‘Senior source’ says agent won’t prevent Man City from signing Chelsea target – originally posted on Sportslens.com
Manchester City’s hopes of signing Erling Braut Haaland will not be impacted by Pep Guardiola’s toxic relationship with super-agent Mino Raiola.
The Borussia Dortmund striker has been linked with most of Europe’s top clubs after bagging an average of a goal per game with the German outfit over the past year.
City and Chelsea are amongst the clubs credited with an interest in Haaland, but the involvement of agent Mino Raiola means that any proposed move is unlikely to run smoothly.
According to The Mirror, Raiola fell out with Guardiola over his treatment of Zlatan Ibrahimovic when he was in charge of Barcelona.
However, a senior Etihad source has claimed that past history will have no bearing on their ability to sign Haaland.
“There have been dealings with Mino Raiola in the past and if he represents a player we are interested in, it won’t be an issue,” the source said.
“An example of how these things work happened a few years ago when there was an exchange of views between Pep and Yaya Toure’s agent (Dimitri Seluk).
“That didn’t prevent Yaya from signing a new contract to stay with the club. Personal issues don’t dictate what is best for the club.”
SL View
The speculation over Haaland’s future is likely to dominate the football headlines this summer.
The 20-year-old’s exploits with Dortmund over the past year have made him the most sought-after striker in Europe.
He has been strongly linked with Chelsea, but it would be no surprise to see City join the race to sign the Norwegian international.
Unfortunately, Raiola’s involvement complicates matters. Don’t be surprised if Guardiola ends up falling out with him once again.