The revealing figures that show Sunderland's agent fee spending - and how they compare to Championship rivals

Sunderland paid £2,170,045 in agent fees over the course of the last two transfer windows, figures released today by the FA this afternoon show.

It marks a significant increase from the previous period, when they spent £1,606,021. Their spending on agent fees have trebled since their first campaign back at Championship level, when they spent £718,450.

The figures cover the period from February 2024 to February 2025, and so include the summer and January transfer window. They include the signings of players such as Ian Poveda, Wilson Isidor and Enzo Le Fée as well as a number of significant contract renewals - including Jobe Bellingham, Dan Ballard and Chris Rigg.

Sunderland’s spending was the tenth-highest in the division, the same as in the previous reporting period. Unsurprisingly, the three teams relegated from the Premier League last season were amongst the highest spenders in the division. Luton Town spent £2,424,713 with Sheffield United spending £4,442,940 and Burnley £5,305,607. Leeds United led the way by a considerable margin, spending £18,836,447. Hull City, Middlesbrough, Cardiff City, West Brom and Norwich City were the other sides to spend more than Sunderland.

For the first time the figures also include agent-fee spending in the women’s game. Sunderland spent £9,200 during the period in question, the third-lowest in the entire division.

The full figures are available here

Phil Smith’s verdict on agent fee figures

Clubs release their accounts financial accounts one year down the line, and so these agent fees gives us some more insight than we would normally have into what clubs are spending right now, this season. It’s not a fully representative picture of course but it does give us some clues.

They underline that Sunderland are most likely outperforming a number of their divisional rivals who are spending more on player costs. Sunderland were for the second season in a row the tenth biggest spenders on agent fees in the division, and yet sit fourth in the table and with a considerable gap to the teams below them.

The figures again underline the financial advantage enjoyed by teams in receipt of parachute payments, and also the considerable rise in costs to Sunderland as they bid to push on and achieve promotion to the Premier League. Sunderland are spending three times what they were spending in their first season back at Championship level, reflective of how costs are rising. Sunderland continue by and large to get good value for what they are spending, a far cry from their latter days in the Premier League and their subsequent agony in the seasons that followed.

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