There are good agents and bad ones, exactly the same as is the case for property transactions.
FIFA's decision to have abolish licences for agents on the face of things looks nuts, but is pragmatic given that there was poor governance and no evidence that licenced agents operated more...
If only we had someone at the club, perhaps at board level or similar, who operated the world's most successful football intelligence syndicate and that information could be used for the benefit of the club...