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Raiola discusses 'Queen' Ibra, Pogba-Juve, Donnarumma and De Ligt

Raiola discusses 'Queen' Ibra, Pogba-Juve, Donnarumma and De Ligt

2019 was yet another year of Mino Raiola's dominance of the football market. He might not be the richest agent, but certainly, the most talked about and probably the main protagonist.

Above all in Italy, with various deals: De Ligt-Juve, Manolas-Napoli, Mkhitaryan-Roma and Ibrahimovic-Milan but also abroad, with the Haaland-Dortmund move stealing the show. The super-agent spoke in an interview with Repubblica about all his clients.

"Ibrahimovic? He is back to having fun and entertaining the world. I could not allow his last stage to be Los Angeles. These six months will be like the last tour of Queen, a long tribute: we had to do at the San Siro. Who convinced who? We thought for every transfer. If I was ignorant, I would think that it was always me who decided his teams," he said.

"The case of Zlatan is different, he only comes for six months, then let's see. But I brought you De Ligt, whom everyone wanted. Everyone. But he wants to become the best defender in the world. He told me: 'Mino, I have to go to the defensive Harvard'. So we chose Juventus, to get a degree.

"My commission? It depends on the player's salary and it is valid for everyone. I do not point the gun at anyone. Haaland? Italians do not know how to value their talents, let alone those of others. I happened to meet Italian observers who cry about miracles if they see a good player born in 2001. Then I say to him: 'what are you going to do if you don't let him play.'

"Sadness about Kean? Yet. I would not have brought him to the Premier League if he didn't speak perfect English, because it is very rare for an Italian boy to adapt aborad. Let's ask ourselves why Spain and France continue export players and we don't.

"But if I left him at Juve, they would have made him play in Serie C. Reserve at Everton? They are not happy with him, they are overjoyed. They know that only time is needed. Kean is like Balotelli, a talent so pure that he has skipped some stages of growth which he must recover because he has some gaps. There are requests for him but Everton have no intention of selling.

"Pogba? Today I would not bring anyone there [Manchester United], they would also ruin Maradona, Pele and Maldini. Paul needs a team and club like the first Juventus.

"The hate of the fans? They should apologize to Donnarumma and say that I was right. I wanted to take him away from Milan because I did not trust that Milan, as I did not trust Thohir's Inter, and tell me if I was not right.

"I will be unromantic and politically incorrect but my aim is to maximize the career of my players. I always ask myself: 'What would I do if he was my son?' Money is only the last step," Raiola concluded.