Navigating through the murky market of football transfers

Football, the beautiful game, is depicted in its most beguiling form on the canvas of a football pitch. But there is a whole different world with players that play a requisite role off it, with the keys to all the moving parts of this brisk sport.

The football transfer window, for all the manic thrills and spills it provides, is a period of three months before a season and a month mid-season, where clubs actively chase the signature of sought after players. Players look to either remain with their current clubs or seek a change.

Doing the negotiation for the players and clubs are representatives or football agents, who indulge in hectic parleys to find the best deals for the players they represent.

The stocks and necessities of a football agent are on the rise in India, but that was not the case 10 years ago. FIFA Licensed agent Sonu Lamba, founder of Four Flags, the agency which represents Sunil Chhetri and Anirudh Thapa, told DH: “Back in 2013-14, the I-League was the main league and the ISL had just started. Sunil Chhetri was the only player in India who had an agent. Clubs and players had the mentality of all is fine and why would I need an agent? With the growth of the ISL, both clubs and players started preferring agents for negotiations to make things easier by erasing any misunderstanding and miscommunication."

For Baljit Singh Rihal, CEO of Inventive sports and a FIFA Licensed agent, getting into the profession was a result of circumstances. “I embarked on this career path through a somewhat serendipitous journey. While conceptualizing the Asian Football Awards event in 2010, which was later realized in 2012, my frequent interactions with the English FA and prominent figures in the industry spurred me to undertake the original Agents exam. This decision was partly influenced by a particular agent who doubted my ability to pass the exam due to its challenging 14 per cent pass rate at the time. Determined to prove him wrong, I embraced the challenge and ventured into this profession, albeit more due to circumstantial events than a meticulously planned trajectory,” Baljit told DH.

The growth of the Indian Super League served as the right platform for agents to get involved in representing Indian players.

Baljit added on to the positive impact the ISL has had on agents. “The league's (ISL) growth has created new opportunities for players, leading to increased demand for agent services to navigate the evolving landscape. As the ISL has gained prominence, agents have been able to expand their networks, forge partnerships, and contribute to the development of football in India.”

With just 12 clubs in the ISL, the rising number of agents are presented with a unique scenario. "This growing agent population intensifies the competition for player representation and contract negotiations. Moreover, the football structure in India is still in its infancy compared to more established regions like Europe and certain parts of Asia. This can limit the pool of available players for the ISL, making it a challenge for agents to secure opportunities for their clients," said Baljit, who represents both international and Indian clients.

Indian midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad, represented by Baljit's agency, recently completed a big-money transfer from Kerala Blasters to Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Sunil Chhetri signed a contract extension with Bengaluru FC. Anwar Ali and Anirudh Thapa, both represented by Lamba's agency, signed for Mohun Bagan Super Giant as well this summer in substantial deals. 

Prakhar Bhattacharjee of Treble Sports outlines the steps of becoming a football agent in India. “The first step is submitting a complete licence application via the FIFA platform, keeping in mind that you must comply with the eligibility requirements. Then you must successfully pass the exam conducted by FIFA and have to pay an annual fee to FIFA. An agent’s pay scale varies based on different factors such as which league and the number of deals you are doing with clubs.”

Earlier this year, FIFA set an exam that costs $600 and requires a minimum of 75 per cent pass score for all agents not licensed under the 2015 regime. Only 1962 of the 3800 agents who took the test worldwide managed to get the required passing percentage. An agent who took the test, under conditions of anonymity, revealed, “I was one of 12 Indian agents who took the FIFA agents test in April 2023. The exam was basically about FIFA rules and laws, case studies and stuff, maybe it was hard for some people, depending on how much work you have done in real life. Many case studies were from real-life experiences. Those who did not clear will have another attempt in September.”

Another fresh development from FIFA was capping the agents’ earning at maximum 10 per cent of the transfer fee. There was a lot of opposition against FIFA for both this and the new licensing regime. Agents and lawyers under the Professional Football Agents Association umbrella went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) with the intention of keeping things as they were.

But the CAS dismissed the PFAA’s arguments in court. This question brought about a variety of replies from the agents who were approached for a comment. “It should be equal for everyone; it will stop personal demands requests of agents. With this rule now it will be equal and easier to conduct a negotiation process," said Bhattacharjee.

“Personally, I believe that a capping of agents' fees could potentially diminish competition among agents and compromise the level of service that players receive. In my opinion, flexible fee negotiations align better with market realities and incentives agents to provide comprehensive support. I think a more balanced approach that emphasizes transparency would likely yield better results than strict fee caps. It’s early days for this and I can see there being tweaks to the guidelines evolving over the coming years,” was Baljit’s view.

Lamba answered, “These regulations don’t affect Indian agents much, this will help FIFA professionalize things in the longer run.”

An aspiring agent must develop a multitude of skills as part of their repertoire. "(To be a) successful football agent, one should possess excellent negotiation skills to secure favourable contracts for their clients. Additionally, a deep understanding of the football industry, strong networking abilities, and the ability to provide strategic career advice for their clients. For me it all really stems from the ability to network and build relationships," Baljit opines.