Pep takes a shot at agent fees over Haa
GUARDIOLA ‘KNOWS ALL ABOUT THREAT OF DORTMUND’ – AND THEIR SPENDING...
PEP Guardiola reinforced City’s message for the summer transfer window as he brought up the amount of money paid to agents by Champions League opponents Borussia Dortmund.
City’s coach showed how seriously he is taking Tuesday’s quarter-final by watching Dortmund’s Bundesliga game with Eintracht Frankfurt a few hours before the Blues took on Leicester on Saturday.
And when asked about the dangers of the German side after the 2-0 Premier League victory, Guardiola decided to mention their significant contributions to player representatives.
“If one person knows in Manchester about Borussia Dortmund it is me,” the manager began.
“The culture of this club, the way they play and I will not find one single player from Borussia Dortmund without quality.
“They spend a lot of money on young players and pay a lot of money to agents to bring these players there because they have an incredible quality. Maybe they didn’t find this season the consistency in the Bundesliga to win every week but for two [knockout] games they are able to do anything.”
■ HOW MUCH DO DORTMUND PAY VS CITY?
Data released by the FA last week revealed that City had paid over £30m to agents in the 12 months up to February 2021 – the second-highest in the Premier League behind Chelsea.
Guardiola’s comments will likely raise eyebrows in Dortmund and elsewhere on the continent as the German side consider their options for the summer window.
City’s neighbours United pulled out of the battle to sign Erling Haaland in December 2019 because of their unwillingness to allow the player’s representatives, including super agent Mino Raiola, to secure a share from future sales of the striker as part of the transfer – Old Trafford insiders went as far as to describe it as ‘bad for the industry’ to allow an agent to effectively control a sell-on clause.
Both United and City are among the clubs interested in signing Haaland this summer from Dortmund, whose defeat to Frankfurt leaves them seven points short of the last Champions League spot for next season.
Raiola indicated this week that his personal relationship with Guardiola would not cost any deal, but also signalled some of the strings that would come attached to Haaland as he and the player’s father were photographed in Barcelona and Madrid hearing proposals ahead of the summer transfer window.
City are also renowned for being tough negotiators with their team led by Txiki Begiristain, and Guardiola followed up his comments from Friday that the Blues would not be held to ransom over a transfer fee by pointedly bringing up agent fees ahead of a Champions League quarter-final.