Exclusive – Wouldn’t football transfers be so much easier if they were more like a computer game? You know, upload list a player, let potential buyers see and expect contact right away.
In fact, it has never worked that way, if you’re wondering.
However, the future is here. And the world’s top clubs today use an online marketplace called TransferRoom.
TransferRoom is a revolutionary system that enables clubs to shop. In some ways like an eBay or an Amazon, but perhaps more precisely resembles Facebook’s marketplace.
Just below this window, many Premier League clubs, Liverpool and Arsenal among them, have used the platform to complete deals. And 90min spoke exclusively with TransferRoom Jonas Ankersen, who was behind the idea. But how did he come up with it?
“I just saw that many football clubs ended up in financial problems, especially at home in Denmark,” says Ankersen. “And when I investigated the reasons for this, the transfer market was an important factor.
“A major problem with the transfer market was – and still can be – the lack of access to reliable and up-to-date information on which player clubs want to buy and sell. It seemed bizarre to me that other industries such as real estate had used the power of the internet to make their market more transparent and user-friendly, but football had not done that.
“TransferRoom is there to give everyone involved in the market access to the information they need and the authority to act on it by communicating directly with each other.”
Andersen explains that the benefits are enormous for everyone involved in a possible deal – not just a club.
“Joining TransferRoom gives clubs access to a global network of more than 500 other clubs from 78 leagues in 44 countries – and now to agents at all levels of the game in the four corners of the world.
Decision makers have access to reliable real-time information about the market and can share that information and negotiate directly with each other at the touch of a button. The platform has gained such a critical mass that it is now an important, everyday tool and it is a real disadvantage not to be with. “
The current situation with the Coronavirus pandemic has seen many deals made online, via Microsoft Teams, Zoom or any other digital service. And of course this played into the hands of TransferRoom.
“TransferRoom was already the digital marketplace in football before the pandemic struck. But there has undoubtedly been an increase in new or improved subscriptions and use of the platform over the past 18 months,” Ankersen confirmed.
“I think the Covid -19 crisis has brought home existing users how effective it is to save time and money – especially at a time when there is increased financial pressure on everyone in football and travel is difficult or impossible.
Clubs that were not already members realized that TransferRoom gave them the chance to work effectively in a time of global upheaval and then discovered how useful it can be as part of their standard recruitment policy.
“Before the pandemic, our Deal Day and Summit events were really popular; especially the speed-dating-style, face-to-face meetings that club decision makers could have. But since Covid-19 struck and we took the events online, the busyness has actually increased.
“I think TransferRoom has played a key role in keeping the transfer market moving over the last 18 months and has become a common, everyday tool for clubs around the world. Without the platform, some business would simply not have been done.”
Exciting times on TransferRoom when the platform opens up for agents. Founder and CEO Jonas Ankersen explains why here: https: //t.co/gk5HQ06nTI pic.twitter.com/KqUkc6BK0e
– TransferRoom (@transferroom) July 19, 2021
Ankersen is also quick to dismiss any concerns that TransferRoom is in any way trying to replace agents, confirming that they are part of the system and pointing out that many leading agencies are involved in the platform.
“Agents are very welcome and some of the world’s leading agencies were among the first to apply for Trusted Agent status when we launched it this summer,” he explained.
“TransferRoom never decided to eliminate agents or complicate their lives. They are an essential part of the market. But it is true that when we did market research before the launch of the platform in 2017, there was a lot of frustration among the clubs about the agent landscape. many middlemen and so many competing claims about who represented which player and which players were available, that the clubs did not know what to believe.
“One big reason why so many clubs signed up so quickly was that decision makers could share information directly with each other about the players they wanted to recruit and the players they wanted to sell or borrow. There was no longer a need to trust rumors, rumors or people who run their own agenda.
“But it was always our intention to find a way to include agents in our global network. Instead of ignoring the challenges, we decided to confront them and try to find a way for clubs and agencies to work better and more openly.
“Agents can now register players they represent, subject to confirmation from their clients and our own checks. When clubs share information about players they are looking for, all agents with a client who matches the profile receive an alert and can then throw their players to Under the current window, an agency set up a player within 15 minutes of the announcement and the contact resulted in a deal.
“It is often forgotten that 75 percent of transfers involve players who are without a contract or available for free. Under these circumstances, the former club often has little time or desire to find a new employer for the player. The financial pressure caused by the pandemic means more clubs looking for free agent deals and TransferRoom helps agents and players find the right opportunities.
Famous Five: How @OfficialBHAFC sealed a handful of deals using TransferRoom https://t.co/3UuwIbN6JY #BHAFC
– TransferRoom (@transferroom) August 6, 2021
“Base and Sport360 are two of the big companies that have joined, but we welcome agents at all levels to our platform. For clubs, Agency Feature is an opt-in: if they do not want to work with agents on TransferRoom, then they do not have to, But about 90 percent of our member clubs have signed up, which suggests bringing agents to the platform is a welcome development. “
As with all advanced digital platforms, progress is crucial and TransferRoom is no different.
“We are constantly looking for ways to improve the platform by developing new features such as Trusted Agent or improving what we are already doing. We are currently expanding our editorial content to provide deeper insights and keep our members informed about developments in the industry.
“We want TransferRoom to be as important to those working in the transfer market as Bloomberg is to financial traders – and we believe we have already made great strides in achieving that. I go back to where it all began: getting the right transfer policy is “As long as it remains true, TransferRoom will be there to help clubs, agents and players find the right opportunities at the right time.”
