OXFORD United paid £160,678 to agents during the last two transfer windows.

Statistics released by the Football Association cover the 12 months to January 31, 2019 and the U’s figure is a 12.7 per cent increase on the previous year.

A total of 16 deals are involved, which cover new contracts for existing players, including Simon Eastwood and Sam Long, permanent transfers of Gavin Whyte and Mark Sykes plus loan moves for the likes of Marcus Browne, Sam Smith and Jerome Sinclair.

For the second successive period they are the seventh highest spenders in Sky Bet League One, although the top two – Sunderland and Barnsley – were in the Championship for the first window covered by the latest statistics.

When asked about agent fees last year, U’s boss Karl Robinson felt paying them was the only way to attract top talent.

Fees paid to intermediaries and agents by clubs in League One

February 1 2018 to January 31 2019

  • Sunderland £2,873,033
  • Barnsley £428,580
  • Charlton Athletic £205,095
  • Portsmouth £183,790
  • Fleetwood Town £183,356
  • Peterborough United £176,465
  • Oxford United £160,678
  • Coventry City £155,909
  • Bradford City £154,410
  • Burton Albion £131,002
  • Scunthorpe United £126,207
  • Luton Town £124,069
  • Bristol Rovers £96,852
  • Plymouth Argyle £91,370
  • Doncaster Rovers £88,753
  • Shrewsbury Town £77,042
  • AFC Wimbledon £62,173
  • Walsall £55,499
  • Blackpool £45,838
  • Southend United £44,658
  • Rochdale £42,497
  • Gillingham £28,088
  • Wycombe £19,500
  • Accrington Stanley £4,815

Total £5,559,679