Negotiating one of the biggest deals in Premier League history may be the ultimate aim for most football agents, but Dr Erkut Sogut has a more altruistic ambition.

Sogut is best known as Mesut Ozil’s representative, convincing Arsenal to shatter their wage structure in January and hand his client a record-breaking £350,000-a-week deal.

In one sense, that deal reframed what was possible for English football’s leading players and so, perhaps, it was apt that within two months of agreeing terms, Sogut published the first of a series of books entitled ‘How To Become A Football Agent’, to educate aspiring youngsters.

Fifa’s decision to deregulate the entire industry in 2015 led to an explosion in the number of ‘intermediaries’ — here, alone, the number went from around 400 licensed individuals to in excess of 1,500 within 12 months. An entrance exam was no longer compulsory and anyone with a clean driving licence and £500 could immediately qualify to become an agent.

The proliferation of inexperienced individuals suddenly claiming part-ownership of players or demanding payment in transfers led FIFA to bring together the world’s leading agents who, in September, convinced world football’s governing body to reintroduce regulation by next summer.

Sogut was among them. “I was thinking, ‘Why does this profession have no education?’,” he told Standard Sport. “It is a very difficult profession, because you have to deal with legal aspects, tech aspects, media, social aspects, like working with charities. If you do it properly, you deal with different patterns of life.

“You have the psychology of the player and the clubs to deal with, contracts, family members to protect — there is so much. To just start doing it is ridiculous. There needs to be a proper education for new agents, so they can represent players and clubs in a professional manner.

“I had to write something, so even if you don’t want to become an agent, you can understand what is involved.

“But my goal is not this book. My goal is having a university sports agents’ bachelor’s degree or Masters’ programme. You should need to study for at least one year to gain the qualification to represent an athlete in any sport.

“It is a global business, so you have to have an understanding of employment law in different countries. And, as an agent, you might have to deal with anything.”

Sogut knows that only too well. Born in Hanover to Turkish parents, Sogut limits himself to no more than 10 clients (his roster also includes Shkodran Mustafi and Ilkay Gundogan), but Ozil’s experiences in 2018 have rarely kept him out of the headlines.

The 30-year-old Arsenal playmaker retired from international football citing a lack of support from the German Football Federation over criticism of his decision to meet Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, just a few months after lengthy contract talks with Arsenal were finally resolved.

During both situations, Ozil found his character called into question, but Sogut insists the delay in committing to Arsenal - he had just six months left on his previous deal - was not driven by money.

Standard Sport understands Ozil turned down moves worth a staggering £1m-a-week and Sogut explained: “We had some really big offers from Asia, there were some crazy offers. But for Mesut, money was by no means the biggest factor.

“Money is definitely one important thing to consider, but people must remember that footballing ability is just one aspect of a contract negotiation. The commercial impact of a footballer is crucial nowadays.

“Mesut has the biggest social media following of any player in the Premier League and I just read that his shirt numbers (sales) were the largest at the club. At the end of the day, this is all information that has to be taken into consideration. So, the commercial side is very big with a player like Mesut, who has played in different countries and was the No10 of the national team, where he won the World Cup.

“His market is worldwide. The club makes money out of these players as well, but it came down to what was in his heart.

“We were free to sign with other clubs and in the end Mesut loves the club. I put everything to him and he just said, ‘This is my home, I want to be here’.”

Understanding the complexities of such a deal is just one aspect Sogut looks to illuminate for the next generation.

“The more good people who are educated and have the right priorities who come into this business, it is better for me,” he said. “You want to deal with good people.”

Dr Erkut Sogut is speaking at ‘The World of Football Agency & Sports Law Uncovered on 17 & 18 November. Tickets available at www.eventbrite.co.uk