Agents!

[ramAnag]

It seems that Mino Raiola, Paul Pogba and Ibrahimovic's agent, will 'earn' between £24-41m for brokering the sale of Pogba to Man.United...and Mel thought we'd got problems. Can this be true...Roger?

[roger_ramjet]

Allegedly 23m as part of the transfer which was 89m, 25.8%.

Plus 16m over the 5 years it runs. Assuming Pogba is on 250k plus a week his salary over the the 5 years would be 65m plus, 24.6%

So the ratios are consistent.

I guess its contractual and full disclosure was made in the negotiations but frankly its ****ing outrageous if true.

[Rams4Justice]

These agents are ruining football.

[Andy_Faber]

These agents are ruining football.

It's not the agents' fault, its the players. They are almost universally too thick and too lazy to negotiate for themselves. If you could limpet onto someone's talented back and make yourself a millionaire doing it, what principles would you NOT be prepared to compromise? And if fans were that bothered, the stadiums would be empty and Sky would be bankrupt.

[Rams4Justice]

It is the agents fault Andy, they try to haggle their way through anything just to find the best deals for their player even if it involves something dodgy. Some footballers don't have agents because they can deal with their own transfer dealings and money, and the cost that comes with being a footballer but agents have become such a modern thing in football now, it's why we have seen players transfers budgets rise and rise each year, and youth players moving up too early in their career and the whole grassroots system goes out of the window because they are enticed with the money by big clubs and agents pressurising them to go with the deal and it effects their minds because they think football is all about the money instead of the sport.

[roger_ramjet]

Agreed in principle Andy, but there is one thing making a good living out of their clients, and then there is what appears to have happened in the case of Pogba. No doubt the player will be better off as a result of the negotiating skills used by his agent and I suppose its a matter of whether he thinks he gets value for money, but....

However it is not ruining football at all. How the football industry as a whole choses to distribute its vast wealth is a matter for the industry to decide, and market forces therein. It doesnt make any difference to the game itself which, as you say, continues to fill stadiums and justify Sky's billions (although God knows why).

If football is to be ruined it will be by the money in the game, not just by the greed of one (small) sector of the industry. I can honestly say that the premiership carries no interest for me (as a follower of a team outside the elite), but I suspect that cannot be said of many football supporters. Premiership football would doubtless survive totally empty stadiums as match day revenue is of reducing importance so it can survive a few agents ripping off gullible players / clubs.

In the interest of balance, I am sure there are many agents out their who give their clients a good service and enhance the industry's reputation. I am not sure I could name them though!

[Rams4Justice]

Football today is ruined by corruption, agents, money, betting, TV deals and Fraud that has become a farce for the modern game.

[roger_ramjet]

It is the agents fault Andy, they try to haggle their way through anything just to find the best deals for their player even if it involves something dodgy.

Ignoring once more your allegations of dodginess, which may have some substance in a limited number of cases, what you have said is precisely what the agents job is. He is a remunerated negotiator, representative etc and an expert in the industry.

When you go to get your car or house insured, do you use a broker? When you go on holiday do you use a travel agent? If you do a tax return or start up a pension scheme, do you use a financial advisor? If you trade in stocks, shares, forex, futures etc do you use a stockbroker Agents are there to provide a skill for a client that the client does not have. Absolutley nothing wrong with that.

What is wrong is that the agents do not appear to be properly regulated, unlike all of the other "skill providers" that I mention above. So anyone, including you and me, could become a football agent tomorrow. The FCA, ABTA etc etc exist to protect the man in the street from being ripped off by his agent, but this does not stretch to football agents - largely because its not a "public interest" issue and only a small number of wealthy individuals are impacted.

The other issue that needs addressing is the conflict of interest whereby the same agent can, and does, act for both the player and the club in the same negotiation.

The common law of agency can afford some protection as the agent is required to act in the best interests of his client, but this is only ex post facto and depends on discovery.

Football agents need to be reformed but they are definitely not RUINING FOOTBALL.

And by the way, top flight football is all about the money now. I admire your Corinthian values in thinking otherwise, but the days of jumpers for goalposts and Barnstoneworth United are long gone

[Rams4Justice]

You telling me that agents are a good thing in football please.... 😅there have been more bad things said about agents, then there are good things, so until otherwise that view improves, I'm sticking with agents are a bad thing for football.

[roger_ramjet]

You really do have a rather simplistic view on life, dont you? Fine, you stick with your view, but ask yourself one thing: if they are bad for football, why do almost all footballers of substance, and indeed clubs of substance, continue to use them?