Meet Erling Haaland’s agent dubbed ‘Queen of the transfer market’ who broke down in tears on Man City star’s debut
ERLING HAALAND’S time at Manchester City has been laden with trophies.
But with three years remaining on his contract, the Etihad giants will be keen on opening negotiations over a new deal shortly.
Haaland has remained tight-lipped on his future amid links with Real Madrid.
And one person set to play a huge role in deciding his future is super agent Rafaela Pimenta.
Dubbed the “Queen of the transfer market”, she looks after a host of stars from Paul Pogba and Matthjis de Ligt to Marco Verratti and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Pimenta, 51, hails from Brazil and became a lawyer in her homeland before joining the late Mino Raiola’s football agency 18 years ago.
Following his death two years ago aged 54, Pimenta took charge of his One organisation.
At the time, they catered for a portfolio of players with a reported market value of over £1billion before other agencies poached some stars away.
Pimenta now looks after a smaller pool of stars, which also includes new Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
But Pimenta’s No1 personal client is undoubtedly Haaland.
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She oversaw his transfers to RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund before securing 2022’s switch to Manchester City.
Haaland has gone on to score 90 goals in 98 games for the English giants while winning two titles, an FA Cup and the Champions League.
And Pimenta admits she was left in tears when the Norwegian made his City debut, with Raiola’s untimely death still painful at the time.
She told Flash Score: “Haaland has been our customer for years and years. We were the ones who made the transfer to Borussia Dortmund.
“And, from the moment Mino was no longer there, it was as if, from one day to the next, I had to take care of him.
“When we were carrying out this transfer, it was a very difficult time for me…
“Very complicated because Mino wasn’t there. All the transfers I’ve made in my life I’ve made with Mino.
“From my perspective, the Haaland transfer tasted bittersweet. In other words, sweet and bitter at the same time. And why was that? Because Mino wasn’t there.
“And I would have loved to have been with him at that moment, at the time of the transfer, at the time of the signing and especially at the time of Haaland’s first match.
“That match was a moment of joy for everyone. But personally, I had tears in my eyes because I was thinking about Mino.”
Rafaela Pimenta's top clients
- Erling Haaland, Man City
- Paul Pogba, Juventus
- Matthijs de Ligt, Bayern Munich
- Noussair Mazraoui, Bayern Munich
- Marco Verratti, Al-Arabi
- Alphonse Areola, West Ham
- Henrik Mkhitaryan, Inter Milan
- Eric Bailly, Villarreal
- Kasper Dolberg, Anderlecht
- Arne Slot, Liverpool