Laudrup Agent

Reports are emerging in Denmark today that former Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup`s agent Bayram Tutumlu received significant money having taken a cut of the agent fees from some of the signings made during his spell at the club.

The club suspected that Michael Laudrup didn`t want players to be signed at Swansea City unless his agent, Tutumlu, was involved – as he would receive a share of the money that went to the agent for getting the deal done.

Politiken.dk quoted a letter that was sent from a Swansea City director:

‘The club had suspected that Michael Laudrup did not want a given player to the club unless Bayram Tutumlu was involved in the player trading.

The club is still investigating player transfers in order to determine whether they were concluded at the club’s expense, while Bayram Tutumlu was affiliated with the club, and to what extent (if any) Michael Laudrup was involved in it ‘, said the February 13 2014 a letter from Swansea’s director, who explained dismissal to the British coach Union, League Manager’s Association.



More importantly, the article at Politiken.dk also states the amount of compensation money that the Swans had to pay Laudrup and his agent following his sacking:

But Swansea could not seem to find evidence of the shady deals and ended in May 2014 to reach a settlement with Laudrup and his agent, who was also on the club’s payroll. The club ended up paying the coach a tax-free amount of 14.4 million and the agent 3.2 million in compensation.

The club`s relationship with their then manager Michael Laudrup became seriously strained when they refused to deal with his agent – and rightly so – claiming that he was trying to undermine the club`s transfer policy and almost run it himself – a war of words soon followed. Claims back in 2013 were that Tutumlu insisted that all signings were made through him, and that he tried to undermine signings that involved agents other than himself. Tutumlu said back in 2013:

“I`ve not spoken to Michael, but I`m very disappointed about the situation. I did a lot of good work for Swansea and I helped to bring players like Chico Flores, Michu, Pablo Hernandez and Jonathan de Guzman to the club.”

“Huw forgets everything I have done for the club. I`m afraid and worried of what will happen in the future,”

Gaining access to leaked documents, including contracts, bank transfers, emails, invoices and agency agreements, Politiken.dk understands that in “at least seven cases”, Bayram Tutumlu had “personal economic interests in play acting at Swansea”.

Players mentioned in such dealings were Chico Flores and Pablo Hernandez, without knowledge of the club – that a portion of money involved in the dealing went to Tutumlu.

Also, in a deal that saw Jose Canas sign for the Swans, Laudrup`s agent received “almost 11 million on the deal” which happened “without disclosing it to the English Football Association.”

The leaked documents also revealed that the club paid Tutumlu around 10% of what Laudrup earned as manager, believed to be around 3 million a year.

Despite these claims and a damaged relationship, Michael Laudrup and Swansea City signed a settlement in May 2014 that says that parties will not defame one another.

Politiken said a Swansea City spokesperson said that ‘we today only have admiration and respect for Michael.’