Why Al Jazira Club have joined TransferRoom

Abu Dhabi-based Al Jazira Club, under the ownership of Chairman Sheikh Mansour, has taken a bold step by becoming one of the first clubs from United Arab Emirates to join TransferRoom, football’s only global online transfer marketplace.

With over 800 clubs and 550 verified Trusted Agencies across more than 130 leagues, TransferRoom offers direct access to decision-makers, real-time market intelligence and a powerful network for both incoming and outgoing deals.

Sporting Director Scott Sellars, who brings vast experience from English football, is the man shaping Al Jazira's transfer strategy.

He had spells as a player for Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers before moving into Academy coaching and management.

He took on key Academy roles at Sheffield United, Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers - developing the likes of Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Jeremie Frimpong and Morgan Gibbs-White. Then he moved into the Technical Director position at Wolves for nearly two years.

Sellars also gained the benefits of being on TransferRoom during his time at Wolves.

“The [TransferRoom] data gives us information around quality of players and transfer fees. As a Sporting Director, I’m trying to make the best decision for the football club,” he says in the video below.

Watch our full interview with Scott Sellars

In relation to TransferRoom specifically, he added: “I think TransferRoom is a fantastic platform to help me make that decision.

"Pitching players on TransferRoom is also really strong for us.

"Every club has players they want to move on. Specifically, when you know what they’re looking for, you know within the salaries that it’s going to work, it can save you a lot of time.

"If you don’t, then you’re relying on making the contact through an agent, and sometimes I think I like to do things definitely more directly and more club-related."

Sellars is clear that the platform’s value goes beyond just technology.

“For me, it’s a fantastic opportunity to make lots of connections to people around the world,” he adds.

"Sometimes the Middle East can be a bit isolated, and I think people are a bit unsure what’s going on over there and how do you make contacts.

"In the UK I would know all the Sporting Directors. They were pretty visible and you could contact them. I think in the Middle East it’s very different.

"It's probably more for me to come and introduce the world to Al Jazira rather than the other way around. The platform gives us great opportunities to meet a lot of people and get that first point of contact as well."

He notes that clubs in the Gulf region often face relative isolation when it comes to global networks. By joining TransferRoom, Al Jazira is now able to introduce itself to the global market, accelerate contacts and compete more effectively on the world stage.

For clubs across Asia and the Middle East, Al Jazira’s decision underlines a strategic shift. In a region with dynamic growth, but sometimes limited connectivity, the ability to access global supply-and-demand, filter players by data, and engage directly with clubs and agencies becomes a critical competitive advantage.

By using TransferRoom, Al Jazira is aligning its recruitment, academy and medical teams with its ambitions, and other clubs in the region can follow.

Ready to connect globally and recruit smarter? Join Al Jazira and hundreds of others on TransferRoom today.

How to join TransferRoom

There are over 800 clubs worldwide using TransferRoom, including Al Jazira Club. You can find out how to join them here.

Agents, get access to the decision-makers at top clubs in over 130 leagues worldwide as a TransferRoom Trusted Agent. Find out more here.

Track every player transfer and salary payment and plan every window with confidence through TransferRoom's contract management tool, Contingency AI.