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Costs associated to the signings of Joao Pedro and Estevao contributed to Chelsea's £65. 1m spend Premier League clubs made payments of £460m to agents over the past year - a 13% increase on the previous 12 months. It covers payments made by clubs to agents registered with the Football Association involving a player, coach or club - including transfer and contracts - between February 2025 and February 2026. Chelsea, who paid out £65. 1m, were the highest spenders for the third consecutive year. On Wednesday, the west London club announced the biggest pre-tax loss in Premier League history. The £262m deficit for 2024-25 eclipses the £197. 5m lost by Manchester City in 2011. The Blues partly attribute this year's figure to recording the highest number of player sales in Premier League history. Chelsea offloaded nearly £300m worth of players to comply with Uefa sanctions. After record payments of £75m to agents in 2023-24, the club have spent a total of £200m over the past three assessment years. Aston Villa were second on the list, paying £38. 4m, which was an increase of £13. 4m - the highest rise of any club. This is despite the Villans spending a relatively modest £69m on incoming transfers. Unai Emery's side had a high number of costs associated with renegotiating player contracts and new professional registrations. In third were Manchester City with £37. 4m, though year-on-year spending fell dramatically - down by £14. 8m from £52. 1m. Arsenal, Liverpool and Wolves also saw significant increases in agents fees. The Gunners' payments went up £9. 4m to £32. 1m. Liverpool's rose £13m to £33. 9m. Wolves saw an increase of £12. 5m to £26m. Sunderland's unexpected promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs brought a rise in payments from just £2. 2m to £10. 6m. Alongside Manchester City, seven other clubs reduced payments to agents. Brentford, Fulham, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and West Ham saw modest drops. Newcastle's payments were reduced by £4. 1m to £20. 3m, while Leeds - despite being promoted - cut outgoings on agents' fees by £4. 9m to £14m. Spending in the Women's Super League rose 75%, by £1. 6m to £3. 8m. Chelsea were again the biggest spenders, with their £1. 1m accounting for over a quarter of the total. Payments went up by 10% in the Championship to £69. 7m, with Ipswich Town the highest spenders on £11. 7m. Agents fees in League One soared by 85%, influenced by the presence of Luton Town (£3. 3m), Cardiff City (£1. 7m) and Huddersfield Town (£1. 5m), who accounted for close to half of the £14m total. In League Two, the amount fell slightly by 5% to £2. 6m. Get news, insight and fan views on your Premier League team All your football quizzes in one place Premier League index Premier League table Premier League fixtures Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Women's Champions League: Watch as Chelsea host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge Man Utd out of Champions League after late Bayern double Captain Donnarumma vows to restore Italy after heartbreak Personality at full volume - Only on BBC Sounds Twisted tales and the minds behind the mysteries After-dark sounds with that cool, Peaky-sharp swagger Big moments, bold opinions: The beautiful game with Wayne Rooney Failed experiment as England get grim glimpse of life without Kane 'Scotland fans can fret - but they need to keep perspective too' Angry Wales boss Bellamy shows his new old self Seven games to save Tottenham's season - De Zerbi becomes Spurs boss Is Verstappen's threat to quit a lever to alter rules? - F1 Q&A Why Sky's TV picks are causing a massive headache for match-going fans Why innovative Canadian league is trialling daylight offside rule What can F1's bosses do to help keep Verstappen in the sport? Another crash, another bleary-eyed mugshot - what now for Woods? Unbeaten Itauma knocks out Franklin. Video Unbeaten Itauma knocks out Franklin Mary Rand - the trailblazing Olympic champion The remarkable return of Roy Hodgson aged 78 Does Chukwuemeka show the demise of the 90-minute player? 'Kicked to the kerb' - is boxing failing its heroes? Fabregas, film stars and Disney: How Como are disrupting Italian football. Video Fabregas, film stars and Disney: How Como are disrupting Italian football Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.