LONDON, April 12 — Chelsea spent £75.14 million (RM445 million) on intermediary and agents’ fees in the past year, almost a fifth of the total paid by Premier League clubs, according to a report published by England’s Football Association (FA).
In all, the FA said Premier League clubs spent £409.5 million on intermediary and agents’ fees for the 12 months from period February 1, 2023.
Manchester City were the second-highest spenders in the top flight at £60.62 million while Manchester United (£34m), Liverpool (£31.5m) and Arsenal (£24.76m) rounded out the top five.
But Chelsea’s spend on agent fees alone was more than most top-flight clubs paid on transfers.
It also eclipsed the combined total of agent fees paid by second-tier Championship clubs (£61.34 million).
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 US$1 billion (RM4.7 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. — Reuters
