Erling Haaland is currently the most accurate goalscorer in Europe.Image: AP / Dave Thompson
Football International
When Helmut Haller switched to Juventus Turin, football fans covered their faces with their hands. “They’re crazy, the Italians,” probably thought most fans in view of the transfer fee of an incredible three million Deutschmarks. That was in 1968.
Since then, transfer fees in football have increased exponentially. In 1984, Diego Maradona was the first player to cost the equivalent of more than ten million euros (24 million Deutschmarks); Gareth Bale 2013 the first for which a club spent more than one hundred million euros. Meanwhile, the Brazilian Neymar holds the record: PSG transferred 222 million euros to Barcelona for him in 2017.
Neymar moved to Paris in 2017.Image: AP / Daniel Cole
“Where will this lead?” Football fans ask themselves in view of these already dizzying transfer fees. A question that Erling Haaland’s advisor Rafaela Pimenta now answers.
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Billion fee for Haaland? “That’s for sure”
“Erling Haaland is worth a billion euros,” announced Pimenta in an interview with the TV station “TF1”. And goes one better: “This is not an estimate. That’s for sure.”
Pimenta received the “Transfer of the Year” award in Dubai in 2022. Of course, it was Haaland’s move to Manchester City.Image: imago / LaPresse
The Brazilian lawyer had worked in the background with notorious player agent Mino Raiola for years. After his death, she took over his empire and many of his clients.
Mino Raiola died in April 2022 at the age of 54.Image: imago / Nicolò Campo / LaPresse
Pimenta is aware that she is provoking a frown or two with her statement about the value of Erling Haaland: “Many may now say that I am ridiculous and that no club will ever pay a billion,” she explains on French television. “But his age, quality, development and behavior is why I’m talking about the billion,” she explains.
Only financial fair play can prevent the transfer of billions
It seems easy to smile at the agent when she talks about billions in football transfers. Some may even accuse her of megalomania. However, a billion-dollar transfer would not be entirely unimaginable if the development of the transfer fee continued as it has in the past 20 years.
It is possible that the economic bubble on the transfer market will burst before then. But in view of large investors like Qatar (PSG) and the UAE (Manchester City), who can completely care less about economic losses, rather unlikely. Only the new form of financial fair play could prevent this. It will be exciting to see how Uefa implements the new concept.
Chelsea boss Todd Boehly has already spent more than 600 million euros on the transfer market.Image: AP / David Cliff
Accordingly, Pimenta’s claim that a player can bring in a billion on the transfer market is not that unrealistic. However, it is questionable whether Haaland, who is currently 22 years old, will stay on the ball long enough to be this player himself.
Recipe for success revealed: Haaland needs lasagna
Apart from the fact that his advisor is speculating about deals worth billions (and he himself already has a contract worth nine figures). But Haaland is a completely down-to-earth guyassures Pimenta.
“He doesn’t take himself that seriously,” she praises Haaland’s modesty. He doesn’t let himself be distracted by all the football glamour. “He eats lasagne before the games, that’s his recipe for success,” she reveals, to emphasize how “normal” Haaland is.
The Norwegian will hope that they didn’t get his secret in Saxony and preventively close all Italians. In Leipzig, Manchester City has to play the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday (9 p.m.).. Haaland will be essential, having scored five goals in four European games this season.
Even before the round of 16 first leg against FC Bayern, the mood at Paris Saint-Germain was on the brink. After the recent 1: 3 bankruptcy in the league, superstar Neymar is said to have crushed his teammates in the cabin. At the same time, the PSG fans who had traveled with them were pissed off that the team had holed up in the dressing room after the defeat instead of facing the fans.
