Italian super-agent, Mino Raiola, has died of an illness in Milan aged 54.
Raiola was the agent of superstars Erling Haaland, Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku and Marco Veratti.
According to reports, the 54-year-old had been hospitalised in Milan where he underwent surgery for an undisclosed illness.
He started his career as a sports agent after leaving football in the late ’80s and became involved in the transfers of several high-profile Dutch players to Italian clubs, including Ajax player Bryan Roy (in 1992 to Foggia), and Dennis Bergkamp (in 1993 to Internazionale).
In August 2016, the multi-linguist made a world record transfer of Paul Pogba to Manchester United of €105 million-plus bonuses of €5 million, surpassing the former record holder Gareth Bale.
Raiola made a reported €25 million from Pogba’s transfer; subsequently, he bought the former Miami home of one of America’s most famous mob bosses, Al Capone, for €9 million.
On 22 January 2020, Raiola was among a number of high profile football agents including Jorge Mendes and Jonathan Barnett who threatened FIFA with legal sanctions following the planned cap on transfer payments.
