If soccer agents had powerful lobbyists working for them in the halls of government, you can be fairly confident they would be asking for a generous stimulus package right around now. Just as fears of an enduring economic slump can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy in the real world, as consumers "feel poor" and hunker down to save, slowing or even negating growth, so too can the perception of imminent doom affect soccer clubs' spending. And, when teams stop spending, the first to be affected are the agents and middlemen who grease the wheels of the transfer market. View Full Image Associated Press Maxi Rodriguez (left), shown while playing for Atletico Madrid in December, joined Liverpool on a free transfer. Monday marks the end of the monthlong January transfer window, one of two times a year that top-flight clubs can buy or acquire on loan each other's players. The window is observed throughout the world, though a few leagues — including Major League Soccer in the U.S. and Canada, where the period lasts until April 15 — have different dates because their seasons run along a calendar year, rather than the more widespread fall-to-spring schedule.[Read more...]