Mino Raiola has hit back at accusations that he personally received nearly €50m for his role in Paul Pogba's return to Manchester United from Juventus in 2016.
United agreed to pay £89m, a British record at the time, to bring Pogba back to English football after four years in Italy, and there have long been disputes over just how much Raiola was paid in commission for his services as the Frenchman's agent.
Leaked documents from Football Leaks alleged that Raiola was paid €48m (£41m) for his role in the deal, but the agent told NRC that such claims are nonsense.
"That amount from Football Leaks is not correct," he said. “I will say no more about that transfer.
"Authorities in several countries have looked into it, nothing illegal happened, and yet I'm still plagued by it. Since the Pogba deal I have been hounded by the Dutch tax authorities, who think I live in the Netherlands. Nonsense, I have lived in Monaco since 1997.
"Of course these transfers involve large amounts. What do you think those top clubs owe their hundreds of millions of turnover to? Where do you think those transfer amounts come from? They come from television rights, sponsorship income and ticket sales because people want to watch my players."
At the time of the Pogba transfer, then-CEO Giuseppe Marotta claimed (via ESPN) that Raiola had actually been paid closer to €27m for his services.
Amid concerns over the amount Raiola earns from his transfer dealings, the agent insisted critics are simply envious of his success.
"That's jealousy," he said. "We [agents] ensure that players can perform optimally. And that the player gets his fair share. Otherwise, we would still have been sitting around with napkins on which some numbers were scribbled. I am fortunate to work in an industry that has grown exponentially."
Source : 90min