2
The way of doing transfer business has changed dramatically over the years.
Stories of managers doing the deals themselves are long gone and blockbuster, season-defining transfers like that of Eric Cantona from Leeds to Manchester United no longer happen just by chance. In that case, it was due to Sir Alex Ferguson receiving a call “from Leeds chairman Bill Fotherby, who called him to enquire about Dennis Irwin, but after any notion of a move was rejected, Cantona was mentioned”.
The modern football transfer window has become almost as big a business as what happens on the pitch.
Journalists such as Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein have become staples for anyone who is interested in what is going to happen in the whacky world of football transfers.
Resultingly, the way clubs go about transfer business is incredibly different and much more interconnected than the past.
As an example, The Daily Mail has highlighted the Transfer Room Virtual Deal Day that happened yesterday.
It is described as “where football’s version of speed dating brings together representatives of up to 500 clubs across the globe to try and sell their wares. The likes of Manchester United, Southampton, Roma, Montpellier and PSV Eindhoven are expected to be among those represented as they tap into an online Zoom for around six hours from 12.30pm to share who they have available and what positions they are looking for”.
An example of how this process can apply in the real world is when “the Transfer Room process has been cited as key to Southampton signing Carlos Alcaraz from Racing Club in Argentina for £12m last year”.
According to transferroom.com, the goal of the organisation is to “empower football clubs, agents and players to be successful in the transfer market by giving them real-time market intelligence and direct access to a global network of decision makers”.
They claim to be trusted by over 700 clubs worldwide and offer clubs a plethora of necessary benefits to be successful in the transfer market.
Real-time access, global network and market intelligence are all opportunities to be unlocked by using the company.
Transferroom claims to support clubs throughout the transfer process by pre-scouting, identifying needs, sharing requirements, identifying potential players, negotiating terms and finalising deals.
It seems unlikely a club the size of United would give so much power to an organisation such as this but it is interesting that the Mancunian side are trying to take a different approach.
The post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at the club has been littered with poor transfer decisions and overspending is the norm. It is certainly something new part owners, INEOS, will be aiming to change.
This website aggregates and curates news articles, blog posts, and other content from a variety of external sources. While we aim to link back to the original source, this site does not own or claim ownership of any articles, posts, or other content indexed on this site. The views, opinions, and factual statements expressed in each piece of aggregated content belong solely to its respective author and publisher. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of aggregated content. Visitors are advised to verify facts and claims through the original source before reuse or redistribution.
