"The figures, published for the first time after the League struck a deal with the Football Association over the regulation of agents, reveal that Manchester City were the biggest spenders, paying out almost £13 million to middlemen during their £173 million transfer spree in 2009.
Chelsea were ranked second, spending £9.6 million despite relatively modest spending in 2009. The bulk of the fees are understood to relate to fees payable on contract renegotiations."
Are agents really this valuable to players? Cannot someone come along and perform the same job for a quarter of the price?Figures in the game argue over these questions.
"Footballers think they need agents - but it's not the case," says Manchester United veteran Gary Neville.
"Players need good advice and good accountants - but they don't need people taking hundreds of thousands of pounds off of them."
"A guy can go in to a deal and expect to be giving hundreds of thousands or, these days, even millions to an agent. That money's going out of the game."
"It is one of my pet hates when I see players who have agents that do everything for them," Neville later emphasized.
"They don't know how to set up their own bank account, they don't know what they're spending their money on and they can't make their own decisions.
"Not every player is like that, but some are now totally dependent on agents and advisers."
Neville has urged his fellow professionals to take more responsibility for their careers to avoid being left to pick up the pieces once they retire.
He said: "There are some agents who do a good job looking after players, but there are others who stifle and mollycoddle players.
"Some agents will come into a player's life when he is 20, leave his life at 34 and never want to know that player again.
"For me, life is an education and you learn things as you go through it. I think a footballer should sit down and negotiate with a club, even if his agent is sitting with him.
"It is in a player's best interests to be there and see what is going on.
The idea of allowing someone to look after your financial and professional existence is something I cannot agree with.
"Every footballer needs an adviser at some point. But a player doesn't need to pay between five and 15 per cent of his wages to a guy to set up a bank account, buy him a new fridge, or ask his club's chief executive for a pay rise."
However, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes agents play an important role in the sport."I have worked with agents my whole career and I do not share that opinion," he said.
"I am confident that once Gary Neville is a manager, he will change his mind.
"There are agents who do very well for the players and there are very few who do not do well for the players.
"There are also some agents who do very well for the clubs, because I have got some players through agents - they have a good eye to identify a player, talk to you about him, you go and watch and find a good player."
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