adminLONDON. — Mino Raiola has splashed out £7million on Al Capone’s Miami villa after earning nearly three times that amount from the sale of Paul Pogba to Manchester United. The Italian-born Dutch agent reportedly raked in £43.6m from his dealings with superstars this summer. The 48-year-old super agent, who also did deals for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to move to Old Trafford, cashed in when Jose Mourinho sanctioned a world record £100m move for the Juventus star.Now, arguably the most notorious agent in the world – move over Jorge Mendes – has purchased one of the most iconic properties of the last century.
Raiola wasted no time spending his summer windfall, having completed the purchase of the stunning 6 077-square-foot south Florida property, which was once owned by the notorious gangster.
The Italian-born Dutch agent will pocket up to £20m from the deal which saw Pogba return to Manchester after a four-year spell in Serie A.
Raiola has decided to spend some of his fee – which was covered by United – on the historic former residence of Capone, which is actually a collection of three houses – a gatehouse, a main villa and a cabana overlooking a large private pool and Biscayne Bay.
Capone paid $40 000 for the family retreat back in 1928, although a restoration project worth more than £1m helped re-establish its Prohibition-era grandeur in 2015.
Now named 93 Palm, the seven-bedroom property still has some original light fixtures, a red coral bridge over an outdoor pond and a private dock.
Other features include a mini private beach, a seven-foot wall encircling the entire property, an Art Deco powder room and a floor-to-ceiling mosaic bathroom.
After Capone died in 1947, the property remained in his family until sometime in the 1970s, when it was bought by Henry Morrison, a Delta Airlines pilot.
After falling into disrepair during the 1980s, the house had a new drainage system installed, beams replaced and a ventilation system added before being put back on the market for nearly $10 million in 2011.
According to reports in Italy, Raiola’s deal for the property was completed by Proto Group, a global real estate and finance business which also offers wealth management and business consulting services.
Italian website Panorama claim that Raiola’s budget for the property was actually more than £11m, but a ‘bond’ with the Capone family allowed him to strike a more favourable deal.
Raiola has enjoyed a busy summer so far, although the futures of two of his most high-profile clients are yet to be decided.
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli has been told he can leave the club by Jurgen Klopp, but he is yet to seal a move elsewhere, with Turkish side Besiktas being put off by the former AC Milan star’s wage demands.
Raiola also looks after Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, who is a target for Chelsea boss Antonio Conte. The Toffees, however, are hoping to agree a new contract with the Belgium international in the coming months.
Raiola played a major role in Pogba’s return to Manchester this summer, helping ensure a record-breaking deal between United and Italian champions Juve was agreed after weeks of talks. — The Daily Mail.
Online Reporter