07 Apr 2023 15:13:20
Not to belabour a subject that's already been discussed or point fingers at those responsible, but I just read a report that the club has spent 198 million on agents fees on purchases of 668 million, since 2015. That's staggering and mind boggling. An average 30% commission on top of the purchase price - the highest of any other team even when they've spent far more than us.

I remember Ed002 saying several times (in the past) that agents fees were very high at the club and that Edwards and Ward were primarily "negotiators" when people used the words "DOF". It's clearly apparent that they haven't been competent "negotiators" either. And someone has to have a look at the guy signing those commissions checks, too.

No wonder the club has difficulties with purchases because terms and conditions have not been addressed properly. I mean only governments everywhere "steal" (30%) that much from you, it's beyond me how you can allow a commission agent to get away with the same. Fiscal mismanagement. ?.

{Ed001's Note - I have been telling you that for years, Edwards and Ward were not good at their job at all. No idea why they got such a good rep.}

1.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 16:45:32
You make a brilliant point however in the early days we had absolutely no chance of getting the top end players without massively overpaying to agents / players / companies. We were languishing in mid table for years and only money would have fixed it.
But then again you are right, our people above are utterly incompetent as well.

2.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 17:06:58
OP, check out the agent fees on VVD's transfer alone. 13m or something like that, I read Ed02 say a couple of years back. Absolute madness and people are moaning about how the club don't spend. Would you spend money that way with the type of agent fees we were being fleeced with at 30% a clip? As Ed01 said, Edwards and Ward were terrible at their jobs and contributed to the state the club is in now on and off the pitch.

Hopefully, we get better people to replace them cos that type of stuff is unsustainable. Not sure what they were good at if it just meant just paying whatever the cost/ agent's feeswas or were.

3.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 17:22:20
Surely FSG would have been aware of each and every payment (hopefully prior) of every single deal that was being agreed in principle. I can’t imagine Edwards and Ward being told to spend what they want and FSG will pick up the tab once the bill comes through.

4.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 18:02:45
You raise a good point JK, it would be interesting to hear how much input/ oversight FSG have in the day to day. Personally, I would feel someone in that position has been hired to solely to manage those types of things and wouldn't really be expected to run it past FSG. They'd likely have budgets etc to work within and be expected to manage that themselves, otherwise what would be the point of hiring senior executives such as those.

5.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 18:09:16
Exactly JK. That's why I wrote somebody needs to have a look at the guy signing the checks (presumably senior to Edwards and Ward) .

6.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 18:39:25
Stuie, Mike Gordon, the senior most person at LFC, is also a shareholder of FSG (the fourth largest) and obviously, a board member. I always assumed he was the last and most important person to sign off on important issues on this side of the pond, before things got transmitted across to Werner and Henry, on the other side. So basically there's an FSG shareholder sitting in the Liverpool offices, on a daily basis.

7.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 19:04:07
ArAy. Did the report compare with any other top PL clubs and has it improved in recent seasons? Cheers.

8.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 18:01:09
Ed, the only reason Ward was so highly praised is because of the gift Barcelona gave us when they overspent for Coutinho. Without that sale, we would not have VVD or Becker.

9.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 18:30:33
Ed001, Edwards made his name selling some of the bench-warmers and loanees for greater amounts than most expected. And then the Coutinho sale came along and the VVD purchase. So he became a "folklore hero" with the fans. You really can't blame the fans, especially with the limited access to inside info as to what is happening, in reality.

And now that you look back, you realize Coutinho and Neymar had more to do in that sale than Edwards probably did. Those finance dunces at Barcelona would have paid anything being asked for. And as for VVD, we simply stumped up their full asking price.

Oh well. Hindsight is always 20/ 20.?.

10.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 20:14:19
ArAy1969 I see what you are saying and according to Ed01, FSG do not interfere with such things (and thank heavens for that) cos they pay people like Michael Gordon (COO of the club, I think) and prolly at the time Peter Moores and now Billy Hogan and other people that have a say over such matters.

I know Edwards and Ward don't write the checks BUT they too have a responsibility to step in and do their part to curb such a trend. Whether they did that or not, I don't know of course. Just saying.

11.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 20:53:48
Irish, the report said we spent 168 in fees for 668 million in purchases. ManCity spent 225 million on 1.1 billion in purchases (20% agents' fees) . ManU spent 179 million on purchases of 1.03 billion (17% agents fees) . Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal had lower percentages than this. The rest of the list is similar with lower percentages being paid by the other teams. And all that since the 2015 season, so it's difficult to see a trend, since the data is aggregated.

Interestingly, ManCity will have a record year in agents fees paid this year with 52 million (just this 2022-2023 season) . The bulk of which, undoubtedly, to Haaland's agent, I bet. His transfer fee of only 51 million doesn't sound right.

FIFA announced new rules December 2022,whereby agents commissions will be a maximum of 10% on sales and 3% on wages. Better to wake up late, than never, I guess.

12.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 21:11:24
I meant Edwards, sorry.

13.) 07 Apr 2023
07 Apr 2023 22:39:51
Hi ArAy, that's interesting, I wasn't aware of that. Of course, at the end of the day, there will always be someone reporting up to FSG, probably once or twice a year through an AGM or similar, who knows, but I would imagine they'd be letting LFC self run with minimal input. Will be interesting to see what happens when the new DoF is installed.

14.) 08 Apr 2023
08 Apr 2023 06:21:36
ed2 - can you help us understand why we've ended up paying highest agent fees? is it negotiating skills or other factors?

{Ed002's Note - Liverpool have for years paid the highest fees - in some cases it was compensation for tapping up (like VvD) and in others it was for work done by agents on behalf of the club. They may have also included some of the slush fund payments in the figures. For this season other clubs will have paid more, and in terms of Chelsea way more.}

15.) 08 Apr 2023
08 Apr 2023 08:58:00
Aray and Stuie I agree gents. I’m not saying FSG are doing the deals day to day but we’ve been overpaying agents for years over numerous deals by the sounds, so it’s not like a one off where they would have no knowledge.

Someone said we paid 13 mill for vvd’s agent which was years ago so if we are continuing to do it then they must be content.

16.) 08 Apr 2023
08 Apr 2023 10:56:51
We don’t do it anymore - we have stopped buying players.

17.) 08 Apr 2023
08 Apr 2023 12:59:53
???. Behave yourself, WDW.