Finance guru ‘impressed’ by Newcastle as £273m outlay confirmed by the FA
It is “impressive” that Newcastle United accounted for just £7.7million of the £272.6m that Premier League sides spent on agents in 2021-22.
So says finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about how the Magpies avoided being taken for a ride by agents.
The FA last Thursday (31 March) detailed exactly how much each club spent on intermediaries between 2 February 2021 and 31 January 2022.
Despite the fact that only the two Manchester clubs and Arsenal spent more on signings in 2021-22, just four teams spent less on agents than Newcastle.
Plumley hailed the Saudi-backed Tynesiders for dodging opportunist agents looking to take advantage of their newfound wealth.
“I think it’s an impressive number relative to what others have spent,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“They spent a lot in January and you might have expected agents to hold them to ransom.
“The agency that took Trippier to Newcastle was the same that triggered Chris Wood’s buyout clause, so there’s a network there.
“If you’re working with the same agency, it keeps the costs down if there is that trust there.
“I still think there will be a test to come in future years depending on the type of players they’re after.
“As we know, as you start to deal with bigger and better players, you start to deal with agents who want higher fees.
“The new Fifa regulations might put the brakes on that a little bit, however.”
Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Chris Wood and Dan Burn all arrived at St James’ Park on permanent deals in the January transfer window.
Joe Willock also signed last summer, with the total transfer outlay for the season around the £118m mark.
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