What should agents avoid when conducting player negotiations?

Agents should focus on maintaining the integrity of their role during negotiations, which is crucial for building trust and ensuring fair dealings in the football industry. Exploiting players or clubs conflicts with ethical standards and can lead to significant repercussions, both for the agent and the reputation of the profession. An agent's role is to advocate for their client's best interests while ensuring that all dealings are fair and respectful. Engaging in exploitative practices undermines this responsibility and can harm relationships with both players and clubs.

The other options do not contradict the principles of ethical conduct. Nice gestures towards players can foster good relationships, offering full transparency builds trust, and creating a competitive atmosphere can be a strategic negotiation tool. However, exploitation fundamentally undermines the agent's integrity and the professionalism expected within the industry.