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Football

22nd Apr 2016

The amount of money Manchester United paid out to agents this season is astounding

Mr 10, or 20, per cent

Patrick McCarry

‘Top of the league. Top of the league. We are, we are top of the league.’

It marks a proud day in your club’s season, surely, when an intrepid reporter reveals how much money they have shelled out to agents and sub agents, and transfer facilitators.

This is where a heft of your season ticket, club jersey and watered down concourse beer money is going to – then men and women that really make things happen in football.

When it comes to clubs doling out millions upon millions, the big boys are right up there.

Liverpool paid out a net figure of £6.6m to agents and intermediaries this season, while Manchester City handed over £5.8m.

de bruyne

Top of this unwanted table, though, are Manchester United. Currently fifth in the Premier League, United paid a whopping, net total of £10m to agents this season. One wonders if Jorge Mendes received much of a fee for the botched David De Gea to Real Madrid transfer?

With Jose Mourinho [a Mendes client] heavily linked to the United job, that figure may only rise further.

United’s outlay is over a million pounds more than that of 10 Premier League rivals combined.

Chelsea (£2.2m) are down in seventh but that is most likely due to the fact that they finished last year as champions and then had a settled squad. One suspects they will be in touch with many more agents in the coming weeks and months.

Bottom of the table are Everton, on £471,400 while Swansea City (£491,000) are not far away.

It is interesting to note that last season’s promoted clubs, Bournemouth, Norwich and Watford, paid out a combined £4.3m to agents. Welcome to the big leagues lads.

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