Data & sources
Agents ask where the data comes from. Sporting directors ask why they are in it. This page answers both, because the answer is the same: everything in the database comes from professional sources that are publicly accessible, and every single record carries the source it came from and the date it was checked.
What we collect, and what we deliberately leave out
We map one thing: who holds responsibility for squad building and transfers at a professional club. In practice that is the sporting director, technical director, director of football or head of recruitment, depending on how a club is organised. Where a club has no such role — which is common outside Europe, where transfers often run through the president or a football committee — we record that fact rather than invent a name.
We do not collect private home addresses, private phone numbers, dates of birth, salary information, family details, or anything a person has not put into the professional domain themselves.
Where records come from
- Club websites — staff and organisation pages
- League and national federation websites and their official club registries
- Official club announcements and press releases
- Reported football press, used for corroboration rather than as a sole source
- Public professional profiles maintained by the person themselves
How a record is verified
Each entry stores the exact source it came from, the date that source was published or last checked, and a confidence rating:
| Rating | What it means |
|---|---|
| High | Confirmed on an official club, league or federation source |
| Medium | Reported by a credible source but not confirmed officially |
| Low | Indication only — treat as a lead, not a fact |
Records are reviewed against their sources on a recurring basis and after each transfer window, because that is when roles change. A record is never silently kept alive: if we cannot confirm it, its rating drops or it is removed.
Who can see it
The database is not public and is not searchable by anyone who is not a client. Access is licensed to a limited number of agencies under contract, and those contracts forbid resale, publication and redistribution. We do not sell records, and we do not supply them to advertising networks or data brokers.
If you are listed and would rather not be
Email privacy@transferlink.io from any address and tell us your name and club. We will remove your record and confirm within 30 days. You do not need to give a reason, and we will not ask for one.
You can also ask us to correct an entry, to tell you exactly which source we used, or to stop at a level short of deletion — for example keeping the club and role but removing you by name.
Your full rights, and our legal basis for holding the data, are set out in our privacy statement.