GUARDIOLA DIG AT DORTMUND ON AGENT FEES

PEP GUARDIOLA has accused Borussia Dortmund of ‘paying a lot to agents’ to secure the best young talent. The Manchester City manager described Dortmund’s squad as ‘incredible’ before the teams meet in tomorrow’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Etihad Stadium but his remark about the money spent by Dortmund on agents’ fees will raise eyebrows. ‘I will not find one single player from Borussia Dortmund without quality,’ Guardiola said. ‘They spent a lot of money on young players and pay a lot of money to agents to bring these players there because they have incredible quality.’ Guardiola’s comments come in the week Mino Raiola, who represents City’s top target Erling Haaland, started negotiating with interested clubs ahead of a possible summer move. Haaland cost around £17million when swapping Red Bull Salzburg for the Bundesliga two years ago and Raiola is understood to have been heavily remunerated for brokering the deal. The Italian super-agent is expected to earn significant money on the striker’s next move. City hope their ties with Haaland’s father Alfie — who played for the club for three years — will give them an edge. Guardiola declared on Friday that City would not be held to ransom as the chase for Haaland intensifies. City have spent £30.1million on agents in a year they signed Jorge Mendes’s client Ruben Dias and Guardiola agreed a new two-year contract. The Catalan’s observation about Dortmund’s spending on agents adds spice to tomorrow night’s encounter. Former City winger Jadon Sancho is set to miss a return to Manchester through injury, but Edin Terzic’s side boast teenager Gio Reyna, an ex-academy product at City’s partner club in New York. Guardiola watched Dortmund’s 2-1 home defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Andre Silva, who City have also scouted, scored Frankfurt’s late winner. ‘I have incredible respect for what Dortmund have done,’ he added. ‘I was in Germany three years and always they were a big opponent. ‘I know the quality — not just Haaland but Sancho and Marco Reus and (Mahmoud) Dahoud and (Mats) Hummels. ‘I saw their game and I was really impressed with the quality. When they can run, they kill you. We will try to be aggressive.’