Dutch-Italian agent Mino Raiola is bullish and confident in his valuation of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland as transfer rumours about the forward continue to swirl. The super agent said that he realises his client has the power to dictate what happens in the transfer market and not the market determining what Haaland does.
Erling Haaland is arguably the hottest property in the transfer market with Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona and a host of top clubs holding an interest in the Norwegian striker. It is believed that the striker has an affordable £68m release clause in his contract that comes into effect next summer, placing him on the radar for a move.
However, Raiola has said that he has been carefully planning Haaland's next move and he is in no hurry to make a decision yet. The agent told Sport that they will consider what the market has to offer before reaching a decision.
"We have been thinking, doing and planning for two years. We have clear ideas about where we want Erling to go and, of course, we are looking at what the market has to offer. I would be a bad advisor if I didn't do that. We can influence the market with a player like Erling. It's not the market that influences us. We know that," Raiola said.
The 54-year-old agent also enthused that the transfer game is now even more talked-about than football games itself and this was the making of football agents and advisors.
Raiola said: "With my players, I have changed the transfer market. We advisors have created a second game besides football - the transfer market.
"Now we talk about a game two days a week and transfers five days a week. Maybe the sports directors hate me. I don't hate anyone myself. I just do my job. And I like to go beyond boundaries."
Mino Raiola is one of the most popular football agents in the world, with a clientele list that includes Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Marco Verratti, Gianluigi Donnarumma, amongst others.