Why most proposal messages are never answered
A sporting director at a mid-table European club receives between forty and two hundred player proposals a week, and most now arrive on WhatsApp. Almost none of them are read to the end. The ones that are share the same three qualities: the first line says exactly what is being offered, the next two lines contain the deal shape, and the player is plausibly signable by that specific club this window.
Everything below assumes cold outreach — you have no relationship yet. If you already have one, shorten everything by half.
The opening line does 80% of the work
Treat the first line of your message as the pitch. It should survive being read as a notification preview on a lock screen. Use position, age, level and deal type, in that order.
- Good: “LB, 23, 2. Bundesliga — free agent, available now”
- Good: “CB left-footed, 21, Eredivisie — loan with option”
- Bad: “Player proposal” / “Interesting opportunity” / “Collaboration”
- Bad: anything with the player's name only — the club does not know him yet, so the name carries no information.
The five-block structure
Keep the whole message under 130 words. Every block is one or two lines. No attachments on the first contact — nobody opens a 14MB PDF from an unknown number.
- 1. Who you are, in one line. Name, agency, licence or federation registration if you have one. Credibility, not biography.
- 2. The player card. Name, age, position, foot, current club, division, contract end date.
- 3. Why this club. One sentence referencing their system, a departure, an injury, or a brief they published. This is the line that separates you from a mass message.
- 4. The commercial reality. Free, loan, loan with option, or fee range — plus net salary expectation. Directors filter on this before anything else.
- 5. One ask, one link. Transfermarkt profile plus full-match footage, and a single question that can be answered with yes.
Template you can copy
RW, 22, Ekstraklasa — loan with option, available immediately Hello [name], I'm [your name], [agency], representing [player]. [Player], 22, right winger, left-footed, currently at [club] (Ekstraklasa), contract to June 2027. 31 league appearances, 9 goals, 7 assists this season. You lost [departed player] on the right side in January and your build-up asks the winger to hold width — that is exactly his profile. The club will accept a loan with a purchase option around [amount]; net salary expectation [amount]. Transfermarkt: [link] Two full matches: [link] Shall I send the complete file and medical history? [Your name]
What to write when you know a club's stated need
Answering a stated need is the highest-conversion outreach there is: the club has already admitted it is looking. Mirror their own words back — if the club is known to want “box-to-box, under 24, loan only”, your first line should contain those three terms.
Reply to a known need
Re: your CM search — box-to-box, 23, loan only Hello [name], Regarding your central midfield search (box-to-box, U24, loan): [player], 23, currently [club], [division]. Last 12 months: 2,400 league minutes, 11.4 km average, plays the same double pivot you use. Loan only, no fee, club covers 50% of salary. Available before the deadline. Transfermarkt: [link] — footage: [link] Do you want the full file today?
Timing, sending and follow-up
- Send Tuesday to Thursday, early morning club time. Monday is meeting day, Friday is match preparation.
- One player per message. Two players in one message halves the attention each gets and signals a list, not a pitch.
- Message from a number with your real name and photo in the profile — unknown bare numbers get ignored.
- One follow-up after five to seven working days, and only with new information: a performance, another club's interest, a changed price.
- No third chase. Move to the next club and keep the contact warm for next season.
Fast checklist before you press send
- Is the deal type and salary in the first five lines?
- Does one sentence reference this club specifically?
- Is the contract end date included?
- Is there exactly one link set and one question?
- Is it under 130 words with no attachment?
- Is it going to the person who owns the shortlist, not the general club inbox?
Send it to the person who decides
A perfect message into a generic club inbox is a deleted message. Pitch the sporting or technical director directly on WhatsApp and follow up with the head of recruitment. Read how to pick the right person , search the contacts database for the right decision-maker's direct channel, or check our market coverage.