Jordan hits out at United over agents' fees

Simon Jordan today criticised Manchester United's attitude to football agents as "immature".

The Crystal Palace chairman, whose side beat Fulham 2-0 last night to record their first Premiership win of the season and climb off the bottom of the table, hit out directly at United chief executive David Gill.

Jordan believes it is wrong to pay large sums to middlemen in transfers. The Palace chairman missed out on signing Tim Cahill in the summer when he allegedly refused to pay the former Millwall player's agent a £125,000 fee.

United broke new ground in the Premiership last month when they declared in their latest accounts to having spent £5million on agents' fees in the year to August.

Gill said it made for 'transparent' business and claimed agents justified their large payments by providing a service. He claimed any other view was unrealistic.

Jordan took exception to this and said: "Gill's comments are all well and good for United but in my opinion illustrate the immaturity in this industry. I suspect if his salary were indexed to the amount of agents' fees they pay you would see a big erosion of agents' fees at United.