pre-tax loss for the 2024-25 season, establishing a new and unwanted Premier League record that eclipses Manchester City’s £197.5 million deficit from 2011.
Club officials noted that the record losses were heavily influenced by an unprecedented volume of player sales. Chelsea was forced to offload nearly £300 million in talent to stay within UEFA's strict regulatory boundaries. Over the last three assessment periods alone, the club’s total expenditure on agent fees has reached an astonishing £200 million.
Aston Villa claimed the second spot on the intermediary rich list, paying out £38.4 million. Despite a relatively conservative £69 million spend on incoming transfers, Villa experienced the league's sharpest rise in agent costs. Their £13.4 million jump was driven largely by internal contract renegotiations and new professional registrations under manager Unai Emery.
Conversely, third-place Manchester City saw a dramatic drop in intermediary payouts. The reigning champions successfully sliced their agent spending by £14.8 million, bringing their total down to £37.4 million.
Several other traditional heavyweights watched their agent bills swell. Liverpool’s expenses jumped by £13 million to hit £33.9 million, while Arsenal’s climbed by £9.4 million to £32.1 million. Wolverhampton Wanderers also experienced a significant £12.5 million increase, pushing their overall agent expenditure to £26 million.
Further down the table, Sunderland, fresh off a surprise play-off promotion to the top flight, saw their agent fees naturally skyrocket from a modest £2.2 million in the Championship to £10.6 million.
However, the trend wasn't strictly upward across the board. Alongside Manchester City, seven other top-flight clubs managed to successfully tighten their belts. Newcastle United trimmed their agent costs by £4.1 million to £20.3 million, while clubs such as Manchester United, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Fulham, and Brentford all recorded welcome decreases in their intermediary spending.