FIFA President Gianni Infantino has voiced his disapproval of the spending by Premier League clubs on agents.
The head of football’s world governing body said more money should be going to “the clubs that trained and developed the players signed from abroad”.
Premier League clubs spent a combined £409.5m on agents and intermediaries in the 12 months to February 2024, said a Football Association report last week.
“Most of this money is leaving football,” Infantino said.
In an Instagram post he contrasted this to the 30m Euros (£25.8m) received by European clubs from the Premier League for players they had brought through, in compensation and solidarity payments.
He further emphasized that these payments “are mandated by FIFA regulations and play a crucial role in supporting thousands of less privileged clubs that struggle to generate sufficient revenue. They are essential for the development, training, and opportunities provided to young players globally.”
A FIFA report released in December revealed that English clubs contributed to almost a third of the record $888 million (£702 million) spent on agents’ fees in international transfers in 2023.
FIFA has been attempting to restrict the amounts agents can earn from deals. However, its efforts have been hindered by a series of legal challenges, which have temporarily halted the implementation of the proposed plans.
“At Fifa, we are trying to implement some clear and fair rules to the transfer system, including agents regulations, for the sake of transparency, accountability and better redistribution across all levels of the game,” Infantino added.
“Because of that we were sued by some agents, but Fifa will continue to defend its position in court.”
“I call on governments and lawmakers to join us and play an active role in ensuring the funds generated in transfers are kept within football and are shared with clubs from all around the world, as they are absolutely key for current and future generations of footballers.”