The FA has lifted the lid on exactly how much West Ham United have spent on agent’s fees in the last year.
Figures released by the Football Association on Thursday revealed West Ham have dished out seven figures in payments to agents over the last year.
And payments to agents by Premier League clubs have reached record levels.
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The FA has revealed that West Ham and the other 19 top flight clubs paid out a total of £272.6million to agents in the year ending February 1.
West Ham were relatively busy last summer making the permanent signings of Kurt Zouma for £29m from Chelsea and Nikola Vlasic for a reported initial fee of around £26m rising to £33m. Alphonse Areola and Alex Kral arrived on loan.
But the Hammers, much to the displeasure of the club’s fans, did not do any business in January.
West Ham therefore sit in a relatively respectable 12th place in the agent payments Premier League table according to the data from the FA.
For huge chunks of that year, Premier League games were being played behind closed doors due to Covid but clubs like Manchester City, United and Chelsea funnelled £35m, £29m and £28m the way of players’ representatives.
West Ham spent £10,532,927 on fees paid to agents and intermediaries. Man City forked out an eye watering £35m, Man United £29m, Chelsea £28m, Liverpool £22m and Arsenal £18m.
West Ham’s bitter rivals Spurs paid out just under £14m while – somewhat shockingly – relegation-threatened Watford were the seventh biggest spenders on agent fees with a £12.5m outlay.
The Hammers also spent less than Leicester, Wolves, Everton and Leeds. At the other end of the scale West Ham’s fellow London club Brentford paid out just £3.5m.
It is difficult to read whether West Ham’s comparatively low spend is a positive. Because it could well be a big reason why the club struggled so badly to sign any of the players David Moyes wanted in January.
One thing is for certain, West Ham will undoubtedly – and unavoidably – sending much more money the way of agents and intermediaries this summer.
Moyes has admitted he faces a big summer rebuild with as many as eight to 12 new players needed with a host of current players out of contract, retiring or not in the Scot’s plans.
And just last week the West Ham boss fired a warning to co-owners David Sullivan, Daniel Kretinsky and David Gold that he must be backed if the Hammers are to maintain their position as contenders for the European places.