Flashback a year ago and you will see this is now becoming a trend. The highest transfer last mid-season window was 10 million pounds for Chris Smailing, a prospect for the future who went from Fulham to Manchester United. January 2009 was littered with high priced deals, including the transfer of Kolo Toure, Gareth Barry and Roque Santa Cruz to Manchester City.

So the question begs to be asked- Why the dip in spending?

Firstly, the Premier League has introduced rules involving the size of a team’s first team squad and the minimum amount of local players. Therefore, if a team is picking up a player, it has to make room by kicking a player out.

Secondly, as wage demands increase, clubs are finding it a lot more economic to loan a player for 6 months instead of purchasing. They may pay a portion or all of a players wages, and in cases not involving development players it acts as a ‘try before you buy’ deal.

So what is it that people should expect from this window?

Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal look to appear to pass this time round, choosing to stick with their current squad to push for the title.

Manchester City will continue their exuberant spending in order to push forward, with rumors circulating of acquiring Edin Dezko, Gareth Bale and Alexandre Pato. With what appears to be an open checkbook, they may get their wishes, though they may want to clear some of their wage bill before doing so.

Tottenham Hotspur is looking to move Robbie Keane and David Bentley, with the former attracting possible interest from the recent MLS expansion team the Vancouver Whitecaps. Manager Harry Redknapp is also trying to get David Beckham on a loan deal, and has stated he will only buy if a ‘special’ player comes along.

As most football contracts end mid year, it also gives clubs an opportunity to ‘cash in’ on a player who has 6 months left on his contract, instead of losing him for free.

So as per usual, fans will watch in anticipation, hoping that transfer they heard along the grapevine is true, only to have their hopes dashed. Barring a spending spree from Manchester City, look for this January to remain pretty silent.

Looks Like A Quiet Transfer Window… from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The World Cup can be a great platform for players who are looking to switch clubs, and with many of the group matches having already been completed, I have chosen a few standouts who may be targeted by bigger clubs. Some players were previously linked to moves, while others might see their clubs financial resolute tested. Look out for these players to be heavily talked about after the tournament.

Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
Position: Striker
Current Club: Athletico Madrid (Spain)

Diego’s highlight of the World Cup so far was his outstanding performance and two goals against South Africa. Coming off a respectable season at Athletico Madrid, Diego has been linked to a host of English Premier League clubs including Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. Rumored to be valued at £20 million, Forlan’s value will surely increase if he keeps this form up.

Shane Smeltz (New Zealand)
Position: Striker
Current Club: Gold Coast United (Australia)

Shane scored that famous goal that put his country in front against Italy, in which NZ managed to hold onto the draw. Being the surprise packets of the tournament has been in no part due to the strong work ethic from this front man. Shane tore apart the A League in his inaugural season for the Gold Coast and had been linked to a move to Asia or Europe throughout the season. After this performance on the world stage, many more clubs will sit up and take notice.

Luís Fabiano (Brazil)
Position: Striker
Current Club: Sevilla FC (Spain)

Luís Fabiano has always been a reliable forward for his club, with a strike rate around 1 goal for every 3 games. However, it’s on the international stage where he really lights up. Luís scored twice in Brazil’s 3-1 win over Ivory Coast. This has sent many of the larger European clubs such as AC Milan and Tottenham circling for his signature. Despite only having a year left on his contract, it is believed he could attract somewhere in the range of £20 million.

Siphiwe Tshabalala (South Africa)
Position: Midfielder
Current Club: Kaizer Chiefs

Siphiwe was the fortunate player to score the opening goal of the World Cup, and what an amazing goal it was. Currently plying his trade in the local league, Siphiwe was previously linked to clubs in Turkey and France. However after this performance, he’ll sure have many other clubs knocking on his Agent’s door.

Landon Donovan (USA)
Position: Striker
Current Club: LA Galaxy

In my opinion, Landon Donovan has always been a player that hasn’t reached the level he should. After an unsuccessful stint in Germany where he received limited playing time, Landon returned home and set the MLS alight with his goal scoring abilities. This led to a loan to English Premier League side Everton in which he proved he could match it at this level. Despite rumored interest from high profile overseas clubs, Landon signed a four year extension with the LA Galaxy. After fine performances this World Cup, he might just reconsider his options.

Stay tuned for another update during the tournament.

World Cup Update: Players in focus from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

From January 1st to January 31st, Soccer Agents and Managers work ferociously around the clock to complete deals which may see players sign that lucrative multi-year contract with a massive club or go searching the lower leagues for some first team action. Either way, the window (as a hopeful future soccer agent) is an exciting time.

In the past years, it has been Chelsea who has been spending big, but this year a new player has emerged- Manchester City. Recently bought out by the Abu Dahbi United group, City are flush, and are looking to add the best players in the world to their lineup to ensure they bring a title to the other team in Manchester. Having already brought in superstar Brazilian Robinho from Real Madrid for over 30 million pounds, they have targeted an assortment of players, even offering to buy Spanish keeper Iker Casillas for 150 million euros, which is the buyout clause in his contract. Casillas himself would have earned 13 million euros a year.

So the question is, who will be at City come the start of Feb? Players such as English based Jermaine Defoe and Craig Bellamy have reportedly been on the shopping list, not to mention the idea of bringing in more superstars from overseas.

If like me, you hope to one day be representing soccer athletes, then I suggest you check out the FIFA website. It has all the information needed in regards to getting certified.

A great read is How to Succeed as a Sports Agent – Mel Stein, which I have reviewed previously on this site. Having been successful in this area, Mel does a great job breaking down the areas in which you would encounter when representing athletes.

I also suggest reading the articles of this site’s regular contributor Max Eppel, who operates his own agency out of California. Whilst all of his articles are a great read, in this particular instance, I suggest ‘The Life Of A Soccer Agent During The Transfer Window‘. A search for his name will find all the articles he has written.

Finally, if you want to keep up all the happenings, I suggest the following sites for all the news: Soccernet and Football365.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules