Arsenal hit record levels of spending on agent fees after Edu Gaspar transfer masterclass

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The FA have now released spending figures from Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, on agent and intermediary fees for the season.

These fees are spent on negotiations for transfers and contract renewals, and can differ depending on agencies, players and the nature of each deal.

Arsenal had an outstanding summer transfer window, as they justified a big spending outlay with the additions of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, David Raya and Jurrien Timber, but they arguably did even better business when it came to contract renewals.

Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar were proactive in tying down Arsenal’s key players to long-term contracts, and the likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Ben White and Martin Odegaard all signed fresh terms since the start of last summer.

This excellent squad building did naturally come at a cost, as Arsenal had to deal with intermediaries and agents when completing all of these deals, but their spending has still been lower than some of their rivals.

READ MORE: How much Arsenal paid to sign every first-team player in the transfer market

Arsenal rank fifth in the Premier League for agent fee spending

The FA report has now been published, which has revealed that Arsenal spent just under £25m on agent fees since the start of the summer window, with no incoming transfers in January contributing to this.

In addition to Arsenal’s four summer signings, several big contracts were handed out, whilst significant sales of Granit Xhaka and Folarin Balogun were also completed.

Arsenal’s spending on agents ranks them below Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea in this regard, at fifth place in the Premier League overall.

Premier League ‘top six’ spending on agent and intermediary fees in 2023-24

Arsenal spending on agent fees in 2023-24 was the highest ever

Whilst Arsenal did spend less than some of their rivals, and significantly less than Chelsea, whom they signed Kai Havertz from, this was still a big step up in spending on agent fees for the club.

The previous year saw Arsenal spend just under £17m on agent fees, which was a slight decrease on the £18.65m spent the season before.

This clearly came as a result of Arsenal’s increased spending, with Rice a club-record deal, and Havertz the third-most expensive player in the club’s history, as well as the volume of significant contracts handed out.

Whilst Arteta’s side continues to deliver on the pitch, and Edu continues to build an excellent squad behind the scenes, this level of spending on agent fees, which is below title rivals Man City and Liverpool, is at an acceptable level for the club.