Agent Mino Raiola claims “€100m won’t be enough” to prise Paul Pogba from Juventus, advises Simone Zaza to stay and expects Alvaro Morata at Real Madrid.
The transfer guru gave a lengthy interview with Tuttosport newspaper covering a range of topics, including one of his most famous clients.
“Juve made the coup of the summer by keeping Pogba. Manchester United overpaid the most with €80m for Anthony Martial, so Monaco made a great deal there.
Agent Mino Raiola claims “€100m won’t be enough” to prise Paul Pogba from Juventus, advises Simone Zaza to stay and expects Alvaro Morata at Real Madrid.
The transfer guru gave a lengthy interview with Tuttosport newspaper covering a range of topics, including one of his most famous clients.
“Juve made the coup of the summer by keeping Pogba. Manchester United overpaid the most with €80m for Anthony Martial, so Monaco made a great deal there.
“What are the chances of Pogba staying next season? We don’t know yet. Paul will decide based on the offers on the table and what he feels inside. He was already in the same situation last summer.
“The player has grown and with him his price-tag, so I think €100m won’t be enough. It depends on (President Andrea) Agnelli.
“I can say for certain that the fact Paul decided to stay shows how much he has invested in Juve. The club invested in him too, by giving up on many millions in transfer fees.
“There is a strong bond between Pogba and Juve, while Paul is someone who thinks with his heart. He felt that was not the right moment to leave and in the end he was right. He remained and helped lift Juventus back up after initial difficulties this season, when the fans even jeered him unfairly. Many would’ve crumbled in his position.
“Pogba was not irritated by the jeers, but I was. In any case, they won’t affect the decisions in July. We are not children, we aren’t after revenge.
“There haven’t been many calls to my phone for Pogba because so few can afford him, like a limited edition Ferrari. Are Barcelona in pole position? No, the only favourites are Juve.”
Raiola shrugged off questions about the Ballon d’Or, insisting it’s “not a real award, otherwise Zlatan Ibrahimovic would’ve won it at least once because he’s been the best striker over the last 10 years. He proved his worth everywhere, while Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo stayed at the same top clubs, supported by champions.”
Sticking with Juventus, Raiola was asked for his opinion on West Ham target Zaza.
“I’d advise him to stay at Juve and play more often, it’s the team that must believe in him. The secret of all great Number 9 forwards is that they convince their teammates to have faith, it’s something a Coach cannot impose on others.”
Morata is at Juventus in a complicated deal with options and counter-options for Real Madrid, so where will he be next season?
“I think Real,” replied Raiola.
“Oscar has a 30 per cent chance of joining Juve, while for Henrikh Mkhitaryan it’s 50 per cent.
“Juve will win the Scudetto, as they are the strongest team. I am really impressed by Paulo Sousa, Maurizio Sarri and Sinisa Mihajlovic, though. And Roberto Mancini’s Inter reminds me of the side they had with Ibra.”