How agents have cashed in at Anfield

THIS is Liverpool, this costs more. While football waits for the formalities of Liverpool’s Premier League coronation to be completed, their position at the head of another table has been confirmed.

Defending champions, they have again taken the honour of spending the most on agents’ fees in a calendar year.

Their £30.3million outlay was some way short of the £43.8m for the previous year. But, bearing in mind that in the two transfer windows covered by the latest Football Association figures, Liverpool spent less than £10m on signings, it is still some achievement.

If you want to call it an achievement. Mind you, Chelsea were banned from signing anyone last summer and still racked up a £26.2m bill on intermediaries for the period from February 1, 2019 to January 31, 2020.

As usual, the figures are eye-watering and pretty repugnant, the hard-earned cash of hard-up football fans helping to line the pockets of Premier League agents to the tune of £263.4m last year, an increase of £3m from the previous year. That is money put into the game by you and me, taken out by middle men such as Mino Raiola and Jorge Mendes.

Yes, the list says Manchester City and Manchester United, with £29m and £27.6m, were second and third behind Liverpool but it should say Manchester City supporters and Manchester United supporters.

They pay the TV subs, the inflated replica jersey prices, the ticket costs, etc, etc.

Alas, this is the real world of big-time football. And to go with an inspirational coach and fans, Liverpool have become major players in that world.

The imminent title belongs to the wonderful players, the brilliant manager, the magnificent fans. And, like it or not, the money men.