Haaland agent: Guardiola is a dog, I don’t give a f**k if I never work again with Man United

The richest European football clubs are looking into the possibility to buy Erling Haaland, the next wunderkind and a super-striker for years to come. And listening to what his agent, the (un)famous Mino Raiola recently said, two clubs will have to put some serious effort to get him. But somehow, we think they already know that.

Manchester City and Manchester United may be fierce rivals, but they have something in common: they hate Mino Raiola. The relationship with Haaland’s agent might prove to be the major stumbling block if they are to buy the player. For City, it’s because Pep Guardiola and Raiola had a row over Zlatan Ibrahimovic (his other client), and for United, it’s because of the Paul Pogba situation (first with sir Alex Ferguson and now with Solskjaer).

What are Man Utd to do with Raiola?

Speaking for the Athletic, the super-agent, knowing he has the upper hand because of Haaland, didn’t mince words. First, he insulted Guardiola.

"Pep Guardiola, the coach, is fantastic. As a person, he’s an absolute zero. He’s a coward, a dog. He’s a classic priest. ‘Do as I tell you – don’t do what I do….’ If Manchester City wins the Champions League this season it will emphasize what a good coach he is – but I’ll hate it. I went for him that night in the corridors at Wembley, after Barcelona beat Manchester United in the Champions League final in 2011 – only Adriano Galliani, AC Milan’s chairman, stopped me. Lucky for Guardiola” said Raiola, and all because of Pep’s treatment of Ibrahimovic, when he was in Barcelona.

(©AFP)

Next on the agenda was the other Manchester, and it was about Paul Pogba, who left the club the first time just because Alex Ferguson didn’t think he was a good player.

"When Ferguson criticized me, that was my biggest compliment anybody could give me. Ferguson is used to people coming in and saying 'yes sir'. All I have to say that when Ferguson left Manchester United the club's owner, by buying back Paul Pogba, told me that I was right. I didn't want to take Pogba away. It was Ferguson who didn't believe in Pogba. I don't care what Ferguson says. "I don't give a f**k if I never do another player with Manchester United. I'm not in their hands. I'm independent. We have only one party that we take care of: our players. As long as our players like us, you do what you have to do" said Raiola.

Premier League is Haaland’s destiny

So, the only way those two clubs can get Haaland is if the player himself instructs his manager to get him the transfer. And what about Erling?

"With Haaland, everybody was wrong and he did things much quicker than everybody imagined. Haaland is in front of his own development. He is ahead of his own schedule. Maybe I was too careful when I said 'let's move to Dortmund instead of I-don't-know-where’. I'm 100 percent convinced and everybody's convinced that this boy can move to any club. Wherever he wants, already on this level. He could have done that last year, but maybe last year there were still teams saying 'oh, he was in Red Bull, can he do it in another club? He is quicker than his own prediction. So yeah, Haaland is the talk of the town" concluded Riola.