In February, about 100 club officials, scouts and agents gathered at Villa Park for a networking event. Over coffee and pastries, in William Mc Gregor's Trinity Road Stand, representatives from clubs such as Liverpool, West Ham, Birmingham, Preston, Derby, Aston Villa and Manchester City chatted to prepare for summer and debrief winter.

In the afternoon, Villa's head of emerging talent and loans Adam Henshall gave a presentation on how the club oversees its loaning out of players – outlining the data, risk and reward elements considered before sending young talent out. Henshall had been asked to share insight into Villa's workings by Transfer Room, which connects clubs and agents; 800 clubs have signed up.

This week, Villa, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Manchester City and United, Roma and Borussia Dortmund will be among more than 200 who meet with 55 agencies in Madrid for a ‘deal day’ where moves can be finalised. Online events are held too, aiding clubs as the market is set to erupt in the second half of August.

One of the biggest moves this summer, despite being a free transfer, saw Poland captain Robert Lewandowski join MLS side Chicago Fire after his Barcelona contract expired. Fire’s long‑term planning and agent negotiations proved decisive.