Revealed: How Liverpool’s £20.8m Agent Fees Compare to the Rest of the Premier League | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Agent Fees Reveal Strategic Restraint in Premier League Spending Race

The Football Association’s latest figures have laid bare the vast sums Premier League clubs continue to channel into agent fees, with an eye-watering total of £409 million paid between February 2024 and February 2025. Yet, in a landscape often dominated by financial flamboyance, Liverpool’s more measured approach stands out.

While not frugal by any stretch, Liverpool’s outlay of £20.8 million on intermediaries positions them in the Premier League’s mid-tier for agent-related expenditure. That figure becomes even more telling when viewed alongside Chelsea’s league-leading £60.4m or Manchester City’s £52.1m.

Liverpool’s Business Reflects Deliberate Planning

Despite significant changes behind the scenes and a high-profile managerial transition, Liverpool’s dealings in the market remained relatively understated in the last transfer window. Only two notable arrivals were made for the first team: Federico Chiesa from Juventus and Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia.

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Chiesa, the Italian international and Euro 2020 winner, arrived at Anfield for a surprisingly modest initial fee of £10 million, with another £2.5 million tied to performance-related bonuses. Though once regarded as one of Europe’s brightest talents, his time in Turin was interrupted by a serious knee injury in 2022, which arguably tempered both expectations and price tag.

Mamardashvili, meanwhile, was acquired for up to £29.6 million—a significant investment in a new No.1 and a clear statement of intent for the post-Alisson era. The Georgian goalkeeper’s deal, like Chiesa’s, was carefully structured, with £5 million in conditional add-ons.

Coaching Appointments Add to Total Agent Fees

The FA report also sheds light on a less visible but increasingly influential corner of club expenditure: coaching appointments. Liverpool’s agent fees included payments not just for player deals but also for securing the services of new head coach Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff.

These behind-the-scenes moves often carry significant intermediary costs, a reality many fans overlook when dissecting club budgets. Slot’s appointment following Jurgen Klopp’s departure in May 2024 was always likely to involve considerable negotiation, and Liverpool’s dealings here were no exception.

Liverpool’s Relative Frugality Stands in Contrast to Rivals

In context, Liverpool’s £20.8 million agent spend appears modest, especially compared to their traditional and emerging rivals. Here’s how they stack up:

Interestingly, the report excludes any payments related to Mohamed Salah’s recently signed two-year contract extension, which was finalised after the FA’s reporting window closed on 3 February 2025. That omission may slightly understate Liverpool’s total spend but does not materially alter their standing in the agent fee league table.

Agent Fees Remain a Barometer of Power in Modern Football

Ultimately, the £409 million collectively spent by Premier League clubs on agent fees over the last 12 months underscores a crucial reality: agents remain among the most powerful figures in the sport. From player transfers to managerial appointments, their fingerprints are found on every major deal.

For Liverpool, however, the numbers suggest a club attempting to balance ambition with sustainability—an approach perhaps symbolic of a new era under Arne Slot. Whether this restraint proves prudent or limiting will be judged not by spreadsheets, but by what unfolds on the pitch.