Jordan Allen talks Bayern Munich, Barcelona and John Viola

Is it just done over fax? Maybe an official video call to a key contact, or a face-to-face meeting of club chiefs in a swanky overseas hotel?

Or do you have the desire to actually play a part in dealings at some of the biggest clubs in the world?

Slowly but surely, Weymouth’s Jordan Allen has been dipping his toes into the ocean of player transfers.

First, he represented players at local and national level.

Now, he’s added brokering deals as the middle man for top clubs in the Bundesliga to his repertoire.

READ MORE: Meet Weymouth football agent Jordan Allen

It’s an impressive, rapid rise towards the very top of a world which is exerting an ever-increasing influence on the game.

Not bad for a 25-year-old who only signed up with Glasgow-born impresario John Viola’s 451 Football Consultancy at the beginning of the pandemic.

We first spoke to Allen 15 months ago as he dealt with a handful of clients, advancing into the Premier League market.

What he’s involved with now is enough to stop you in your tracks.

“It just started out with me making early contacts in the lower English divisions and progressing through the ranks,” he told Echosport.

“I had a few clients on the books that were Premier League and Champions League. I’ve moved forward another step to the brokering side of things.

“It’s not only dealing with your own clients but other people’s clients as well, being the middle man to make a deal happen.

“I’ve built up a really good reputation across Europe, spreading further out across the world, that myself and the company can make things happen.

“I’ve built contacts at Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and I’m negotiating a deal with another Bundesliga club at the minute for a striker.

“That’s probably looking at being over £10million. We’re (not far) away from the end of the transfer window. Time’s a bit short and there’s complexity to it.”

Jordan Allen has worked with Bundesliga clubs including Bayern Munich, above, and Borussia Dortmund Picture: JOHN WALTON/PA WIRE

Not impressed yet? There’s more.

“I’ve introduced myself to the Real Madrid and Barcelona sporting directors,” Allen explained.

“I’m trying to build a good network there in La Liga. 

“I’ve got a few trips planned, once the window closes, to Spain and out to Denmark to meet with another football agency.

“I’ll hopefully get out to Dubai in the summer to make more contacts and spread myself far and wide.”

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If his Bundesliga deal comes off, Allen stands to earn the biggest payday of his agency career.

“We take a small percentage out of it,” he said.

“Potentially, if it comes off, it’s definitely going to be a big payday for myself. 

“But my main priority is that the player is happy going where he’s going and it’s going to be the right environment for him to take his career on.

“Whatever we get out of it is covering the effort we’ve put in to getting it done for the player. 

“With something like that going through it would take me to a different level to what I’m at now because my name would spread that I was a part of this.”

Allen is building his network at clubs such as Barcelona, above, and Real Madrid Picture: PA NEWSWIRE

However, as ever with the agency business, there are setbacks. 

Allen had his eyes on a deal in the UAE for a US international goalkeeper – it did not go to plan but, where one door closes, another opens.

He said: “We were offered a USA international keeper to try and broker a deal. We looked out to the UAE to try and get it done.

“We didn’t really get a lot back from those clubs, so we’re speaking to a few clubs in the Championship to see if we can get anything done.

“The UAE what we’ve found is, ahead of the World Cup, they’re trying to keep as many players from Qatar, Saudi Arabia for themselves to try and build up their own academy players.

“It’s put that deal to bed, it’s not going to happen out in the UAE unfortunately.”

And what of Viola? Allen speaks regularly to his superagent mentor, the former representative for legendary Brazil left-back Roberto Carlos.

Allen said: “He’s brilliant. He’s given me something which very few people can have. He’s put a lot of time into me and I know I’ve given him a lot back.

“We’re really good friends now, we speak every day and we’re still working together on nearly everything.

“We try and meet up when he’s in London, I go up and see him. He’ll put me in contact with certain people and any contacts I make I can pass back to him.

“It’s a really good relationship which is developing both ways.

“I know over Christmas he was invited to a Saudi prince’s wedding.

“He’s trying to make new contacts every day. The football world never stops, it always changes. He says you’ve got to be on your toes all the time, so he’s a busy man.”

Behind all the glamorous deals, talks with the world’s biggest clubs and a famous mentor, Allen remains grounded.

He still plays for Portland Panthers in the Dorset League on a Saturday, although his main match time comes in the Weymouth Sunday League for the Famous Old Spa.

Playing for the Spa as a centre-back, he currently has 20 goals for the season. It turns out he’s just as good on the pitch as off it.

Connections to his local roots are important for Allen, who is part of the next generation of football agents busy cleansing the often unfair reputation of football intermediaries as the bad boys of the game.

Jordan Allen, right, with sponsors for his Saturday team Portland Panthers Picture: JORDAN ALLEN

Allen’s passion to look after the clubs that helped him grow his agency career – alongside a full-time management job in Bristol – still burns.

“Everyone knows my love for football and love for Weymouth,” he said. 

“I’ve helped Dorch out with a few things over the last year but everyone knows I’m a big fan of Weymouth.

“Anything I can do to help get them out of the relegation battle they’re in, that’s what it’s all about.

“I want to give back to the community I’ve come through myself and build a good relationship with the new management team at Weymouth to see if we can help them out moving forward.”

Two years ago, Allen was just one of us – an outsider looking in at the biggest deals in world football.

Now, he’s on his way to making them happen.

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