‘Obscene’ £272m paid to agents

The record £272million paid by Premier League clubs to agents during the coronavirus crisis was branded “obscene” last night, amid fresh calls for such fees to be capped.

There were also demands for a “Big Bang” moment akin to that in the City of London, after it emerged more money than ever had gone to intermediaries during the pandemic.

Figures released by the Football Association showed Chelsea paid agents a record £35.2million in the past year, with Manchester City (£30.2million), Manchester United (£29.8 million), Tottenham Hotspur (£16.5 million) and Arsenal (£16.5million) also handing intermediaries more than ever before.

Liverpool were the only member of the “Big Six” to cut their payments, although they still shelled out £21.7million.

That took clubs’ total outlay on intermediaries past the £1 billion mark since the FA began publishing the figures, with £1.2billion having been spent in the past five years.

Clive Efford MP, a member of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee and former shadow sports minister, said: “The amount of

money that goes out of football into the pockets of agents is obscene. I’d certainly want to look at imposing a cap. It can’t be good for football for so much money to go into the pockets of agents when clubs in the EFL [English Football League] are living hand to mouth.”

The outlay came despite Premier League chief executive Richard Masters revealing club losses due to the pandemic were projected to hit £2billion by the end of the season.

The £272million figure also meant more money ended up in the pockets of agents in the past year than the £250million the EFL is seeking as a coronavirus bail-out. Spending on intermediaries in the EFL and National League fell in each division.

Mehmet Dalman, chairman of Cardiff City, said: “We had a Big Bang in 1987 in the City of London which stopped the Wild West of stockbrokers charging any commission they liked. It is time for the football world to have a Big Bang.”

Meanwhile, the Save Grassroots campaign posted on Twitter: “While many grass-roots football clubs struggle to survive, £272million is taken out of our game. Time to put a levy on agent fees.”

Arsenal’s payments to agents rose by almost £3million despite them having announced plans to make 55 staff redundant because of the financial impact of the pandemic. They and Spurs were also allowed to borrow £120 million and £175 million, respectively, of public money via the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility.

The Premier League did not comment but The Telegraph has been told it is awaiting the outcome of Fifa’s agents’ fees consultation process.