Agent fees capped after €500M earnings in summer transfer window

James Shearman

• 6 Jan 2023 14:56 GMT
• 7 min read

FIFA are changing the rules on agent fees next week, limiting how much money can be made from transfers.

Agents were paid around €500 million in 2022, a 24.3% increase compared to 2021.

But that figure is set to decline in 2023, as agents will take a maximum 3% of any transfer above $200,00, according to Reuters.

The decision was made at a FIFA council meeting in Doha, and will be welcomed by clubs around the world.

MORE: Agents earned half a billion in summer transfer window

Another change in the rule book is that agents will be made to make their dealings known, allowing the general public to see how much they are earning.

Furthermore, an exam will be introduced by FIFA for those that would like to become an agent.

"This marks a landmark step towards the establishment of a fairer and more transparent football transfer system," FIFA said in a statement.

"The new regulations introduce basic service standards for football agents and their clients, all with the objective of reinforcing contractual stability, protecting the integrity of the transfer system and achieving greater financial transparency."

Who are the football super agents in 2022?

Jorge Mendes

Notable clients: Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Darwin Nunez, Ederson, Marco Asensio.

Mendes is best known for his work masterminding the incredible career of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has broken records on and off the pitch.

At the start of 2023, though, there are reports that Mendes is splitting with Ronaldo as the super agent was not involved in the veteran's transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. Mendes is said to have advised Ronaldo not to do his infamous interview with Piers Morgan, which prompted the end of his Man Utd career.

Mendes is the man behind the GestiFute football agency has built a huge empire which will ensure he remains a hugely prominent football figure even when the Portugal great hangs up his boots.

There are a number of other big-name Portuguese players in his ranks including Man City stars Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Ederson.

Joao Felix is another top Portuguese client, with the forward's massive move to Atletico Madrid in 2019 remaining one of the world’s biggest transfers at €126 million.

Darwin Nunez, who moved to Liverpool from Benfica, is among a host of South American players who are on the Mendes books, while manager Jose Mourinho has also worked closely with him over the years.

Rafaela Pimenta

Notable clients: Erling Haaland, Paul Pogba, Matthijs De Ligt, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Verratti, Xavi Simons, Ryan Gravenberch, Denzel Dumfries.

Rafaela Pimenta has emerged as one of football’s super agents following the death of Raiola in April 2022.

Raiola's huge personality and massive media presence had helped him to build a massive stable of top players.

And Pimenta has inherited the agency run by the charismatic Italian, who passed away because of illness aged 54.

Pimenta was once described as “the most important person in football that nobody knows” by an unnamed Premier League director - and even now there is only limited public knowledge about the Brazilian's life and background outside of football.

But you cannot doubt the importance of Pimenta, who is a qualified lawyer, in the modern game.

Pimenta's biggest client is Haaland, while representing Paul Pogba has been a huge deal for the company during his high-earning spells with Juventus and Manchester United, with Raiola once having a famous feud with Sir Alex Ferguson.

Xavi Simons is a future star also on the books of Pimenta and he may be one of the next players in the group to be part of a huge transfer.

Federico Pastorello

Notable clients: Romelu Lukaku, Arthur, Stefan de Vrij, Malang Sarr.

Federico Pastorello is another of the top super agents in the game.

The Italian has represented Romelu Lukaku this year amid his controversial departure from Chelsea and return to Inter.

Lukaku was formerly represented by Raiola and despite his on-pitch struggles this season has been a lucrative player for agents to represent over the past decade, with multiple high-value transfers and a spell playing for Manchester United.

Inter defender Stefan de Vrij, who has recently been subject of transfer speculation with his contract at San Siro expiring, is also among his high-profile clients.

Jonathan Barnett

Notable clients: Gareth Bale, Jack Grealish, Eduardo Camavinga, Kalvin Phillips, Ben Chilwell, Ibrahima Konate, Yéremy Pino, Kieran Tierney, Luke Shaw.

Barnett, the co-founder of the ICM Stellar Sports Group, has developed a big reputation due to his long-standing relationship representing Gareth Bale.

He has managed a lucrative career for Bale which saw him swap Tottenham for Real Madrid in a huge transfer and go on to win five Champions League crowns.

Barnett was regularly in the media making Bale’s case as his Madrid career came to a rather unsavoury end, resulting in a brief return to Spurs and a later move to play in MLS.

With Bale nearing the end of his career, Barnett now has a new star client in Manchester City midfielder Jack Grealish.

He helped to negotiate a British transfer record £100m deal that took Grealish away from boyhood club Aston Villa.

Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford are also part of a varied stable of players, with representation across all of the major leagues.

Barnett has worked on contracts with an astonishing $1.4 billion.

Outside of football, Barnett has had involvement in the careers of many other sportsmen including cricket great Brian Lara and former world heavyweight champion boxer Lennox Lewis.

Volker Struth

Notable clients: Toni Kroos, Julian Weigl, Mario Gotze, Timo Werner, Niklas Sule.

Volker Struth has long dominated the transfer market in Germany and it is players from that country who dominate his roster of players.

While his influence outside of Germany is not as strong, the Sports360 supremo has Real Madrid great Toni Kroos as an impressive star client.

World Cup winner Mario Gotze is also represented by the company, while Timo Werner has been a lucrative client over recent seasons, having made a big-money switch to Chelsea before returning to RB Leipzig.

By the end of 2020, Forbes credited Struth with negotiating contracts worth $418.1 million and had described him as the most prominent agent in Germany.