Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has defended the fees they paid out to agents this year.
Figures released by the Football Association showed the Dorset club had shelled out £7.73million on payments for intermediaries and agents in 12 months, the 10th-highest amount in the Premier League.
Asked about the club's investment in agents, he told the Daily Echo: “We could say we are not going to deal with or pay agents. Let me guarantee you, if we did take that stance, we would end up with no players coming through the door.
“It is such a competitive market. Agents sometimes get a lot of bad press but they play a huge role in the modern game and the really good agents are so beneficial for players.
“They do a lot of work to help them produce better performances and be more professional. They can sometimes be the first person a player rings either before or after a game.
“There are some very good agents out there who I speak to on a regular basis that really do have the best interests of the player at heart and you have to pay them if you want the players."