FIGURES released yesterday revealed that Premier League clubs paid out nearly £130 million to agents last year — a £15m increase on the year before.

Liverpool spent the most of any club, £14.3m, followed by Manchester United (£13.8m) and Manchester City (£12.4m) with the total reaching £129.86m for the year ending September 30.

Chelsea and Arsenal both spent £11.9m while at the other end of the scale newcomers Watford spent £1.6m.

The total spent in the Championship was £26.1m, £3.2m in League One and just £1m in League Two.

Fees are not just paid to agents when transfers happen but also when players sign new contracts.

During the period in question, there were 172 inbound transfers and loans in the Premier League, 542 new or improved contracts and 573 outbound transfers and loans — a total of 1,287 transactions, all of which could have led to an agent’s fee being paid.

League One club Bury and League Two’s Accrington Stanley Hartlepool did not pay anything at all in to agents.