name has been linked with Chelsea or Milan or the other top clubs in the world," says Aitor Karanka, who became friends with Campos while working alongside him at Real Madrid.

"When you look at the players who he signed at Monaco and Lille, the difference between the price they had and the price they have now is amazing. He's one of the best."

Even before he had laid the foundations for Monaco's sensational Ligue 1 title win in 2017, Campos was a source of fascination in France, with headlines variously describing him as "the invisible man" or "the mysterious Mister Campos."

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Having followed up his successes at Monaco by helping to propel Lille into the Champions League, Campos now enjoys a much bigger profile, but despite the occasionaltelevision appearance, an air of mystery remains. So who is the man with the Midas touch in the transfer market? And what are the secrets of his phenomenal hit rate?

Before he became one of football's leading transfer masterminds, Luis Campos was a manager. And not a very successful one.

Born in Fao, a small coastal town of 3,000 people in northern Portugal, Campos played football throughout his youth before going on to study physical education at the University of Porto—a course that took him down the same path as his compatriots Jose Mourinho and Carlos Queiroz, who attended the University of Lisbon.

While pursuing his studies, he turned out for local club AS Esposende and tried his hand at youth coaching. After graduating, he hung up his boots and joined