By Brian Wolff

Welcome back to the most exciting topic of the footballing summer – transfer season! In part 1, we examined what transfers are, how valuations are made, and how the process is completed. But with all contract negotiations, the process isn’t so black and white. Enter the agents, the universally derided yet necessary gray of the equation.

Agents represent both players and clubs. Their job is to bring the two together under contract while understanding the market nuances. They are feared and unloved not because they are horrible, but because of the secrecy of their work. Without them, transfer season as we know it would cease to exist.

The agent’s transfer season is 12 months a year. An agent that works only in January and in the summer is homeless. The majority of their time is spent fulfilling club and player requests to explore moves privately. This is known as tapping up. How can agents work when there are fines for clubs tapping up players? The answer is that “tapping up,” the act of a club/agent improperly speaking to another club’s player under contract and without authorization, happens all the time. It’s the dirty, well-kept secret of the footballing world.

Clubs that rat on other clubs tapping up and fail to talk to players and agents themselves are clubs that don’t make signings. Not making signings means not winning trophies. Am I wrong? See Arsenal’s trophy cabinet since 2006 after making a fuss over Mourinho meeting Ashley Cole without permission. Collectively, the fines for getting caught didn’t total 1 million pounds and the world’s best left back remains first choice in blue. A small price to pay to ensure business is completely swiftly.

Like in any profession with high priced talent, this is why agents are employed. A casual meeting “by chance” in a coffee shop can be explained away. The player issues a loving statement of his current club and the agent continues to work behind the scenes. Agents border on the line of ethics and legality and tiptoe it by necessity because the very people that loathe them cannot do without their services.

In recent years, reality and fiction have glamorized the role of the agent. Jeremy Piven’s portrayal of super agent Ari Gold on HBO show Entourage was met with universal acclaim; little did people know the background and partial behavior of the character was based on real life Hollywood super agent Ari Emmanuel, brother of the former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel. In football, there are a few but the most well-known name is Jorge Mendes. With a client list including Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo, he is among the movers and shakers in the transfer market. Almost always, these super agents control the deals that are speculated on in the media every day.

How does an agent wield his power?

Networking. A larger, more well known agent has more contacts at different clubs across continents, more sway and regard in the transfer market, and can secure the best deal for his clients.

How does an agent initiate a transfer dialogue?

There are two ways agents initiate transfers. Agents will dialogue with football directors, managers, trainers, staff, owners, etc. and make it known their players are “available” and would be willing to come to that club to start the club’s internal transfer process. These talks happen 365 days a year and are part of networking.

Second, clubs will approach agents to inquire about players or positions needed. Say Random Club is looking for a ST. Club will approach a trusted agent or a specific player’s agent and inquire about the player, or ask the agent to find available players in the market place to avoid tapping up.

Isn’t this process illegal?

Technically. But everyone does it and everyone benefits, so to rat on one club would be to rat on yourself. Since agents are employed by clubs to go out into the market and identify potential targets for them, they set the groundwork for clubs without the media publicity that would follow if the club did so itself. The act of using agents saves on club personnel, time and resources while retaining secrecy in the process.

So what’s the difference between a good agent and a poor agent?

A larger network of contacts. The ability to get a club to trust the agent to provide a good player and close the deal. The confidence to ask for higher wages and bonuses on behalf of the player if a deal is being discussed. Later in a player’s career, as opportunities and wages might be dwindling, the ability to create several further options to continue playing professionally or move into coaching. A better agent will constantly be working, 365 days a year, to find their player a better deal, a better locale, a better bonus.

How are agents compensated?

Some are paid a flat, small base salary. Generally, transfer negotiations however include what is known as agent fees. This is compensation for the agents and their work in getting the deal completed, and they are paid almost always by the buying club. Like any sales job, the majority of what they earn is due in part to how successful they are. The Premier League discloses the agents fees by club each year; a quick Google Search will yield multiple results to browse.

How can an agent affect the value of a transfer fee beyond typical negotiations?

Multiple ways, but here are two of the more secretive ones. As we discussed, agents have good relations with certain clubs and players. Sometimes players can move for lower/higher amounts than estimated if it means an opportunity to sign players down the road before another club. Contractually, this is known as first-option on a player. In August 2010, Deco was allowed to leave Chelsea for Fluminese with a year remaining on his contract; there was no transfer fee. Instead, we were given first option on several players, including RB Wallace, who was then signed in December 2012.

Second, agents are able to bring other parties to the negotiating table, specifically sponsors. There are rumors this summer that Chevrolet and Nike would be involved in a Cristiano Ronaldo return to Manchester United. Why would they get involved? Ronaldo plays for Real Madrid, an Adidas sponsored club – yet he holds personal sponsorships with Nike and the Portugal National Team is sponsored by Nike as well. Of course Nike would like to use his image for club and country, and hence could be financially motivated to make a deal happen.

What else should I know?

Football can be a shady business. Players are routinely offered to clubs by agents that do not represent that player. This can be referred to as hijacking the deal. While media reports give the impression this is club driven, it’s actually agent driven – another agent saw an opportunity to jump in and satisfy his client club. In some circumstances, if the deal is right the player will accept this situation and switch agents.

Some clubs will refuse to work with certain agents and bring in their own. Some club insiders will even demand their own cut of the agent fees to just allow the agent to work the deal, in a twisted, behind the scenes game of extortion and blackmail. Deals can collapse if club insiders are not given their cut as they can then block the transfer. It’s not a profession for the faint hearted.

Where can I learn more?

Two publications that have opened my eyes into the world of agents are:

1) I Am The Secret Footballer – available on Amazon Kindle Store. There is an entire chapter with a Twitter Q&A with a respected agent.

2) “Secret Agent” column, courtesy of SkySports.

Part 3 coming soon!