Arsenal paid £32,149,359 to football agents in the latest FA reporting period, the fifth-highest figure in the Premier League and a sharp increase on the previous year.
Arsenal paid £32,149,359 to football agents during the FA reporting period from 4 February 2025 to 2 February 2026, placing the club fifth in the Premier League on that measure. Only Chelsea (£65,102,247), Aston Villa (£38,444,289), Manchester City (£37,358,301) and Liverpool (£33,881,544) paid more, while Arsenal finished just above Manchester United (£31,777,462).
That makes Arsenal one of the division’s biggest spenders on agent fees, but not the biggest. Chelsea’s outlay was more than double Arsenal’s, while Villa, City and Liverpool all also finished ahead of them. In practical terms, Arsenal’s figure puts them firmly in the upper bracket of Premier League spending without making them an outlier at the very top of the list.
The player context helps explain why Arsenal’s number is so high. This was not a quiet cycle. Arsenal signed Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and later Piero Hincapie on loan with an option to buy, as Andrea Berta oversaw a broad reshaping of the squad. By early August, Arsenal had already spent close to £200 million as they tried to add depth, solve the striker issue and strengthen midfield and defence.
That is the key context around the fee total. Arsenal were not simply maintaining an established squad. They were rebuilding multiple parts of it at once. A new reserve goalkeeper, two senior midfielders, a winger, a centre-back, a frontline striker, an attacking midfielder and a late defensive loan are the sort of transactions that naturally drive intermediary payments upward, particularly when several arrive from other Premier League or major European clubs.
Even so, Arsenal’s figure still sits below the very top bracket. Chelsea’s outlay was more than double Arsenal’s, while Villa, City and Liverpool also paid more. So the number is large, but it does not place Arsenal in a category of their own. It places them among the league’s biggest spenders in this area during a summer when they were one of the busiest elite clubs in the market.
The FA also includes an important caveat with the data. It says payments made during the reporting period may relate to transactions agreed before the start of that window, meaning the published total does not necessarily map directly onto deals completed in the same period. So while Arsenal’s transfer activity gives clear context to the rise, the figure should still be read as a payment total for the year rather than a simple transfer-window bill
There is a smaller additional figure on the women’s side too. Arsenal Women paid £446,010 in agent fees over the equivalent reporting period, which placed them fourth in the Women’s Super League behind Chelsea, Manchester City and London City Lionesses. That total was also up from £220,719 the year before.
Taken together, the numbers show Arsenal operating near the top end of the market. They are not the biggest spenders on agent fees in English football, but they are clearly in that leading group, and the increase from last year suggests a busier or more expensive cycle of payments than before.