The biggest agents in football
It wouldnt be a stretch to say agents are footballs new rock stars. With the staggering sums of money being invested in their clients and the amounts the agents are then due, they wouldnt miss the odd car driven into a swimming pool.
Agents have more negotiating muscle than ever before, so here we rank the most powerful football agents in the game today.
7. Volker Struth
If Otin is your go to guy in Spain then Struth is your man in Germany, he’s top man in German football with clients including Toni Kroos of Real Madrid, Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund, and Julian Weigl.
Struth runs SportsTotal and Forbes estimates he has handled contracts worth over 400 million, including the huge 2014 transfer of Kroos from Munich to Madrid.
6. Jose Otin
Many agents like to specialise in certain leagues or countries. Pere €“ Uk and Premier League but in the Spanish leagues, Otin is king. His agency Bahia Internacional represents the likes of Asier Illaramendi, Fernando Torres, Nacho Monreal, Javi Martinez, Pedro, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dani Ceballos, Vitolo, and many others.
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Otin has been a player and pundit so commands a lot of respect in his homeland and has handled contracts worth over 200m
5. Jonathan Barnett (Stellar Group)
Jonathan Barnett speaks his mind. Hes powerful and knows it. He told the Guardian: €œWere the largest football agency €“ Jorge Mendes is probably the only person close to us. I keep reminding him of that Bale deal. Im sure hes looking for some way to break it.€
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€œThat Bale deal€ was a world record transfer fee of ‚¬100 million, negotiated by Barnett, for Gareth Bale to join Real Madrid. It has since been broken €“ by Mino Raiola and Paul Pogba.
4. Pere Guardiola & Jaume Roures (Media Base Sports)
Pere Guardiola handles affairs for his older brother, Pep, and spends the rest of his time looking after players like Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta.
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Pere owns 55 per cent of Media Base Sports, with agent Jaume Roures responsible for the other 45. And while Pep, Suarez, and Iniesta are the biggest names on their roster, the company also scouts and represents many academy players at some of the worlds biggest clubs.
3. Mondial Sport Management
There are few agencies as good as Mondial at finding lucrative moves for their clients. From the unexpected (Pato to Chelsea) to the underserved (Sissoko to Tottenham), their transfer deals are incredible.
Mondial doesnt just shill mercenaries, however. Several of their players, Leicesters Riyad Mahrez and Tottenhams Hugo Lloris among them, have stayed loyal to a club in spite of interest from bigger ones.
2. Mino Raiola
Ex-pizzaman Raiola always gets his slice. The sum he pocketed for masterminding Paul Pogbas record-breaking transfer is eye-boggling, estimated to be around £40 million.
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But lets not kid ourselves that Raiola got lucky. That couldnt be further from the truth. The 49-year-old is an extremely skilled negotiator and one of the most powerful and feared men in football these days.
1. Jorge Mendes (Gestifute)
Mendes power almost knows no bounds. In England, his introduction of Jose Mourinho changed everything. And with Mourinho came more Mendes clients to Chelsea: Deco, Tiago, Hilario, Ricardo Carvalho, Ricardo Quaresma, Paulo Ferreira €“ and, more recently, Diego Costa and Radamel Falcao.
Mendes was the games first super-agent and his notorious reputation looks like it will keep him as the atop the list of the most powerful football agents.
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