Mino Raiola fee for Paul Pogba move to Man United not too much - Juventus

Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta has defended the payment of a €27 million representation fee to Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola as part of the midfielder's transfer to Manchester United in the summer.

Raiola earned the sum when Pogba, 23, returned to United from Juve for a world-record fee of €105m in August.

Marotta says the fact that the France international's move was the biggest transfer in football history means the agent's slice was not extraordinary.

"We're talking about a deal over €100m and it's absolutely normal that whoever contributed to the operation's conclusion should receive a significant financial return," Marotta told Il Corriere della Sera.

Marotta added that Raiola had not only been acting in Pogba's interests, but also working to find the right solution for Juve, further justifying such a substantial payment.

"From being simply an advisor, agents have now become intermediaries who also work on behalf of the club," Marotta said. "They propose offers and conduct negotiations."

Deducting Raiola's fee, Juve still made a considerable profit on Pogba, as Marotta explained at the club's AGM last month.

"He [Pogba] came from United for a price of around €1.5m," Marotta said. "After four years with us he decided to return to England. He wanted to leave at all costs. Our asking price was €105m plus €5m in bonuses, which is payable if the player renews with United or leaves for a fee of more than €50m.

"That brings us to a capital gain in the budget of €95m. Mino Raiola and his company will be paid €27m. Taking fees into account, the total gain for Pogba was €72m."

Juve reinvested that profit plus a further €18m to sign Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli, while further investment in Miralem Pjanic and Marko Pjaca saw them spend more than any other club in Italy in the summer.

However, with an earning of €76m from last season's participation in the Champions League and further sources of revenue, the Turin-based club announced a profit for the second year running in 2015-16.

Ben Gladwell reports on Serie A, the Italian national team and the Bundesliga for ESPN FC, UEFA and the Press Association. @UEFAcomBenG.