Financial reveal outlines Leeds United outspent 12 Premier League sides in one particular area this year

Add as preferred source on Google

Leeds United’s aim this season was to secure a return to the Premier League this year, and automatic promotion from the Championship is in the hands of Daniel Farke’s side.

In part, that is due to Daniel Farke’s coaching abilities, given that he has achieved promotion by winning the league during his last two campaigns at second tier level. However, the quality of his current Leeds playing squad is not to be underestimated, either.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	42	25	13	4	82	29	53	88
2	BurnleyBurnley	42	24	16	2	57	13	44	88
3	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	42	26	7	9	57	33	24	83
4	SunderlandSunderland	42	21	13	8	57	38	19	76

A host of clubs in the Championship were always likely to be in the hunt for Premier League football by the end of the campaign, but the current trio were, naturally, among the early favourites given their vast financial resources giving them a superiority advantage over their second tier peers.

Those three sides are also aided by the likes of parachute payments; therefore, it was always likely that they would compete at the top end of the division to bounce back to the top-flight at the second time of asking in Leeds’ case and the first time in Burnley and Sheffield United’s.

• READ MORE: EFL Championship’s all-time top scorers as journeyman sneaks into top ten and Sheffield United legend tops the charts

Leeds’ agent fee reveal highlights difference over Championship peers

The Championship was expected to be more competitive than ever this season, but the relegated duo ran away with things alongside Sunderland and Leeds, and it looks certain that at least two of those four will be the sides to make a Premier League return.

Leeds were able to spend well again in the summer, with Jayden Bogle, Ao, Tanaka, Largie Ramazani, Joe Rodon, and more arriving for hefty price tags at Championship level. Such outlay in both wages and transfer fees is guaranteed to have cost the club a fair amount but another area that will add to the overall figure on the books is agent fees.

Financially, the four sides at the top are also four of the highest spending sides on agent fees. Combined they accounted for just under £31 million of the total for the financial year between February 2024 and February 2025. Leeds, by far, are the highest on that front.

Per the FA’s official website, Leeds paid out just over £18.8 million on agent fees. With Financial Fair Play a major topic at the moment, and Profit and Sustainability regulations on the mind of many involved at Leeds, the amount clubs shell out on a variety of fronts is likely to be scrutinised.

Not only are Leeds the biggest spenders, but they account for 30% of the entire amount in the second tier — well beyond Burnley’s £5.3 million spend. It also outstrips a number of Premier League sides, too. Only eight Premier League sides shelled out more, including a record-breaking number from Chelsea.

The amount spent by Championship clubs overall (£63,201,447) is double the £36,317,802 spent in 2022/23, while Leeds have spent even more than the £13.3 million of last year in the process and their figure dwarfs sides such as Oxford United (£572,808) and Derby County (£707,077) as the lowest in the second tier.

Leeds now have just four games left in the run-in to make a return after a great weekend in the Championship, with Leeds continuing to add to recent records they set recently. A final push is now needed to ‘get them over the line’ and achieve the financial reward of promotion.

• READ MORE: The highest points tallies in Championship history: Can Leeds United, Burnley or Sheffield United break the record this season?

Leeds rival Premier League clubs for agent fee expenditure

In many ways, Leeds are a Premier League club operating in the Championship, but that is not sustainable forever without promotion. Next year will be their last in terms of parachute payments.

The Whites are a sleeping giant but to outstrip Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Nottingham Forest, and more is somewhat of a concern in terms of being fiscally responsible as a second tier club.

Should the worst happen and Leeds contend with the play-offs and lose again, then they will have to make cuts and further big sales after Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville, and Archie Gray’s 2024 exits.