On this planet, when people talk about football agents, the first names that come to mind are Mendes and Raiola. Undoubtedly, they are the two most successful figures in the football world.
Mendes hardly needs an introduction. Cristiano Ronaldo is his flagship client, and under Ronaldo's influence, 80% of Portugal's national team players are also Mendes' clients.
Additionally, the iconic José Mourinho is also part of Mendes' roster.
In the original timeline, Mourinho was dismissed by Tottenham just two days before the League Cup final. Everyone thought Mourinho, having pocketed a hefty severance, would take a break. Yet, just 15 days later, he took over at Roma and eventually led them to win the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League!
This achievement made Mourinho the first coach in history to win the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League.
In this transfer, Mendes demonstrated his unmatched network, influence, and tactical expertise.
On the other hand, Raiola's roster is equally impressive.
From Zlatan IbrahimoviÄ, the "God," to Erling Haaland, the "Beast," to Paul Pogba, the "Dancer," and Gianluigi Donnarumma, the "Money Magnet," Raiola's clients are top-tier talents.
Raiola is often described simply: a player's angel but a club's nightmare.
To secure the best interests for his players, Raiola frequently offended managers like Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola, and even Jürgen Klopp, who would later coach Liverpool.
Among these, Guardiola was particularly vocal, once famously stating, "Raiola is like a dog."
However, Raiola's players adored him, treating him as a mentor and friend.
When Mario Balotelli's house caught fire, his first instinct wasn't to call the fire department but to call Raiola!
To outsiders, Raiola might seem less charismatic than Mendes and more prone to clashes with clubs.
Yet, this is precisely Raiola's brilliance.
He knew who his clients were and who he was working for. He didn't care about others' opinions as long as he secured the best interests for his players.
Raiola's famous quote was: "You run as fast as you can; Raiola will make you the best football star in the world."
Raiola's most successful transfer was undoubtedly Pogba's return to Manchester United.
In the summer of 2016, Pogba left Juventus to rejoin Manchester United for a then-world-record transfer fee of â¬105 million. After completing this blockbuster deal, Juventus paid Raiola â¬25 million in commission, United paid â¬22 million, and Pogba himself gave Raiola â¬2 million from his signing bonus. In total, Raiola pocketed â¬49 million in commission!
This is the stark contrast between ordinary agents and top-tier agents. Ordinary agents are squeezed by clubs and end up exploiting players to earn a living.
Top-tier agents, however, leverage clubs, creating win-win scenarios with their players and sometimes even benefiting all three parties involved.
Mendes and Raiola's distinct approaches to transfers led to vastly different outcomes.
When Mendes facilitated Ronaldo's move away from Manchester United, the club received â¬96 million in transfer fees. Fans still cherished Ronaldo and remembered him fondly after his departure.
In contrast, while Donnarumma now enjoys a lucrative salary at PSG, AC Milan fans harbor resentment towards him.
Even Zlatan IbrahimoviÄ hasn't escaped criticism, often labeled a "mercenary."
As a Chinese player, Ye Chen valued harmonious relationships, a philosophy deeply ingrained in his culture. Even if he were to leave Dortmund in the future, he wanted to do so gracefully.
But these were just Ye Chen's private thoughts, not something he would easily share.
Having experienced life twice, he wasn't about to entrust his future to a foreign agent lightly unless they truly won him over.
After a brief introduction, Watzke proposed a plan: let Raiola and Mendes each have ten minutes with Ye Chen, after which he would make his decision.
Meanwhile, Watzke needed to discuss the offers from major clubs with Klopp.
"I'll go first!" Raiola volunteered, believing in the principle of striking first for the best advantage.
"Okay, please," Mendes responded gentlemanly, though his demeanor didn't mean he was conceding. On the contrary, Mendes was determined to win this negotiation.
He understood the immense potential of the Chinese market better than anyone.
Mendes could confidently state that even Ronaldo's future influence in China would pale compared to Ye Chen's.
This wasn't an exaggerationâit was a matter of nationality. Ronaldo, no matter how great, was Portuguese. Ye Chen was Chinese.
It was akin to comparing Yao Ming and Kobe Bryant in terms of influence in China. Globally, Kobe's influence surpassed Yao's, but in China, Yao held a distinct advantage.
In the meeting room, Raiola looked at Ye Chen. "Before introducing myself, I'd like to learn more about you first."
"Go ahead," Ye Chen replied with a calm smile.
"Do you have a specific plan for your career?"
"Of course."
"Please share it briefly." Raiola put away his smile and pulled out a prepared notebook.
Ye Chen was choosing an agent, but Raiola was also evaluating a potential client. It was a mutual selection process.
"This year, I plan to help Dortmund defend the Bundesliga title. Next year, I'll aim for the Champions League while becoming the league's top scorer for both seasons and the Champions League's top scorer next season," Ye Chen said calmly.
"Are you sure that's your plan?" Raiola's mouth twitched. "Aren't Chinese people known for their humility? I think there's a difference between dreams and delusions."
"You should believe in my abilities," Ye Chen replied, still calm.
After scoring 12 goals in four matches, he had every reason to be confident.
"Alright. After winning the Champions League with the team, would you be willing to move to another club? If so, do you have a preferred league or team in mind?"
In Raiola's view, players should always prepare for their next transfer, so this question was essential.
But Ye Chen had lost interest in continuing the conversation.
Raiola's choice of wordsâ"with the team" rather than "leading the team"âmade it clear he didn't believe Ye Chen would be instrumental in achieving success.
Unaware, Raiola had just sealed his fate in Ye Chen's mind.
"I don't think we need to continue this discussion, Mr. Raiola," Ye Chen concluded. "Thank you for coming all the way to Dortmund, but this is the end for us."
Adults must learn to say no. Though Ye Chen's body was young, his soul was mature.
Raiola frowned, his chubby face showing displeasure. "Why? Ye, you need to stop boasting and focus on reality. Hard work is the key to success. While you've had a good season so far, winning the Bundesliga Golden Boot is unrealistic! Teams will figure you out, and even scoring 20 goals will be a challenge!"
"Ah, right, sure."