The sports agent has become a highly significant figure in contemporary sport business. The role of the agent is essential to our understanding of labour markets and labour relations in an increasingly globalised sports industry. Drawing on extensive empirical research into football around the world, this book explains what agents do, how their role has changed, and why this is important for future sport business.

Offering analysis from economic, legal, social and historical perspectives, the book explores key topics such as:

• the history of sports agents including the emergence of the modern agent in US sport
• typologies and demographic profiles of agents in football
• valuations and organisational analysis of leading European agents and agencies
• relations between agents and clubs
• future directions for research into sports agents.

Focusing on the major European leagues, this book goes further than any other in illuminating an important but under-researched aspect of contemporary sport business. It is a valuable resource for any student, researcher or policy-maker with an interest in sport business, sport management, sport policy, the economics of sport or labour economics.