Mino Raiola has taken a fresh swipe at Sir Alex Ferguson, declaring: I was right about Paul Pogba... and the Glazer family told me so.
The controversial agent infamously drew the Manchester United legend’s anger when directing Pogba away from Old Trafford in 2012, joining Juventus on a free transfer.
At the time the young Frenchman had been starring for United’s Under-23 side but Ferguson was not convinced about offering him regular first-team action.
And when Raiola took over the then-teenager’s affairs, with demands for a new improved contract, United stood their ground - ultimately leading to his exit.
In his 2015 book, Leading , Ferguson made clear his dislike for the Dutch-Italian agent.
“There are one or two football agents I simply do not like, and Mino Raiola is one of them," wrote Ferguson.
“I distrusted him from the moment I met him.
"He became Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s agent while he was playing for Ajax, and eventually he would end up representing Pogba, who was only 18 years old at the time.
“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. From then on, our goose was cooked because Raiola had been able to ingratiate himself with Paul and his family and the player signed with Juventus.”
Pogba duly returned to United four years later in a then-world record £89million transfer and has gone on to become a World Cup winner and one of the most notable footballers on the planet.
Now Raiola, in a game of one-upsmanship that may truly never end, has taken aim at Ferguson over Pogba’s exit and United’s desire - when the Scot had retired - to take him back to Manchester.
“When Ferguson criticised me, that was my biggest compliment anybody could give me,” said Raiola, speaking to The Athletic. “Ferguson is used to people coming in and, ‘Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir’.
“All I have to say that when Ferguson left Manchester United the club’s owner [the Glazers], by buying back Paul Pogba, told me that I was right.
"Because I didn't want to take Paul Pogba away. He [Ferguson] didn’t believe in Paul Pogba.
“So when Ferguson says, ‘I don’t like him’, it’s the biggest compliment that I could have. It’s like saying Sepp Blatter says, ‘I don’t like him’. Fantastic.
“I don’t care what Ferguson says.”
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