New £19 million Leeds United cost revealed as Whites rank in Premier League top half for major expense

The Whites forked out £18.8 million to player intermediaries between February 2, 2024 and February 3, 2025.

Leeds' payments accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the Championship's overall expenditure to agents with the next highest individual club figures belonging to Burnley (£5.3 million) and Sheffield United (£4.4 million).

During the January transfer window, Leeds did not make any signings, however, last summer the club brought in the likes of Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Ao Tanaka, Largie Ramazani and Isaac Schmidt on permanent deals. Experienced former French international midfielder Josuha Guilavogui also arrived at Elland Road mid-season on a free transfer.

The £18.8 million sum paid to agents by Leeds surpassed several Premier League clubs, including AFC Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Whites were, in fact, English football's ninth-biggest spenders on intermediaries.

Agent fees are usually paid in instalments or over a period of time, typically over the length of a player's contract, meaning the £18.8m paid likely accounts for transfer deals which were brokered before February 2, 2024 as well.

To that end, the FA's report also states: "Payments included in these figures may have been made in relation to transactions that were entered into before the first date of this reporting period. As a result, the total payment figure per club will not necessarily relate directly to those transactions listed involving a football agent registered in England for the same period."

Clubs such as Leeds also pay agents during the process of selling players, often for legal services rendered or the conducting of transfer negotiations. United sold several players in big-money deals last summer, including Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray and Georginio Rutter.