Gamechanger. There is no better way to describe Mino Raiola and his impact on the transfer market, a crazy and unpredictable world where he fitted perfectly. As a moment to sum up the agent – and what he built around him – nothing can beat what unfolded before my eyes in Turin on 17 July 2019.
Matthijs de Ligt was expected to arrive at the Juventus Stadium, and hordes of enthusiastic fans had come to greet him. He was another world-class signing after Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, with competition seen off from clubs such as Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. The man behind the deal was Raiola, whose excellent relations with Pavel Nedved, the Juventus vice-president and one of his former clients, had helped to smooth the deal from Ajax.
