Players´ agents with record earnings

The players´ agents in the English Premier League earned £260 million this season from player transfers and representation — nearly £50 million more than the previous year.

According to data published by Inside World Football, the 20 elite English clubs paid player agents more than £260 million in commissions over the last two transfer windows. Agents, managers, or intermediaries have once again profited handsomely. In the 2017/2018 season, these figures stood at £211 million.

“The fees are unregulated, which naturally opens the door for negotiation. If an agent represents a player, they should be paid a fixed amount. Transfer commissions shouldn’t involve excessively high percentages. That distorts relationships and, from an ethical standpoint, it looks questionable,” said sports analyst and player agent Jozef Tokos in an interview with the Economic Daily.

Most fees are paid in installments. According to Tokos, the astronomical numbers associated with agents’ commissions are only one side of the story. In his view, these fees need to be seen in a broader context. The entire football industry is growing, and so are salaries — for both top players and coaches. “What matters more is the overall growth of club revenues, which we’re seeing increase steadily by around four percent annually. The industry is expanding as a whole. So I wouldn’t dramatize it. Still, agent commissions shouldn’t be the decisive factor in a transfer,” he argued. (...)

The record spender over the past two transfer windows was FC Liverpool. The club, based at the iconic Anfield stadium, certainly didn’t hold back on agent commissions — paying out £43.8 million, a nearly two-thirds year-over-year increase. Chelsea in London was also generous, spending £26.8 million on agent fees. Manchester City followed closely, paying out just over £24 million.

Sports agents and intermediaries have long been viewed negatively by both clubs and fans, and calls to tighten rules around agent payments have persisted for years. Jozef Tokos who in 2010 handled goalkeeper Ján Mucha’s transfer to Everton would not consider such a step entirely appropriate. (...)