Football speed-dating today! The on-going transfer event that's struck 10,000 deals

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FT Desk

While some transfer dealings may take place in darkened rooms with no prying eyes, some are done in full view of everyone.

TransferRoom is an online platform designed to make football transfers more efficient by connecting clubs, agents and players in one secure marketplace. Instead of relying solely on personal contacts and traditional negotiations, clubs can use TransferRoom to identify transfer targets, list players they want to sell or loan, and arrange meetings with other clubs.

Founded in 2017 by Jonas Ankersen and Jeppe Gronnemark, the platform is now used by hundreds of professional clubs across the world, from Europe's biggest teams to smaller clubs looking to buy, sell or loan players.

Crucially, there are frequent events held by the organisation, which sees hundreds of directors, agents and club dignitaries get together at one location to talk all things transfers.

Such an event is actually going on right now in Madrid - and it costs a pretty penny for the pleasure of attending.

"The room is set out like a GCSE exam," one Premier League executive said, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

"You have about 16 slots per day, and you go through the attendees and request to meet them, the system fills up all of your spots as you accept or are accepted.

"All the tables are numbered, and you get your own programme and each meeting is on a different table. There's a giant green digital clock usually hanging on the wall that counts down and when the bell rings three times, it's time to move on. Ding, ding, ding. Off you pop to the next table, the next meeting.

"There's two packages. Basic membership costs about £20,000 and the full is about £35,000. The difference is what you have access to. That means access to pitch as many players as you want, reply to as many pitches as you want and access to add-on tools, getting deeper insight to things like player statistics."

There are a number of high-profile transfers that have been conducted thanks to TransferRoom acting as the middle man, including Viktor Gyokeres moving from Coventry to Sporting CP and Antoine Semenyo's switch to Bournemouth from Bristol City.

Ankersen, the co-founder, claims that over 10,000 deals have been completed using the platform, either online or in in person.

"That’s a milestone," he said.

"This number represents a football industry that is becoming much more connected and transparent, much more efficient and more data-driven. It’s basically 10,000 careers that moved forward."

⏳ One day to go.

Tomorrow, club decision-makers and leading agencies from around the world come together in Madrid for TransferRoom LIVE: Deal Day.

If you're attending, make sure you've:

🤝 Booked your 1:1 meetings
📅 Planned your schedule pic.twitter.com/82pIJgP9yE

— TransferRoom (@transferroom) August 3, 2026

It has been described as just as much of a networking opportunity than a transfer event.

"You could argue it's cheaper to pick up the phone," one scout suggested.

"But it saves a lot of time seeing people face to face. Not just in the room but afterwards for a coffee or beer at the hotels.

"It's maybe more use for networking than actually getting a deal done there and then for some. Also you have to understand clubs are cutting back on scouts now, even the top ones. This cuts to the chase in some respects, if you know your players."

Due to the fast-talking nature of the event itself, including the one going on in Madrid as we speak, it has been compared to speed-dating, as club dignitaries only have a limited time to speak business with a team before moving on.

The officials will decide in that short period whether they need to talk business further and set up another meeting.

Former player Kevin-Prince Boateng, now an agent, said: "I was shocked this even existed. It's like speed dating with transparency but you're sitting across the table from major people who make decisions to get the next superstar."

Manchester United, Arsenal, Stuttgart, Ajax and Columbus Crew are some of the clubs name checked as being in attendance at the event at the Marriott Auditorium Hotel on Madrid's Avenida de Aragon today.