Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich is one of the few players who chooses to represent himself in the transfer market.
Kimmich is nearing the end of his contract in 2025, and if he enters the January window without an extension, clubs will be able to sign the German midfielder for a free.
Kimmich’s decision to represent himself isn’t purely a financial play—though saving on agent fees, which typically range from 5% to 10% of a player’s earnings, is undoubtedly a bonus.
Instead, it’s about control. Kimmich has said that by negotiating his own contracts, he’s able to have direct conversations with the decision-makers, ensuring that he fully understands every aspect of the deal.
“It’s about trust and responsibility,” Kimmich said in an interview following his last contract extension with Bayern Munich. He had parted ways with his agent just before negotiating that deal, citing a desire to handle things himself. “I know best what I want and what is important to me—both as a footballer and as a person.”
Alongside Kimmich there are a few other heavy hitters who operate without an agent, one of them being Belgian Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne relies on big data technology company TransferLab as a reference to calibrate his own transfer value.
Dutch forward Memphis Depay started representing himself around 2021-21. In 2021, he represented himself in negotiations with Barcelona, with the assistance of his legal advisor and manager, Sebastien Ledure, to part ways with Lyon.
Defender Thomas Meunier started representing himself after his agent Jacques Lichtenstein decided to retire due to a long term illness. The Belgian defender forged his own move to Ligue 1 side Lille this summer.
England and Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling is one of the very few examples of players without agents in the Premier League.
Sterling now a player-agent, used to work with Aidy Ward- known to be one of the key figures in Sterling’s move away from Liverpool and for creating a rift between the player and the club.