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The Deal: Inside the World of a Super Agent
Football analysis has grown at the same exponential rate as the sport's popularity and yet one of its most intrinsic elements remains tantalisingly the role of 'agent'. The Deal is a unique and fascinating perspective into the business of sports management through the eyes of 'Mr Football', 'super-agent', Jon Smith. 800,000 watch their professional football team play each week and TV pulls in audiences of around 600 million. Despite these phenomenal figures, the complex money-making scene behind sport is one of its biggest mysteries. The Deal will be an unprecedented insight into this world, showing what goes on as players and big money change hands.
The Deal is also the story of one of the shrewdest and most successful businessmen of our time. Documented through Jon's personal rollercoaster of high-flying success to near bankruptcy, the book's over-arching narrative will offer an inspiring personal journey as well as insider knowledge of brokering deals at a high level and under extreme pressure.
The Deal will appeal strongly to buyers of business books as well as a significant number of sports fans interested to know what goes on in the back room of their favourite sport.
The Deal is also the story of one of the shrewdest and most successful businessmen of our time. Documented through Jon's personal rollercoaster of high-flying success to near bankruptcy, the book's over-arching narrative will offer an inspiring personal journey as well as insider knowledge of brokering deals at a high level and under extreme pressure.
The Deal will appeal strongly to buyers of business books as well as a significant number of sports fans interested to know what goes on in the back room of their favourite sport.
- GenresFootballSportsNonfiction
357 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 8, 2016
26 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 29, 2016
Inside the world of the super agent?? Essentially it is unfortunately 323 pages of Jon Smith telling us how rich, successful and important Jon Smith is.. .
April 4, 2018
“Is it wrong? By the law of the written word, yes. But questioning the morality of conducting deals in a certain way involving third parties or agents is a completely outmoded and backward way of thinking.”
Jon Smith is a self-described ‘Super Agent’ – a key figure in, and beneficiary of, the commercialisation of English, and global, football. The Deal is part biography of Smith, part history of football’s commercialisation and part defence of the role of football agents. It’s doubtful though whether it lives up to its sales pitch of being a “scintillating exposé” of how the football industry really functions.
The first few chapters operate almost as stand alone stories that could work better as magazine articles – an ill-fated trip to the Ukraine in an attempt to sell Sheffield Wednesday, a look behind-the-scenes on deadline day, a discussion of how agents generally operate and a justification of football agents and their “morality”. These chapters contain interesting insights into how the business of football works, which is the real appeal of the book (and the reason I picked it up). However, I get a very strong sense that the book only scratches the surface of what really goes on inside football.
These early chapters also include detailed, and repetitive attempts to justify the need for, and role of, agents. Some of Smith’s views – particularly around structuring things in a tax efficient manner until Revenue shut them down or the need to make payoffs to players family and friends because it’s the “culture” – leave a bad taste in the mouth. Obviously it would be totally naive to not expect this stuff to go on and it is admirable that Smith at least addresses the issue. Lets just say I found his defence of plenty of the activities wholly unconvincing.
Like most businessmen, Smith is generally opposed to any piece of regulation he talks about, yet bemoans the fact that FIFA decided to step away and leave the industry largely unregulated (because it increased the competition presumably) – there is a definite sense of having his cake/5% and eating it too.
The rest of the book is mainly a biography of a very successful career in business – made glamorous by the connection to sport and entertainment. Smith’s own life story is engaging – he struggled with his speech as a child and suffered personal tragedy while still in his 20s. The stories of how he made his name with the England team and creative marketing are fascinating as are his ventures into other sports. However, having come for an exposé on the business of sport, I was ultimately left a bit bored and unengaged in the rise and potential fall of a mutlimillionaire with a prizate zoo and homes around the world.
The best parts of the book contain interesting insights into the business side of the game. As well as the first few chapters, these insights are sprinkled across the book. Smith discusses some well-known personalities and includes a lot of anecdotes about individual players and transfers.
Ultimately, the books biggest flaw is that it’s too much about the Super-Agent himself and not enough about the game. Pretty quickly, Smith’s ego begins to grate – and its gets annoying reading about how successful and great Smith is. There is a way of recounting how well you have done without quite saying it so baldly. It’s understandable that any such book will exalt the author’s successes but often it feels like the line between telling and boasting is crossed. Then again, if I had been Maradona’s agent and achieved nothing else in life I’d probably have no shortage of ego!
Overall The Deal suffers from trying to be too much in one. It does contain an interesting behind the scenes look at the business side of professional football. Smith has had a very interesting career and football fans will find much of the book enjoyable. It has its flaws, but is a decent, if overlong, read.
See all of my sports book reviews at https://allsportsbooks.reviews
Jon Smith is a self-described ‘Super Agent’ – a key figure in, and beneficiary of, the commercialisation of English, and global, football. The Deal is part biography of Smith, part history of football’s commercialisation and part defence of the role of football agents. It’s doubtful though whether it lives up to its sales pitch of being a “scintillating exposé” of how the football industry really functions.
The first few chapters operate almost as stand alone stories that could work better as magazine articles – an ill-fated trip to the Ukraine in an attempt to sell Sheffield Wednesday, a look behind-the-scenes on deadline day, a discussion of how agents generally operate and a justification of football agents and their “morality”. These chapters contain interesting insights into how the business of football works, which is the real appeal of the book (and the reason I picked it up). However, I get a very strong sense that the book only scratches the surface of what really goes on inside football.
These early chapters also include detailed, and repetitive attempts to justify the need for, and role of, agents. Some of Smith’s views – particularly around structuring things in a tax efficient manner until Revenue shut them down or the need to make payoffs to players family and friends because it’s the “culture” – leave a bad taste in the mouth. Obviously it would be totally naive to not expect this stuff to go on and it is admirable that Smith at least addresses the issue. Lets just say I found his defence of plenty of the activities wholly unconvincing.
Like most businessmen, Smith is generally opposed to any piece of regulation he talks about, yet bemoans the fact that FIFA decided to step away and leave the industry largely unregulated (because it increased the competition presumably) – there is a definite sense of having his cake/5% and eating it too.
The rest of the book is mainly a biography of a very successful career in business – made glamorous by the connection to sport and entertainment. Smith’s own life story is engaging – he struggled with his speech as a child and suffered personal tragedy while still in his 20s. The stories of how he made his name with the England team and creative marketing are fascinating as are his ventures into other sports. However, having come for an exposé on the business of sport, I was ultimately left a bit bored and unengaged in the rise and potential fall of a mutlimillionaire with a prizate zoo and homes around the world.
The best parts of the book contain interesting insights into the business side of the game. As well as the first few chapters, these insights are sprinkled across the book. Smith discusses some well-known personalities and includes a lot of anecdotes about individual players and transfers.
Ultimately, the books biggest flaw is that it’s too much about the Super-Agent himself and not enough about the game. Pretty quickly, Smith’s ego begins to grate – and its gets annoying reading about how successful and great Smith is. There is a way of recounting how well you have done without quite saying it so baldly. It’s understandable that any such book will exalt the author’s successes but often it feels like the line between telling and boasting is crossed. Then again, if I had been Maradona’s agent and achieved nothing else in life I’d probably have no shortage of ego!
Overall The Deal suffers from trying to be too much in one. It does contain an interesting behind the scenes look at the business side of professional football. Smith has had a very interesting career and football fans will find much of the book enjoyable. It has its flaws, but is a decent, if overlong, read.
See all of my sports book reviews at https://allsportsbooks.reviews
September 26, 2017
A fascinating contrast to view the world from the perspective of a football agent, that much maligned breed who are commonly seen as parasitic and money grabbing…adding no real value. Whilst I gained a greater understanding and appreciation of the role played, I still struggled to see the value, both of the agents and the players they represented, given the vast quantities of cash benefitting the few. I take my hat off to Jon in being able to conquer an all-consuming stammer and subsequently be able to then make his living from his patter. There are also some enjoyable anecdotes and glimpses behind the scenes as to what really goes on in a deal. But I was left with a feeling that something much more worthwhile could be realised from the stash of cash. And why is it that such successful people cannot resist the urge to stray way beyond the bounds of what made them in the first place and risk losing the lot? Stick to the knitting.
August 25, 2019
There were a few interesting parts about some of the deals Smith has made, such as the (non) deal in the Ukraine and the last minute Arshavin transfer to Arsenal. If there were more of this stuff the book would have been better off.
But it mostly felt like in Forrest Gump where Forrest tells his story about (unknowingly) being part of famous, historical events. Except this book was about Smith (knowingly) telling us about being part of big events in the world of being an agent/fixer and how much money he's made and who he's met along the way, minus the childlike optimism and charm of Forrest.
But it mostly felt like in Forrest Gump where Forrest tells his story about (unknowingly) being part of famous, historical events. Except this book was about Smith (knowingly) telling us about being part of big events in the world of being an agent/fixer and how much money he's made and who he's met along the way, minus the childlike optimism and charm of Forrest.
January 30, 2018
Too much about the Super Agent and not enough about his deals. Having said that, Jon Smith sounds like an interesting bloke with stories to tell . . . but here, he only scratches the surface of what really goes on inside football.
Narrative a bit all over the place, so much so that at one point I checked to see if this was a self-published story.
Nope, it was sold by publishing's own Super Agent, Neil Blair. And I'm presuming the deal that led to publication is up there with whoever the hell managed to foist Llorente onto Spurs at the start of the 2017/18 season . . .
Narrative a bit all over the place, so much so that at one point I checked to see if this was a self-published story.
Nope, it was sold by publishing's own Super Agent, Neil Blair. And I'm presuming the deal that led to publication is up there with whoever the hell managed to foist Llorente onto Spurs at the start of the 2017/18 season . . .
October 7, 2024
I liked this book
July 31, 2025
Good, but found my mind wandering a little in some chapters.
February 7, 2017
Anyone who follows football knows that agents are 'ruining the game.' Previously, footballers didn't care about earning money, and were motivated only by their love of the game and their club. Paul Scholes employed Grant Thornton, rather than an agent, to conduct his contract negotiations and barely scraped the minimum wage at Manchester United, after all.
Despite coming from a more restrained view of agents and football, I was nevertheless intrigued to see how it was from the other side of the fence. The moral justification on show here was similar to the level of engagement: mixed.
Smith all too often fell into the trap of justifying his own actions by saying 'it was business, not personal' and pointing to others' bad behaviour, but whenever he feels he is wronged it is always presented as a personal affront, and is far less welcoming of others who act as though 'it's business'. Similarly, he comes across as wanting to be part of the England squad and their celebrations because he was friendly with the players, rather than accepting that he was there to monetise their performance rather than improve it. But rather than embarrassment, it is more of an entitlement. Players may well have deserved more money than they were receiving based on their commercial return, but there is no need to pretend that Smith's motives were anything more than monetary.
His business sense is also skewed when he has to remain loyal to his clients. Clubs are stupid for not wanting names on the shirts due to the extra cost, but Hull's owner is justified in stipulating that players have a Hull address to keep the money in the local economy, rather than making the best decision for the club (and completely ignores other criticisms of the owner).
The stories are interesting, however, and the early history of the Premier League covered areas not seen so often in coverage of The Game, from a key figure in its inception. The inclusion of Everton as a big player at the time merely highlights that all clubs are in it for themselves, but it is just a question of who happens to be successful when the biggest gains are made.
There were a number of written quirks, such as times transfer fees he had clearly negotiated were 'reported as,' and the loyalty to his clients meant that a lot of the stories were heavily biased, but despite the negative comments these were minor complaints that mounted up, rather than massive problems, but if you weren't interested in football I'd give it a miss.
The book was written as a justification of the role of an agent, so I shall summarise that aim in the following questions. Did it change my perceptions of agents? No. Did it make me feel the game is worse for agents' involvement? No. Do Smith's gripes about how agents are treated by the authorities seem to carry much weight? No. Agents are good for maximising the value of other people's efforts that would otherwise go to the owners and sharing in that reward, and nothing more.
Despite coming from a more restrained view of agents and football, I was nevertheless intrigued to see how it was from the other side of the fence. The moral justification on show here was similar to the level of engagement: mixed.
Smith all too often fell into the trap of justifying his own actions by saying 'it was business, not personal' and pointing to others' bad behaviour, but whenever he feels he is wronged it is always presented as a personal affront, and is far less welcoming of others who act as though 'it's business'. Similarly, he comes across as wanting to be part of the England squad and their celebrations because he was friendly with the players, rather than accepting that he was there to monetise their performance rather than improve it. But rather than embarrassment, it is more of an entitlement. Players may well have deserved more money than they were receiving based on their commercial return, but there is no need to pretend that Smith's motives were anything more than monetary.
His business sense is also skewed when he has to remain loyal to his clients. Clubs are stupid for not wanting names on the shirts due to the extra cost, but Hull's owner is justified in stipulating that players have a Hull address to keep the money in the local economy, rather than making the best decision for the club (and completely ignores other criticisms of the owner).
The stories are interesting, however, and the early history of the Premier League covered areas not seen so often in coverage of The Game, from a key figure in its inception. The inclusion of Everton as a big player at the time merely highlights that all clubs are in it for themselves, but it is just a question of who happens to be successful when the biggest gains are made.
There were a number of written quirks, such as times transfer fees he had clearly negotiated were 'reported as,' and the loyalty to his clients meant that a lot of the stories were heavily biased, but despite the negative comments these were minor complaints that mounted up, rather than massive problems, but if you weren't interested in football I'd give it a miss.
The book was written as a justification of the role of an agent, so I shall summarise that aim in the following questions. Did it change my perceptions of agents? No. Did it make me feel the game is worse for agents' involvement? No. Do Smith's gripes about how agents are treated by the authorities seem to carry much weight? No. Agents are good for maximising the value of other people's efforts that would otherwise go to the owners and sharing in that reward, and nothing more.
October 26, 2019
This wasn't a book I cared for much.
The Prologue describes attempts to do a deal in Ukraine at the start of the conflict there. Maybe the reader's supposed to think how brave Jon Smith is for doing so, but I just thought it reflects how greedy and stupid he is for believing he can make money out of getting gangsters in a war zone to buy Sheffield Wednesday.
The rest of the book is no better. It gives very little insight into the world of a super agent, the chronology is confusing and one of the chapters - about his problems during the financial crisis which began in 2008 - is simply a boring list of deals.
Avoid.
The Prologue describes attempts to do a deal in Ukraine at the start of the conflict there. Maybe the reader's supposed to think how brave Jon Smith is for doing so, but I just thought it reflects how greedy and stupid he is for believing he can make money out of getting gangsters in a war zone to buy Sheffield Wednesday.
The rest of the book is no better. It gives very little insight into the world of a super agent, the chronology is confusing and one of the chapters - about his problems during the financial crisis which began in 2008 - is simply a boring list of deals.
Avoid.
September 13, 2016
يعطيك فكرة جيدة عن شغل وكيل الاعمال.مفروض ذكر فيه قصص اكثر دام انه وكيل من الثمانينات.عموما هو يناسب المهتم بالبريمرليغ اكثر
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews