Agents are a massive problem
The role of agents in the transfer window was seen at its worst as the Hammers tried to sign Ibrahim Osman last month. They are a massive problem!
It has often made it next door to impossible to sign players and for our club such are the personal demands and the fees wanted by agents themselves. As a result this is a game I often find it hard to recognise anymore.
The authorities – as pointed out on these pages by Blind Hammer – know how to complicate the simplest of games by introducing such rules as VAR and soon, apparently, sin bins.
Wouldn’t they be better off taking a look at the role of agents and how they can diminish the influence they have over the game at so many levels.
Harry’s quote above sums up the problem perfectly. Agents demand bonuses for goals, appearances, promotion, Euro football and much more when negotiating personal terms.
In the case of Osman there were of course two agents claiming to represent him which was one of the reasons why we found it impossible to do a deal! Make of that what you will.
Much has been said in the past about the involvement of agents and it needs to be added that it is such that many of us started to fall out of love with what was once the beautiful game.
It really is no wonder Harry for example is far mlre into horse racing these days – a club of which I am a member!