Football agents are very important to football. This is because they play an important role in the beautiful game.
Football agents spot footballing talents among the youths, and establish a connection between the player and the teams.
They are also the ones who are authorized by FIFA to act as middlemen in the transfer of players and in negotiating a player’s contract.
This article will help you find out the top 10 football agents in the world.
Without doubt football will not be complete with this sporting middlemen.
They are so many top football agents in world today, many of them manage the careers of the biggest football players.
Some have also discovered football talents. Football agents earn a certain percentage of money from player transfers, hence they very rich too.
Today we’ll look at the top 10 most powerful, influential football agents in the world.
TOP 10 FOOTBALL AGENTS IN THE WORLD 2023
Here are some of the top football agents and football agencies in the world. This list doesn’t include the late Mino Raiola who represented players such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Paul Pogba and Erling Haaland.
10. PINHAS ZAHAVI
The first on our list of the 10 football agents in 2023, is none other than Pinhas Zahavi, a top Israeli football agent.
Zahavi is known for his ties with Chelsea football club.
He was the agents responsible for the sale of Chelsea to current owner Roman Abramovich in 2003 and the sale of Portsmouth to Alexandre Gaydamak in 2006.
Zahavi was also the agent who was in charge of (at the time) record-breaking transfer of Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United to Manchester United for £30 million.
He also played a role in Neymar’s move to PSG.
Players Pinhas Zahavi manages include: Christopher Nkunku, Robert Lewandoski, Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg, Yannick Carrasco, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Alex Telles, Sean Longstaff, Vincent Aboubakar, Daniel Amartey, and Colin Dagba.
9. WASSERMAN
Wasserman Media Group is a sports marketing and talent management company owned by Casey Wasserman.
The Los Angeles-based manages some of the most talented football stars all over the world.
In 2006, the company acquired soccer agency SFX, in the UK, and through that acquisition, Wasserman came to represent many top English players.
Some players managed by Wasserman include: Federico Valverde, Aymeric Laporte, Giovanni Reyna, Tyrone Mings, Raphaël Guerreiro, Curtis Jones, Harvey Barnes, Nathan Aké, Leander Dendoncker, John Stones, Weston McKennie, Joe Gomez, Yerry Mina, Noa Lang, Ismaïla Sarr, Andre Gomes, Ross Barkley, Clément Lenglet, and Alejandro Grimaldo.
Coaches managed by Wasserman: Ronald Koeman, Steven Gerrard, Eddie Howe, and Oscar Garcia
8. GIULIANO BERTOLUCCI
Giuliano Bertolucci is the agent who manages many Brazilian players, he has brokered the deals involving so Brazilian football players.
He was responsible for the signing of most the Brazilian players who signed for Chelsea football club, including Lucas Piazon, Ramires, Oscar, Willian, Nathan, David Luiz (twice).
He is associated with a company called Euro Export Assessoria e Propaganda Ltd.
He usually works with Kiab Joorabchian.
Players Bertolucci manages include: Diego Carlos, Marquinhos, David Luiz, Oscar, Willian, Matheus Cunha, Bruno Guimarães, David Neres, Kaio Jorge, Neto, Paulinho, Éverton, and Roger Ibañez.
7. JOSE OTIN (BAHIA INTERNATIONAL)
Jose Otin is the founder and president of Spanish football agency, Bahia international.
Jose Otin is responsible for the transfers of many Spanish players to the Premier League.
Top footballers from Spain are represented by Bahia International.
Players managed by Jose Otin include: Pedro, Javi Martinez, Jesus Navas, Mikel Merino, Asier Illarramendi, Vitolo, Gonzalo Melero, Rodri Sánchez, Ander Guevara, and Raúl García
6. PERE GUARDIOLA
Pere Guardiola is a brother to Manchester City’s head coach Pep Guardiola.
He is a co-owner of Media Base Sports Agency. In 2017, it was reported that Pere Guardiola had purchased part ownership of Spanish Club F.C Girona, along with Manchester City.
Pere Guardiola is distinguished as one of the best football agents in the world.
He brokered the transfer of Luis Suarez to Barcelona. He also manages his brother’s coaching career.
Players managed by Pere Guardiola include: Nico González, William Carvalho, Domingos Duarte, Sergio Akieme, Rubén Blanco, and Yuri Berchiche.
5. VOLKER STRUTH (SPORTSTOTAL)
Volker Struth is a top German soccer agent associating with Sportstotal football agency.
He is a respected football agent, and earn his place on our list of top football agents in the world.
Struth is widely known to manage the careers of many top Bundesliga soccer stars
Players managed by Volker Struth Include: Dayot Upamecano, Niklas Süle, Timo Werner, Toni Kroos, Amadou Haidara, Mohamed Camara, Julian Weigl, Wout Weghorst, Mario Götze, and Kevin Trapp.
4. UNIQUE SPORTS GROUP
Unique Sports Group International is a top sports agency run by agents Marlon Fleischman, Will Salthouse and Barry Whelan, who manage some of the biggest football stars in England.
In 2021, UK agency Unique Sports Management merged with Germany’s International Sports Management to form Unique Sports Group.
The agency is one of the world’s top five football agencies with a combined client market value of more than £670 million. The agency will have more than 300 players on its books.
Players managed by Unique Sports Group: Reece James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Hakan Calhanoglu, Callum Wilson, Ryan Sessegnon, Matthias Ginter, Kevin Volland, Che Adams, Michail Antonio, and Jeffrey Schlupp.
3. RAFAELA PIMENTA
The only woman on our list of the best football agents in the world is also a very powerful and influential one.
Rafaela Pimenta is a Brazilian football agent who worked with Mino Raiola for 18 years.
Following his death in April 2022, Pimenta took on the responsibility of managing his clientele.
Although she is not popular, she has risen to become one of the important figures in football.
Some players managed by Rafaela Pimenta include: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mario Balotelli, Romelu Lukaku, Xavi Simons, Erling Haaland, Matthijs de Ligt, Marco Verrati, Jesse Lingard, Blaise Matuidi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Moise Kean, and Donyell Malen.
2. JONATHAN BARNETT (STELLAR GROUP)
Jonathan Barnett is an Englishman and a top soccer agent who has managed the careers of most of England’s biggest football names.
He is known for speaking his mind and for negotiating top deals and record-breaking transfers. Barnett was responsible for the move that saw Gareth Bale join Real Madrid.
He is associated with Stellar group. He is said to be the richest association football agent by contracts in the world, with a reported $1.4 billion in deals.
Some players managed by Jonathan Barnett include: Gareth Bale, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Adam Lallana, Danny Drinkwater, Kelechi Iheanacho, Luke Shaw, Joe Hart, Saul Niguez, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jordan Pickford, Wojciech Szczesny, Jonjo Shelvey, Kieran Tierney, Jeremy Doku, Ben Chilwell, Patrick Bamford, Ibrahim Konaté, Jack Grealish, Eduardo Camavinga, Houssem Aouar, Yéremy Pino, Unai Simón, James Ward-Prowse.
1. JORGE MENDES (GESTIFUTE)
Who else would you think would top the list? Jorge Mendes, Of course is the top most powerful football agent in football right now.
He manages a lot of the biggest football players and coaches.
His net worth is said to be over 1 billion US Dollars.
Mendes has overseen most the most expensive transfers in the premier league.
He manages coach Jose Mourinho, who is also this fellow countryman. Mendes is the soccer agent for many of Portugal’s top soccer stars too.
Players managed by Jorge Mendes include: Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Costa, Bernado Silva, Emerson, Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Nélson Semedo, Nicolás Otamendi, James Rodriguez, Ruben Neves, Daniel Podence, Rui Patricio, Pedro Neto, Ederson, Ruben Dias, Diogo Jota, Fabinho, Anwar El Ghazi, Diogo Jota, João Cancelo, Rafael Leão, Renato Sanches, Francisco Trincão, Adama Traoré, Rafa Mir, Ricardo Pereira and Renato Sanches.
Coaches managed by Jorge Mendes: Nuno Espirito Santo, Gennaro Gattuso, Bruno Lage, Sérgio Conceição, Aitor Karanka, and Jose Mourinho.
Thanks for reading. I’m pretty sure that now you know the top football agents in 2021. Please share this to all your friends, they would like to read this too!
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