What's the football transfer market like during the COVID-19 pandemic according to Nikolay Zheynov

Making a successful transfer in football is not as easy as it seems. There are many things that clubs and players need to consider, which is why they use the services of the so-called football agents. These people take care of all the work and allow both the club and the player to go through this process as smoothly as possible.

One of Bulgaria’s most notable football agents is called Nikolay Zheynov. He played an essential role in many transfers over the years, which is why there was a recent interview with him, where some of the questions were related to the transfer market during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Another thing that Nikolay Zheynov said for Silentbet is that Bulgarian football needs a total restart, which is not a surprise, considering their recent results. However, we won’t go into further details about this topic.

The transfer window

According to Nikolay Zheynov, COVID-19 had a negative impact on this business, which was expected because it affected almost everything in a bad way. What’s interesting is that some markets suffered more damage than others. For example, England was one of the countries where things weren’t as bad as other places. 

Despite the pandemic, most clubs haven’t stopped looking for new players. Yet, instead of splashing a lot of money on transfers, they think more before spending their money. What’s more, some clubs are reluctant to sell their players because they’re not sure whether they’ll be able to find suitable replacements.

Zheynov thinks that Spain, France, and Italy have suffered the most when it comes down to football transfers. Most clubs there lost between 40-50% of their income, which was unheard of until now. Furthermore, one of the biggest “players” in the transfer market (Real Madrid) hasn’t acquired any new players for the first time in 40 years.

On the other hand, most clubs in England and Germany are doing OK, despite the pandemic. They have loyal fans there, who pay the different TV channels to watch their favorite team. Consequently, the clubs still make a decent amount of money.

What can we expect from the winter transfer window?

Nikolay Zheynov thinks that the upcoming transfer window will also be strange. Since the vaccine for COVID-19 is expected to arrive in 2021, the clubs, players (and their families) will be cautious when it’s time to decide where they want to go.

The role of football agents in the sport

Most football agents have made a bad name for themselves, which is why some people don’t like them. However, the truth is that this profession is essential nowadays because it allows the transfer process to be as easy as possible.

One of the things that Zheynov said about this profession is that pretty much anyone can become an agent. Unlike a few years ago, you don’t need to have a license. Hence, many people pick up this profession, despite not having the necessary skills and knowledge.