Mino Raiola received a reported £41M in fees for facilitating Paul Pogba's transfer to ManU.GETTY IMAGES
The Premier League’s top footballers "could soon be forced to pay their own agents -- rather than rely on their clubs to pay them" -- in what are set to be the "most radical changes to the way football agents work in England," according to SKY SPORTS. League execs will meet on Thursday to "consider changing the onus of responsibility for payment from clubs to players." While the move "is likely to prompt demands for higher player wages," the clubs believe the move will curb the spiraling fees that some representatives are demanding. Last year, football intermediaries earned more than £220M in fees paid by clubs in England and Wales. If the changes are adopted, deals like Paul Pogba's move from Juventus to ManU -- for which "super agent" Mino Raiola pocketed a reported £41M in fees from both clubs -- would involve Pogba paying his agent, rather than the clubs. A Premier League working group "has consulted a number of top employment lawyers in the hope their plans will survive the expected legal challenges they will face" when reducing an intermediary's earning potential. Thursday's meeting will decide whether to adopt the series of "radical proposals" or to work alongside FIFA, which is also considering changes to the present system (SKY SPORTS, 9/12).
