Football agents increase cut

Robin van Persie ... his off-season move from Arsenal to Man United was one of the most talked about. Source: AFP

Agents took a bigger cut from international soccer player transfers in 2012, even as trading in the billion-dollar market fell by $US290 million ($A282 million), according to FIFA research.

Player representatives took $US163 million in fees from clubs, at 28 per cent average commission, as their total take from cross-border transfers rose $US33 million last year.

"2012 witnessed a greater involvement of intermediaries," stated FIFA subsidiary Transfer Matching System (TMS) in an annual survey.

Clubs in 200 countries must use the online platform to detail all their payments when players move between different countries either for a fee, on loan or when out of contract.

English clubs spent the most, with FIFA processing $US59 million in fees to agents in international deals.

Italian clubs paid $US41 million and Russian clubs $US23 million, and agents also banked payments from players who FIFA's system doesn't record.

"Obviously, money going to an intermediary is leaving football," TMS general manager Mark Goddard said in a conference call on Tuesday.

FIFA's insight into agents' earnings from clubs follows after football's governing body revealed it was trying to help teams cut out middle men and deal directly with each other.

An online system called Global Player Exchange is being developed to help clubs share information about players available to sign.

FIFA does not yet monitor transfers between two clubs from the same association, such as Manchester United's reported STG24 million ($A36 million) purchase of Robin van Persie from Arsenal last offseason.

Goddard said TMS, which became mandatory since 2010 to improve transparency in club finances, could expand in future to process domestic transfers.

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