The revealing figures that show Sunderland's agent fee spending - and how they compare to Leeds United, Leicester City & co

Sunderland’s spending on agent fees rose back to above six figures across the last two transfer windows, figures released by the FA revealed this afternoon.

The Black Cats have spent a total of £1,606,021 on agent fees in their second season, over double their spend of £718,450 in their first season back at Championship level. Their spending is growing considerably as they bid to establish themselves as Premier League promotion contenders, with their spend across their final season in League One just £310,244.

Sunderland remain relatively modest spenders in the Championship, with their total spend placing them just tenth in the table of 24 teams. However, they have risen from being the sixth-lowest in the division last season.

While the Black Cats are spending along similar lines to many of their play-off rivals across the course of the current campaign, the figures again show the gulf between those in receipt of parachute payments at the top end of the division. Leeds United’s spend is by some distance the largest in the division over the time period, coming in at £13,287,748 off the back of their relegation from the top division. Leicester City came in second with a spend of £8,113,789, while Southampton unsurprisingly were third with a spend of £7,537,386.

While the figures cover two busy transfer windows of incoming recruitment, they also include a number of significant contract renewals at the club. Senior players Dan Neil, Anthony Patterson, Patrick Roberts, Dennis Cirkin and Trai Hume were among those to agree new long-term deals in the period.

The full figures can be seen here.