SAINTS paid out a net total of £6.9million to agent and intermediaries during 2019/20.

This represents a small increase to the £6.1m they paid out in the previous year.

The period covers 1 February 2019 to 31 January 2020.

Ralph Hasenhuttl was able to add both Che Adams and Moussa Djenepo to his squad on permanent deals last summer.

Adams cost the club £15m, with Standard Liege bagging £14m off Saints for Djenepo’s services.

Striker Danny Ings’ deal was also made permanent, having spent his first season on loan at St Mary’s.

The former Liverpool ace cost the club £18.72m, although his goals throughout the campaign suggest he’s been money well spent.

Elsewhere, there was a season-long loan deal agreed between Augsburg and Saints for central defender Kevin Danso.

Kyle Walker-Peters then arrived from Tottenham in January on a temporary basis until the end of the campaign.

The total outlay from Premier League clubs to agents and intermediaries during 2019/20 was a staggering £263m, almost £3m up on the previous year.

Champions elect Liverpool were the biggest spenders, splashing out £30.3m, although that’s more than £13m down from their 2018/19 fees.

Manchester City spent £29m, with neighbours Manchester United forking out £27.6m.

Chelsea were fourth on the list, paying £26.2m.

Burnley paid out a mere £3.9m, leaving them as the Premier League’s lowest spenders when it comes to agents’ fees.

Elsewhere on the list, Bournemouth spent just over £9.5m and Leicester City departed with £15.4m.

Norwich, who are currently bottom of the Premier League table, didn’t commit to big-money deals to give themselves a fighting chance of survival.

This meant they had to pay £4.9m, although it’s Sheffield United who sits in between the Burnley and the Canaries, paying £4.3m.