Is Mino Raiola Manchester United’s Best Friend?

Paul Pogba’s transfer to Manchester United is to be investigated by FIFA.

The midfielder moved to Old Trafford from Juventus for a record £89 million in August. World football’s governing is set to ask United for clarification on some aspects of the deal.

The club’s stance is that FIFA have had the relevant documents since the transfer was completed more than nine months ago.

The investigation comes on the back of claims in a book “Football Leaks: The Dirty Business of Football” that super agent Mino Raiola could earn £41m from the Pogba transfer.

He is an agent that United have done a lot of business with, especially over the past two years.

Paul Pogba

Raiola, who was born in Italy but grew up in the Netherlands, brokered Pogba’s return to United last summer.

According to former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, he was one of the reasons Pogba left in the first place, signing for Juventus in 2012.

“There are one or two football agents I simply do not like and Mino Raiola, Paul Pogba’s agent, is one of them,” Ferguson wrote in his book, “Leading.”

“We had Paul under a three-year contract, and it had a one-year renewal option which we were eager to sign.

“But Raiola suddenly appeared on the scene and our first meeting was a fiasco. He and I were like oil and water.”

Sources have told ESPN FC that the deal was one of the most complicated executive vice chairman Ed Woodward has ever been involved in.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Pogba was one of three clients Raiola brought to Old Trafford in the summer along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Ibrahimovic moved on a free transfer after four years at Paris Saint-Germain. The Swedish striker scored 28 goals in 46 games before his season was ended by a knee injury.

He is yet to commit his future to United and could leave at the end of the season. He has been linked with a move to MLS side LA Galaxy.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Raiola was also behind Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s £30m move from Borussia Dortmund to Old Trafford last summer.

Mkhitaryan could have left the German side for nothing this summer had they refused United’s offer, but Borussia CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke insisted Raiola had acted “properly.”

“Raiola is intelligent and he is brutal,” Watzke said. “He has a certain business model, but we knew that when we sat down with him for Mkhitaryan. He knows what you have. Raiola has behaved properly throughout the Mkhitaryan process.”

Sergio Romero

Sergio Romero joined United in 2015, signing a three-year contract with the option of another year. The Argentine goalkeeper, 30, is understudy to David De Gea, but has still made 25 first-team appearances.

Woodward’s relationship with Raiola dates back to 2013. But their involvement in the Romero deal was the first time they had negotiated a transfer, a year before three more Raiola clients joined the club.

Romelu Lukaku

Raiola has a number of other high-profile clients, including Everton striker Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku and Pogba are close friends and holidayed together in the United States last summer.

Lukaku also has been linked with a move to United with Jose Mourinho set to improve his attacking options ahead of next season. The Belgian previously has worked with Mourinho during their time together at Chelsea.