FIFA has recently revealed that agents’ fees for international transfers in 2023 are nearing $1bn (£800m) following the close of the summer transfer window in major leagues across the world.
The Football Governing body, FIFA, released an ‘International Transfer Snapshot’, collated after the transfer window in all the major European leagues closed.
And on the snapshot, they stated that the overall spending on deals where players switched countries between 1 June and 1 September was $7.36bn (£5.9bn) in the men’s game, up 47.2% from last year.
However, they stated also that there was an increase of $3m (£2.4m) in the women’s game – an increase of 140.8%.
They also stated that the increase in the spending of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), was forecasted given the Saudi Pro-League’s increase drive.
FIFA also revealed that the total amount paid to agents during the recent transfer window was $696.6m (£558.3m), which “corresponds to nearly 10% of the total spending on transfer fees”.
Comparing this to that of 2012, there have been a surprising increase of about 5.8% so far.
The World governing body also added that despite over three months of 2023 still remaining, the “total amount of service fees for club agents since the beginning of the year has already reached $865m (£693.25m).”
“This is the highest total ever recorded and 38.8% higher than the whole of 2022”, the statement concluded.
However, these figures do not in anyway include transfers that took place within a single country, and FIFA revealed that the overall amounts paid to agents is likely to be “substantially higher”.
The body’s new regulation also around agents, which in part, focuses on curbing “excessive fees” come into force on 1 October.
Saudi League Showed Their Might
FIFA also confirmed that a total of 10,125 international transfers happened in men’s game in the 2023 summer transfer window.
It also revealed that in the 2023 summer transfer window, there was a rise of 2.2%, with spending increasing by more than 45%.
That also means that over 75% of the international transfers involved at least one European club.
This only means one thing, the Saudi Pro-League’s presence is being felt in the transfer market.
Clubs in the AFC – Saudi Arabia being a member – reportedly spent $1.03bn (£830m), which is about 14% of the total international transfers.
FIFA also confirmed it is “the first time ever that spending on transfer fees by clubs from any confederation other than Uefa surpassed 10% of the global total”.
Saudi Arabia had the largest spend of any country and this is also aside from the $1.98bn (£1.6bn) spent by English clubs.
The $875.4m (£701.6m) spent by Premier League clubs was a 3,100% rise more than a year earlier, which highlighted the change in strategy around football signings.
FIFA Reckons Growth In Women’s Game
Football governing body has revealed that the women’s game is also translating into increased transfer activity lately.
It was reported that there was a 19.1% increase and about 829 moves happened internationally between June and early September.
The majority of those transfers (84.4%) were mainly out-of-contract players, however, a record $3m (£2.4m) was paid in transfer fees, a 140.8% increase from last year.
FIFA did also confirm that ‘at least one agent’ acted on behalf of a club in 73 of those 829 transfers.
Given the report, the total amount paid to agents involved in women’s transfers was $900,000 (£721,300), more than 30% of the overall expenditure.
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