Agents make £100m from Premier League clubs in 2013

Manchester City Fernandinho was one of five new signings this summer (GETTY IMAGES)

Premier League clubs spent nearly £100 million on agents’ fees this year with Chelsea and Manchester City leading the way, according to new figures released last night.

The staggering total of £96.7m, for a period which covered the January and summer transfer windows, represented an increase of almost £20m from the amount English football’s 20 top-flight clubs paid out to middlemen last year.

Chelsea, who signed new players such as Demba Ba, Willian and Samuel Eto’o in the last 12 months as well as changing their manager, were the highest spenders, handing £13.7m to agents. This figure is close to double their 2012 total.

Manchester City’s payments to brokers also rose this year - from £10.5m to £11.8m – following a busy summer which saw them sign Fernandinho, Alvaro Negredo and Steven Jovetic for high fees. City also changed their manager with Roberto Mancini succeeded by Manuel Pellegrini.

The Premier League’s annual report of payments to agents placed Tottenham in third, having spent £9.8m, and Liverpool in fourth on £9.4m. Crystal Palace were the most frugal, spending £869,531.