Post by QPR Report on Jan 17, 2009 1:13:22 GMT
Times
Kaká deal makes it Christmas time for some agents
(Nick Potts/PA)
The offer for Kaka could make certain agents a lot of money
Kaveh Solhekol
Kaká is not the only person who will benefit financially if he completes his proposed transfer from AC Milan to Manchester City before the transfer window closes next month.
Agents are the men who make deals happen and one said that “it’s Christmas again” when he was asked to sum up the mood among his colleagues yesterday.
Football finance is a murky world and it becomes even more impenetrable when two of the richest clubs in the world try to cut a deal for one of the best players in the world.
Depending on who you believe, City are prepared to pay anywhere between £95 million and £107 million for the Brazil forward. They are also said to have offered to pay the 26-year-old £500,000 a week, which would mean that their total investment will be more than £200 million if he signs a four-year deal.
Unconfirmed reports in Italy on Thursday evening suggested that middlemen in the deal could be paid as much as ¤35 million (about £31 million) to convince Kaká to swap Milan for Manchester, although some agents believe that figure is too high.
Agents would normally expect to be paid about 5 per cent of a player’s wages and they frequently expect a lump sum for their work. A 5 per cent commission on wages of £500,000 a week would net an agent £5.2 million over four years. Agents and businessmen who are working on the Kaká deal include Kia Joorabchian, an independent mediator, Ernesto Bronzetti, an Italian agent, Bosco, Kaká’s father, Gaetano Paolillo, the player’s agent, and Diogo Kotscho, his spokesman.
Even if City are left with a bill for the services of all these middlemen, their total outlay may be less than the figures that are being bandied around. “I doubt that they will have to pay anywhere near as much as £30 million to agents,” Jon Smith, the chief executive of First Artist, the football agent and entertainment group, said. “Milan will make the deal happen if they want it to and City will pay the agents what they want to pay. No club can turn down £100 million for one of their players. Every club has to listen at that level.”
Kaká has lucrative sponsorship deals with companies such as Sony, adidas and Armani Jeans in Italy and experts are divided on whether the proposed deal makes sense from a marketing point of view for the player and his brand. On the one hand, moving from one of the most famous clubs in the world to a club who have not won their domestic title for 41 years makes little sense, but the Premier League has a much higher profile in the world than Serie A and Kaká’s squeaky-clean image will be broadcast to more than a billion people if he decides to move to England.
“Moving clubs should not have an impact on the agreements he has with the brands he represents,” Henry Chappell, chief executive of Pitch PR, said. “In theory, moving from one of the top-five clubs in the world to a club that is not even in the top five in the UK might not appeal, but on the plus side we are talking about the potential of him going down as the world’s first £100 million player. That will be a watershed and will mark him out as a man who has made history. He will move up to a different level if this deal does happen.”
While Kaká’s arrival in England would be welcomed by agents and sponsors, his impact on Manchester’s other club is more difficult to gauge. If City do sign Kaká for anywhere near £100 million, United could demand at least as much if Cristiano Ronaldo decides to leave Old Trafford in the summer.
However, if the Portugal winger stays, he can demand to be paid as much as Kaká, especially because he beat the Brazilian to become the Fifa World Player of the Year this week. “As far as agents are concerned,” Smith said. “It’s Christmas time again.”
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article5533435.ece
Kaká deal makes it Christmas time for some agents
(Nick Potts/PA)
The offer for Kaka could make certain agents a lot of money
Kaveh Solhekol
Kaká is not the only person who will benefit financially if he completes his proposed transfer from AC Milan to Manchester City before the transfer window closes next month.
Agents are the men who make deals happen and one said that “it’s Christmas again” when he was asked to sum up the mood among his colleagues yesterday.
Football finance is a murky world and it becomes even more impenetrable when two of the richest clubs in the world try to cut a deal for one of the best players in the world.
Depending on who you believe, City are prepared to pay anywhere between £95 million and £107 million for the Brazil forward. They are also said to have offered to pay the 26-year-old £500,000 a week, which would mean that their total investment will be more than £200 million if he signs a four-year deal.
Unconfirmed reports in Italy on Thursday evening suggested that middlemen in the deal could be paid as much as ¤35 million (about £31 million) to convince Kaká to swap Milan for Manchester, although some agents believe that figure is too high.
Agents would normally expect to be paid about 5 per cent of a player’s wages and they frequently expect a lump sum for their work. A 5 per cent commission on wages of £500,000 a week would net an agent £5.2 million over four years. Agents and businessmen who are working on the Kaká deal include Kia Joorabchian, an independent mediator, Ernesto Bronzetti, an Italian agent, Bosco, Kaká’s father, Gaetano Paolillo, the player’s agent, and Diogo Kotscho, his spokesman.
Even if City are left with a bill for the services of all these middlemen, their total outlay may be less than the figures that are being bandied around. “I doubt that they will have to pay anywhere near as much as £30 million to agents,” Jon Smith, the chief executive of First Artist, the football agent and entertainment group, said. “Milan will make the deal happen if they want it to and City will pay the agents what they want to pay. No club can turn down £100 million for one of their players. Every club has to listen at that level.”
Kaká has lucrative sponsorship deals with companies such as Sony, adidas and Armani Jeans in Italy and experts are divided on whether the proposed deal makes sense from a marketing point of view for the player and his brand. On the one hand, moving from one of the most famous clubs in the world to a club who have not won their domestic title for 41 years makes little sense, but the Premier League has a much higher profile in the world than Serie A and Kaká’s squeaky-clean image will be broadcast to more than a billion people if he decides to move to England.
“Moving clubs should not have an impact on the agreements he has with the brands he represents,” Henry Chappell, chief executive of Pitch PR, said. “In theory, moving from one of the top-five clubs in the world to a club that is not even in the top five in the UK might not appeal, but on the plus side we are talking about the potential of him going down as the world’s first £100 million player. That will be a watershed and will mark him out as a man who has made history. He will move up to a different level if this deal does happen.”
While Kaká’s arrival in England would be welcomed by agents and sponsors, his impact on Manchester’s other club is more difficult to gauge. If City do sign Kaká for anywhere near £100 million, United could demand at least as much if Cristiano Ronaldo decides to leave Old Trafford in the summer.
However, if the Portugal winger stays, he can demand to be paid as much as Kaká, especially because he beat the Brazilian to become the Fifa World Player of the Year this week. “As far as agents are concerned,” Smith said. “It’s Christmas time again.”
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article5533435.ece