EXCLUSIVE: Ramon Vega: Behind the scenes of a transfer deal

As Manchester United fans discovered this week after their club’s deal for Pedro was effectively gazumped by Chelsea, transfers never tend to be entirely straightforward.

From a player’s perspective, a club will often contact his club and ask for permission to talk. Alternatively, if the player has already decided he wants to leave, he will speak to the Sporting Director or MD and put in a request.

However, football transfers operate in a bit of a grey area and the standard protocol is not always observed. Agents make their money during the transfer windows so for the rest of the year they will be doing everything that is necessary to set those deals up.

[PREMIER LEAGUE: Pedro chooses Chelsea: What next for Manchester United?]

Some agents will be acting out of purely financial interests, while good agents recognize that they need to find the right club for their player, factoring in elements such as footballing opportunities, the manager’s philosophy and club culture.

There are also personal reasons for choosing one club over the other. For more established players with families, a club’s location may well influence their decision. What are the schools like? Will my family be happy there? These are important questions for a footballer as it is vital that his family settles in a new city. A happy player is usually a productive one.

In Pedro’s case, there are reports that Jose Mourinho made a direct call to him to convince him to come to Stamford Bridge. That’s definitely the sort of thing that can sway a player as he’ll be keen to know that the manager really wants him, as well as his overall strategy and things like what position he has in mind for him. After all, the manager is the one who can make or break your spell at a club.

Many times in my career I made the decision to move to a certain club based on the personal rapport with the manager. For example, when I moved to Spurs, Liverpool and Leeds were also after me. However, I got on really well with Gerry Francis and he convinced me that White Hart Lane was the right destination for me. I didn’t know England that well at the time, so being based in London was also key for me because of its international character.

The football industry is a small world and I’m sure Pedro would have given the players he knows in the Chelsea dressing-room - such as Cesc Fabregas - a call to get their views on the manager and his training sessions. Players talk to each other the whole time, especially when they are together on international duty.

The way a deal is structured financially can also have an impact. It doesn’t happen that often but if a club is willing to pay a large chunk of the fee upfront rather than over a 4-5 year period, that can be very persuasive for a selling club, even if the total amount is less.

Another issue that can determine a player’s decision is existing enmity between certain clubs. It will be interesting to see what kind of reaction Scott Allan gets during the next Old firm game given his choice to move to Celtic rather than Rangers, despite being a boyhood fan of the Ibrox club.

I can certainly understand why he made his choice though. Celtic are a division above Rangers and he has the chance to play in the Champions League and challenge for the SPL title straight away. Having said that, it is a slightly different scenario but there was no way I would have ever been able to turn out for Rangers after my time with Celtic!

Going back to Pedro, some believe Chelsea have left Man Utd looking rather flat-footed. However, I wouldn’t feel too downhearted if I was a Utd supporter as a player should have a desire to want to play at Old Trafford, even if his agent is advising him not to. Louis Van Gaal may have decided that he wants a player who is willing to wholeheartedly commit to his vision for the team, despite the interest of other clubs.

There’s still time for Utd to close other deals before the transfer window shuts to temper their fans’ dismay. Just as long as Pedro doesn’t pop up to score a last-minute winner at Old Trafford later on this season!

Ramon Vega is a versatile high-flying executive with a comprehensive track record of driving commercial success in finance, property and football with national, international and World Cup experience as captain of the Swiss National Team in 1994. Proven experience in managing $billion funds in the asset management industry as well as a turnaround specialist who combines financial and business acumen, Ramon has a flair for inspiring others to exceed their own expectations. Follow him on Twitter here @Ramon_Vega71  (http://frompitchtoboardroom.com)