English game pays £220m in Agents fees 2016 - 2017

[Chester Perry]

Amazed no thread about this - no real surprise that the 3 promoted clubs are at the bottom of the list - though we spent more than Hull and just more than Boro - probably paid more in fees but less deals overall so a surprise to me at least.

Biggest Shock - Utd not top spenders - by a huge amount

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39532082" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39526917" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In total £220m went out of the English game to agents in the last 2 windows - unbelieveable

[cricketfieldclarets]

As much criticisim as they get, in this day and age there is definitely a need for them. Some of the reasons people use them is ridiculous, Utd used to have people who would change lightbulbs for players. But in a game with such money swilling round, temptations and risks for players as well as opportunities there is a need for them.

There is a lot of bad press about them and a general opinion there is no need for them. But that is based purely on the amount that goes to them without understanding what they actually offer to players and even clubs.

There will be plenty of good ones out there worth what they are paid and plenty of bad ones. Such is any occupation.

[Oshkoshclaret]

The most interesting information on that list is how much Bournemouth paid.

[Sidney1st]

That cant be right, its been reported Pogba's agent earned in excess of £20million from that transfer.

[Quickenthetempo]

I have no problem with agents in the game if the player pays their fees and clubs pay their representatives.

[Longside4evr]

The spin Doctors of football
They know when to unbalance a player by whispering that they could get them a better deal with another club or to an extent force a clubs hand into paying more money when the contract of a player is premature
Then go about unsettling a player doing their business putting it out to their contacts promoting his player and touting him about
Agree football needs them and so do the players with some of the big money deals that go through in today's market its a fantastic way to line their pockets
With this I think sometimes they push deals through so hard without any consideration for the players and if its the wrong move can be very damaging

[Firthy]

Needed or not, they've taken a lot of the heart out of the game and made it more about money than the game itself.

[Colburn_Claret]

It looks like Bastards spent more on agents than they did on players.....

[hampsteadclaret]

Not sure that I value this bunch of chancers and spivs very highly.
Yes they suck £220 million from our game...for what?
Whose pockets do you think those extortionate agents fees are coming from?

-essentially there are a bunch of buyers out there [the clubs] and a bigger bunch of people [the players] who are trying to get signed up and/or transferred.
All the buying and selling of players would still take place without a single agent in place...a few decades ago none of these blood-sucking leeches were around..
We would still watch the sport, and indeed it would be much cheaper to do so.

They add about as much value to the national game as do ticket touts...taking loads out, putting very little back in.

Agents and Touts...a drain on our game,... ugly non-necessary middle-men..if they all disappeared tomorrow, the same matches would still take place, transfers would still occur, and tickets would still be bought and sold - the big difference would be lower ticket prices, player salaries, transfer fees, merchandise prices and so on.

At one time we all used travel agents like Thompson's or Thomas Cook's to book a fortnight's holiday in the sun - now with a computer you can do all that yourself, if you wish...book some flights, sort a hotel, hire a car...cheaper all round - if the average footballer had a few more brains he could sort his own transfer out, rather than paying Freddie Flashman £6 million to do it for him.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Booking a holiday is a bit different to a high profile, sportsman in the public eye who cant walk down the street without being hassled.

Many footballers arent the brightest either. In fact many 'normal' people would struggle to negotioate our own market worth in a multi billion pound business.

Imagine Andre Gray for example trying to negotioate a contract with ana experienced, succesful businessman like our chairman.

Or Pogba with the Glazers or whoever is in charge there. Or John Terry with Abramovic. Or someone with the west ham owners. Etc

Chairman. Club owners. Chief execs. Etc are in the main very experienced, ruthless businessmen. Your average player couldnt negotiate their true market value with them. Never.

20 years ago. 30 years ago maybe we didnt need them as we do now. But football wasnt paying thousands of pounds a week to every player like it is now and didnt have billions in tv money.

But someone like Gazza would have been better for it for having a good agent and advisors.

[Quickenthetempo]

I would argue agents have got contracts for players far above their market value.

[hampsteadclaret]

You make that suggestion Quickenthetempo in 11 as if it is 'a good thing'..

Yes..it's obviously good for the player.


You're obviously suggesting in your comment that the player is 'overpaid' [..'far above their market value']
Who do you think is paying for that that though?
Do you normally like to pay more for something than it's worth?

[Paul Waine]

I assume this is the money that the football clubs pay to the agents. Do the players who employ agents also pay them?

It would be interesting to see figures for how much of the money that is paid stays in the UK and is subject to UK tax laws.

[Chester Perry]

That cant be right, its been reported Pogba's agent earned in excess of £20million from that transfer.

Juventus have been quoted as paying that much to Pogba's agent based on the price they got for a player they paid £252k for - he was a selling agent interested in building profile for a player that became the worlds most expensive ( much easier when it comes to wages and personal sponsorship deals)

[Hipper]

I'm guessing a bit here but a player will expect a club to pay his agent's fees, or he will simply go to another club that will.

[Chester Perry]

I think the key for me is that this is likely to be the turnover of all the Clubs in League 1 and League 2 - that's 48 professional clubs - that is how much that is leaving the game

[Chester Perry]

ooops