Football Agent Ruined Player's Dream Move To Arsenal, Now He's In Jail

Mogi Bayat is a football agent currently spending his time in prison for his part in money laundering and match-fixing.

Oh, and it is because of the 44-year-old Iranian-born agent that one of his former clients failed to complete his 'dream' move to Arsenal.

Enter Nabil Jaadi, the former Anderlecht star who caught the interest of former Gunners manager Arsène Wenger in January 2014.

When Jaadi was 17, the Belgium-born midfielder's contract would expire with the club in the summer and the Premier League side had come calling for him.

Speaking to DH, Jaadi revealed why his transfer to the Gunners failed to materialise.

"At Anderlecht, they told me that if I wanted to negotiate with them, I had to take Mogi as my agent," he said.

"I was young and I accepted straight away, especially as he had a good reputation. Anderlecht were offering me a five-year deal. I had a few days left in the window and I met Mogi.

"There were four offers: Arsenal, Liverpool, Inter [Milan] and [AC] Milan. He told me to choose my club and he'd sort it all.

"I chose Arsenal as they are a club that always made me dream and played youngsters. I really thought I would sign there.

"The days passed and nothing was happening, until the last day when Mogi called and told me we were going to Italy and signing for Udinese."

Jaadi signed with the Italian club in 2014 and had been sent out on loan multiple times, ranging from Latina and Club Recreativo Granada to Ascoli Calcio and Olhanense.

Sport Witness reports that the player has ended his contract with the club in August. Not everything is bleak for the 22-year-old footballer, who is currently looking for a new club.

Jaadi has traded in Bayat for Mino Raiolam, the same agent who represents players like Zlatan Ibrahimović and Paul Pogba.

According to Jaadi, he does regret making the move away from the Belgian club.

"I'd extend my contract at Anderlecht," he said.

Is there still time for Jaadi to sign for Arsenal?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football News, Football, Anderlecht, Arsenal

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

@AdnanRiaz9