Giacomo Bonaventura’s agent, Enzo Raiola, has shed light on the midfielder’s recent move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Shabab. The 35-year-old Italian, who joined the club after his contract with Fiorentina expired, has already made an impact with a goal and two assists in his first few appearances.
Raiola explained how the transfer came about in an interview with Calciomercato: “During the Italian Supercup in Riyadh, Fiorentina trained at Al-Shabab’s sports center. There, Bonaventura met the club’s sporting director, the Italian Domenico Teti.”
The agent continued, “Teti had been interested for some time and had already asked me about Jack’s future plans. During those days, the player was impressed by both the city of Riyadh and the club. He also had a positive impression of the sporting director.”
A fortuitous market opportunity also played a role. Raiola recounted, “As soon as I saw that Al-Shabab had sold Rakitic, I called Teti. He immediately asked if I was calling about Jack, admitting he was about to do the same. After that call, the real negotiation began.”
Despite interest from Serie A and other European leagues, Bonaventura was particularly impressed by his initial meeting with Teti, which was a decisive factor in accepting their offer.
The negotiation process was slightly prolonged due to the need for approval from the Ministry of Sport. To facilitate the deal and allow Bonaventura to familiarize himself with the team, Teti invited them to Tenerife where the squad was in training camp.
Raiola praised Teti’s role in the transfer: “It was crucial. He took a risk because an Italian signing an Italian player could be viewed negatively, but now he’s rightly taking all the credit for a successful operation.”
The agent also noted that Bonaventura is adapting well to his new environment, despite the high temperatures and humidity. He expects the player’s performance to improve further as the climate becomes more favorable.
