Mino Raiola has said that he does not care about setting a transfer record by brokering a deal for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba to join Manchester United.
Agent Raiola added that he is also uninterested about his public image and said that he treats his players like his children.
Pogba is currently with a club who have won Serie A for five years in a row and are looking forward to Champions League football again next season, while United are in a transitional period after a fifth-placed Premier League finish and are preparing for the Europa League.
Real Madrid, having won the Champions League last season, have also expressed their admiration for the France midfielder.
United’s financial muscle has put them in pole position to secure Pogba though, as things stand, and it has been widely reported that the agent is set to earn 20 percent of the eventual €120 million world-record fee, although Raiola has described speculation as “lots of bla bla bla” on Twitter.
In an interview with Il Corriere dello Sport, Raiola said: “I’m not interested about my public image because there are always going to be people in the world who love you and people who hate you for what you say and do. My indicators are my family and my players, who I treat like my children. They appreciate it.
“I’m not in the world to be liked by people but to do what is right. I am at the service of my players and I give everything to them, 150 percent of myself. I’m proud of myself when I do well for them. I’m not interested neither in the sacrifices I must take, nor in the money. That doesn’t matter. For me, the quality of work and the results obtained is important.
“I don’t care about setting record transfers. The newspapers write that Pogba can set a new record, but I’ve already set records with [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic and [Pavel] Nedved. I want the best for my footballers, and that therefore means also for Pogba.”
Raiola has already been involved in two of the deals that United have concluded this summer, as they brought in free agent Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund.
Despite being such a central figure in United’s dealings this summer, Raiola said that he tries to conduct his negotiations privately, saying: “I never talk about my business. Only my assistants talk about certain things, and they know how things are.”
The agent also discussed Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli, saying: “If you think that I get despaired by Mario [Balotelli] then you are wrong because his life has improved a great deal and now he just needs to have the right opportunity.
“Of course he also needs a bit of luck, which he didn’t have in recent seasons, but I can assure you that he’s a great person, a lad with a big heart. He’s paying for things he hasn’t done.”
Meanwhile, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has spoken about Pogba’s future, adding: “At the moment Pogba is a Juventus’ player but, as I say, the market is open.
“Our club is monitoring the situation. The fact is so far Juventus signed the likes of [Dani] Alves, [Medhi] Benatia, [Miralem] Pjanic and [Marko] Pjaca, four important players to improve our team. Until the 31st of August many things may happen but for sure Juventus will be a great team, ready to be at the highest level to win in Italy and in Europe.”
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate