Erling Haaland is a €1 billion striker, says agent

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By Martin Graham | 21st Feb 2023

Erling Haaland’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, has claimed that her client should be worth a billion in today’s transfer market.

Pimenta, a lawyer by trade, took over the management of Erling Haaland after his agent, Mino Raiola, passed away in 2022. Having worked with the late super agent on matters pertaining to Haaland and his other clients, the Haaland family trusted the Brazilian lawyer to handle his affairs, as did most of Raiola’s clients, including Paul Pogba.

She was instrumental in completing the deal for Haaland to join Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022 and has helped her client settle into the country and the league.

The 22-year-old, on the other hand, has lived up to the billing, putting in a monstrous shift that has seen him go far ahead in the lead for the European golden shoe as well as obliterate the competition for the Premier League’s golden boot in less than one season.

Haaland’s haul of 26 goals in 24 game weeks is already three more than the total which Mohamed Salah and Heung-Min Son both scored to win the league’s golden boot last season. With 14 game weeks to go, he is on course to hit 40, which will obliterate every existing scoring record in the league.

This performance has led to Pimenta praising her client and claiming that he is worth a billion in today’s transfer window, giving a hint to any potential suitors of what it could cost to sign the Norwegian.

“Erling Haaland is worth €1 billion. That’s not a guess, I’m sure of it,” Pimenta told French broadcaster Telefoot. “They might say I’m being ridiculous, that a club is not going to pay a billion, but his age, his quality, his progression and the way he behaves is why I talk about a billion.

“The future is unknown, but it’s coming.”

The future has Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in view for Haaland, who chose Manchester City despite Florentino Perez’s efforts to sign him for the 14-time UEFA Champions League winners, Madrid, in the summer.

Los Blancos are still believed to hold an interest in the Norwegian and hope to sign him as a future replacement for the ageing Karim Benzema, whose season has been marred by fitness issues.

PSG, on the other hand, are reportedly close to losing both Neymar and Lionel Messi in the summer which means that they will need another player with a profile as big as those two should they both exit Parc De Princes come June/July 2023.

A good relationship with Pimenta could make the move a reality for PSG, as they have dealt with her in the past thanks to her involvement with Marco Verratti and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who she both has under her wings as clients now following Raiola’s demise.

Pimenta was also asked about the future of Verratti at PSG and if the player sees himself elsewhere.

“It’s impossible to imagine Verratti anywhere else. Never! He just loves PSG,” she said.

That will come as a big blow to clubs like Juventus and Barcelona who have tried to attract the 30-year-old Italian’s services in the past.