Chapter 121: Transfer Battle! Two Young Talents, Secured!
Ever since his promotion to Head of Scouting, Gary Worthington had been constantly busy.
Yang Cheng had high standards for the scouting department's work, pushing him to quickly establish a comprehensive scouting network.
France was a vital part of that network.
As a hotbed of youth talent, French football had long been a crucial supplier of players to the Premier League.
For instance, Arsène Wenger of Arsenal was famously fond of poaching young players from France.
Gary Worthington couldn't afford to be careless.
The club poured a considerable sum into the scouting department every year, and he had to show tangible results to convince the board—
Especially that moneybags from the executive team.
She was now practically the future boss's wife.
When it came to Yang Cheng, everyone at Bayswater Chinese FC, including Gary Worthington, revered him almost like a god.
And by extension, they all held a favorable view of Xia Qing.
Accompanied by a scout based in the Paris region, Gary Worthington got into a Citroën and headed east.
Their destination was Torcy.
It was an area heavily populated by African immigrants.
"Are we doing everything online now?" asked the French scout, Emmanuel, with a slightly disgruntled tone.
"Of course. Our headquarters in London invested over a million pounds into building a full database. We even hired professional software engineers to write a management system, all to facilitate online operations," Gary replied sternly, conveying the club's expectations.
Paperless operations—that was Yang Cheng's demand.
"Those video tapes you guys used to send? Terrible quality, poorly burned, and always full of issues. Now we just use the internet to transfer everything. Isn't that way more convenient?"
"But now we've got to carry around laptops. Such a hassle," Emmanuel muttered.
"You'll get used to it. Smartphones will get more advanced. Someday, a single phone will handle everything—from filming to data entry, the whole process."
"Really? Sounds like science fiction. When's that gonna happen?" Emmanuel laughed, clearly unconvinced.
Those so-called smartphones from Nokia? Meh.
He had heard something about an American company called Apple releasing a phone, but barely anyone was using it. It didn't even support 3G. Seemed like nothing more than a gimmick—big screen, easy to break, expensive, and impractical.
Gary Worthington didn't want to linger on the topic.
What little he knew had come from Yang Cheng anyway.
How it would all be realized in the future? He didn't know either.
But in front of his subordinates, he couldn't show uncertainty.
"Quit whining and get to work."
"Aren't we already driving?" Emmanuel chuckled.
They chatted and laughed as they drove the 25 kilometers to Torcy.
Emmanuel had already checked the map. After a few turns, they arrived at a club surrounded by a residential area.
The club had two standard football fields, with a row of low buildings between them.
Those buildings served as changing rooms, equipment storage, and administrative offices.
Gary Worthington also noticed an athletics track beside the field on the east side.
"That's for the community sports events. Both the government and local community provide subsidies," Emmanuel explained.
Gary nodded.
Only those with experience in youth development would understand what it meant to "have policies from above and countermeasures from below."
Working at the grassroots level in youth training was always a messy affair.
Legit?
Most wouldn't survive.
Even Bayswater Chinese FC's satellite training centers, which were considered fairly professional—
Still weren't quite grassroots.
They were still scouting talent from the truly grassroots clubs.
"See that iron fence across the track?"
As they got out of the car, Emmanuel pointed to a locked iron gate in the distance.
Beyond it was another field, much smaller—about half the size of a standard football pitch.
"There's another youth training club there. It's called Roissy-en-Brie."
"What's the relationship between the two?"
"Not sure," Emmanuel shook his head. "But they must be related. They're practically next door."
"Roissy-en-Brie mainly takes in poor Black kids and gives them basic football training."
"If someone shows promise, Torcy will pick them up for more advanced development, then send them to professional clubs for trials. If they get chosen, they're transferred without conditions."
Gary Worthington nodded. "Then Torcy gets a cut of the transfer fee later."
"Exactly. In '05, Torcy had a player named Christopher Jullien—born in '93. He was outstanding among his peers and got picked up by Auxerre."
"In '04, Roissy-en-Brie had a young Black kid named Nicolas Isimat-Mirin. He was really good too and was taken to Clairefontaine. Three years later, he joined Rennes this summer."
Gary looked at the French scout with newfound respect. "You really know your stuff."
He was in his early thirties, but sharp and savvy.
Most importantly, he had great sources.
"This is our livelihood. If we didn't know the details, we couldn't survive."
They continued their chat as they approached the low buildings. Emmanuel gave Gary another reminder.
"When we meet Sambou Tati—he's the owner of Torcy—be careful with the contract. Read it closely. Best to have a proper lawyer look it over, just to avoid any trouble."
Gary gave him a deep look and nodded.
Mentally, he made another note: this scout's a decent guy.
In grassroots football, there were endless tricks and schemes.
And Gary, being a scout himself, had seen it all.
France, the UK—it was all the same.
Only the specifics varied by country.
The most nightmarish region? Latin America. Total chaos.
…
This trip, Gary Worthington's main target was a player.
Paul Pogba.
Born in '93, just 13 years old now.
But that was fine—FIFA wasn't cracking down too hard yet, and there were plenty of ways around the rules.
However, when they met Sambou Tati, the man seemed to be raising the price a bit.
He claimed that Le Havre was also interested in Paul Pogba, though he deeply resented the club.
Why?
Because they hadn't even contacted Torcy and went straight to Pogba instead.
That was a clear breach of etiquette!
Emmanuel immediately cursed Le Havre a bit and quickly convinced Sambou Tati to agree to Pogba's transfer to Bayswater Chinese FC.
But whether it would go through or not depended on convincing the player himself.
Of course, even with these youth "transfers," there still had to be a formal contract.
That would serve as the legal basis for Torcy's future cut of the transfer fee.
A man's name carries weight, just like a tree's shadow.
As the reigning Premier League champions and a rising legend in European football, Bayswater Chinese FC carried significant clout.
Far more than a Ligue 2 team like Le Havre could dream of.
More importantly, Yang Cheng had publicly stated he'd invest tens of millions of pounds into youth development, making headlines across Europe.
Now, everyone knew that Bayswater Chinese FC had deep pockets and cared about youth development.
Their first team had the youngest average age not only in the Premier League but among all five major European leagues.
Sambou Tati would love nothing more than to see Paul Pogba join their academy.
So, he made a call and had Pogba and his mother come over to meet with Gary Worthington face to face.
On one side was a Ligue 2 team. On the other, the Premier League champions. How to choose?
Both clubs required Pogba to leave home, but one was in London on the western side of the English Channel, and the other was on the French west coast, on the eastern side.
The biggest obstacle was actually the language.
Gary Worthington explained that Bayswater Chinese FC already had a complete and well-developed player resettlement program.
Upon arriving in London, Pogba could live directly at the Brent Training Base.
He would attend school like other kids his age.
Worried about the language barrier?
No problem—Bayswater Chinese FC would assign a dedicated English tutor to him.
School, academic classes, and cultural education—none of it needed to be a concern. The club placed great importance on all of it.
In addition, outstanding young players like Pogba, who were specially selected, would receive various perks from Bayswater Chinese FC, such as scholarships, monthly pocket money stipends, and even round-trip plane tickets.
All these conditions sounded far superior to what Le Havre was offering.
And the club was significantly larger.
So, Pogba and his mother almost agreed on the spot.
Seeing they were moved, Gary Worthington struck while the iron was hot.
In a few days, the club would be holding a selection day, where many talented players from around the world, as well as top British prospects, would participate in tryouts.
Pogba could attend, and Bayswater Chinese FC would cover all travel expenses for him and his family, including airfare and accommodation in London.
As soon as they heard this, they didn't hesitate any longer.
They wanted to see London in person before making the final decision.
Once everything was discussed and agreed upon, Gary Worthington exchanged contact details and finally left the Torcy club.
After getting into the car, he took out his phone and sent a text message to Yang Cheng, who was far away in China.
"Pogba—secured."
…
Wales, about 10 kilometers north of Cardiff.
Caerphilly Castle was one of the most famous tourist attractions in the UK and the symbol of the town of Caerphilly.
The entire town was essentially built around this castle.
Roughly 300 meters north of the castle stood Virginia Park—
The liveliest park in town.
Every day, children—boys and girls alike—ran around and played on the grass, and many of them played football here, sometimes even organizing matches.
A football club named after Caerphilly Castle operated here as well, training local kids in the park.
Aaron Ramsey was the football star of the small town.
When he was just eight years old, he competed in the Welsh Youth Football Championship and performed so well that he caught the attention of many clubs—including Cardiff City and even Newcastle United.
But in the end, he chose Cardiff, just 10 kilometers to the south.
Though it was a Welsh team, Cardiff played in the English league system.
Since 1998, Aaron Ramsey had been splitting his time between Cardiff and Caerphilly.
Unknowingly, eight years had passed.
He was now sixteen.
In the 45th round of last season's Championship, in a home game against Hull City, head coach Dave Jones sent him on as a substitute in the final minute.
The score at the time was 0–1.
He only played for one minute before the match ended.
But that one minute was extraordinary—for both Aaron Ramsey and for Cardiff City.
He broke the record set by John Benjamin Toshack to become the youngest player ever to appear in a match for Cardiff City.
16 years and 124 days.
Toshack was the pride of Cardiff. He had a prestigious playing career, representing Cardiff and Liverpool. After retirement, he went on to coach Swansea, Sporting Lisbon, Real Madrid, the Wales national team, and Deportivo La Coruña.
Now, he was managing the Welsh national team for a second time.
That one minute symbolized Cardiff's expectations for Aaron Ramsey.
Aaron was also a key player for Wales' U17 national team.
Not long ago, Brian Flynn, the coach of the Wales U21 national team, gave him a call, asking him to prepare—
He planned to take Ramsey to the U21 team's training camp in Sweden this August.
This news thrilled Aaron Ramsey.
He had joined the U17s at fifteen and was now making the U21s at sixteen.
He felt incredibly honored.
Thanks to his outstanding talent and strong resume, Aaron Ramsey had become a local celebrity.
Especially when he played at Virginia Park, people often came over to say hello.
Some would even strike up conversations about Cardiff or Welsh football.
Lately, the biggest name among Welsh players was Gareth Bale, who played for Bayswater Chinese FC.
Since Yang Cheng converted him into a left winger, Bale had completely unleashed his potential.
Many people were saying he would become the pride of Wales.
"You too!"
Whenever Gareth Bale was brought up, people would always follow up by encouraging Aaron Ramsey.
They'd ask him about Cardiff, vent their frustrations about the decline of Welsh football.
Due to historical reasons, three Welsh clubs played in the English league system.
But their results were disappointing.
Cardiff performed the best of the three, but even they only ranked mid-table—or slightly below—in the Championship.
In the recently concluded 2006/07 season, Rotherham, who competed in League One (the third tier), were relegated.
Another hopeful team, Swansea, finished seventh in League One—failing to secure promotion.
This deeply disappointed the Welsh fans.
The performances of the three Welsh clubs were growing worse.
Meanwhile, English players were only getting stronger.
People couldn't help but lament the widening gap, and they kept telling Aaron Ramsey—
If you get the chance, move to a better club. Ideally, the Premier League.
Just like Gareth Bale.
If Bale had stayed at Southampton, could he have become the star he is now? Could he have been this good?
"Don't joke around. I've still got a long way to go. No club's even interested in me," Aaron Ramsey said modestly.
And once again, those around him showered him with praise.
Deep down, the dream of reaching the Premier League lived in the young man's heart.
Even though he was only sixteen.
He didn't tell the people who cared about him—
That Premier League clubs were already watching.
Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle, Chelsea—
All of them had been closely monitoring his every move.
Even Everton.
Before last season even ended, Everton had sent someone to Cardiff to negotiate.
They offered £1 million to sign Aaron Ramsey.
But Cardiff rejected the offer.
They explained the reason to Aaron and his family.
Everton's actual upfront offer was only £200,000.
The remaining £800,000 was contingent upon performance—appearances, goals, assists, and other criteria.
At most, they'd receive £800,000.
That was absolutely unacceptable to Cardiff.
There was also another unnamed Premier League club from London—who made a similar offer.
Cardiff rejected that too.
Aaron Ramsey couldn't help but wonder—was that club Bayswater Chinese FC, the team Gareth Bale played for?
He didn't know.
From what he'd heard, both clubs were taking a cautious stance on him.
After all, he was just sixteen.
His transfer market valuation was only £50,000.
An upfront offer of £200,000—four times the estimated value—
Was actually quite a reasonable bid.
But Cardiff was currently short on cash, and they didn't want to sell their top young star at that price.
Aaron Ramsey understood the club and was grateful for the careful development he'd received at Cardiff over the past eight years.
So, he was more than willing to leave the club with some money when he departed.
Exactly how much, that would depend on how Cardiff handled the negotiations.
If the summer transfer didn't go through, Cardiff planned to promote him to the first team, letting him gain experience in the Championship and improve his ability from there.
As long as he performed well, there would be no shortage of clubs interested.
That's why, even during the holidays, Aaron Ramsey would go to Virginia Park to train on his own.
While the young Welshman was diligently keeping up his training, a sedan pulled up at the entrance of Virginia Park, and a middle-aged man stepped out, calling his name from afar.
"Aaron! Aaron, come here!"
Aaron looked over and realized it was his father, Glyn Ramsey.
His mother, Marlene, was still sitting in the car.
He was a bit surprised, but quickly flicked the ball up and ran over to his father.
"We just got a call from the club. They want us to head over right away," Glyn said as he opened the car door and ushered Aaron inside, closing the door behind him.
Once they were in the car, they headed straight south toward Cardiff.
"What's going on, Dad?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I heard another London club made an offer."
Aaron Ramsey's heart skipped a beat.
He had some nerves about a possible transfer.
"Don't worry, Aaron. It's Bayswater Chinese FC."
"Huh?" Aaron was stunned. "The club Gareth Bale plays for?"
"That's the one."
"Cardiff agreed?"
"Seems like it. Otherwise, why would they ask us to come in?"
"How much was the offer?"
"I heard it's a million pounds."
"That's about the same as Everton and Liverpool."
"Not quite, Aaron. They're all a million pounds, but this time it's reportedly a full upfront payment."
In the young boy's mind, he didn't yet fully grasp the difference. If it's a million either way, what does it matter if it's paid in one go or in installments?
He had only heard that when deals were paid in installments, the other party could easily play games or back out.
"They're the Premier League champions. Can I really make it?" Aaron still had doubts.
"You're a champion too, Aaron," his mother said with a smile, turning around from the front passenger seat.
"That's right—winner of the 2005 Welsh Schools Pentathlon, and fourth place in last year's UK U17 Pentathlon. That's already an incredible achievement," Glyn added proudly.
The pentathlon was a highly comprehensive sport.
The 100-meter sprint tested speed and explosiveness. Long jump tested explosiveness and coordination. Shot put tested strength and power. High jump tested flexibility and explosiveness.
And finally, the 1000-meter run tested endurance and speed.
It was a true all-around challenge, demanding excellence in every physical attribute.
To place well in such a demanding sport proved that Aaron Ramsey possessed exceptional athletic talent—
Thanks, in part, to the genes inherited from Glyn and Marlene.
…
The Ramsey family arrived in Cardiff.
Before long, they met with a representative from Bayswater Chinese FC:
Chief Talent Officer Mike Rigg.
The friendly, smiling Englishman informed the Ramseys that Cardiff had agreed to the offer.
One million pounds—Aaron Ramsey officially belonged to Bayswater Chinese FC.
The only thing left was to negotiate contract terms.
Aaron's parents were thrilled.
Even though Bayswater Chinese FC had only recently risen to prominence, they were the reigning Premier League champions.
And Gareth Bale had developed fantastically at the club, even making it to the national team.
That left a very good first impression.
Aaron Ramsey wasn't too concerned about salary. He left those details to his parents.
He only cared about one thing.
"Will I get to play in matches?"
Mike Rigg smiled and nodded. "You were personally named by our head coach—and also our club owner—Mr. Yang Cheng. He'll definitely give you the training path that suits you best, just like he did for Gareth Bale."
Aaron Ramsey relaxed a little after hearing that.
"In our first team, we actually don't carry a large squad. Unlike other clubs that fill up 25 roster spots and still have a bunch of young players unregistered, we're not like that."
"For the past few seasons, our first-team squad has stayed at exactly 25 registered players. That ensures every player gets plenty of game time and opportunities. Only through consistent match experience can a player grow and improve."
Glyn and Marlene Ramsey nodded continuously.
Now that was professionalism!
"You know, last season we had quite a packed schedule—Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, FA Cup. We play a lot of matches every year, so we usually give League Cup and FA Cup games to our younger players, and they've performed brilliantly."
Mike Rigg then turned to Aaron with a small smile. "You'll definitely get appearances in the League Cup and FA Cup. When that time comes, I hope you'll give it your all."
After years of working with Yang Cheng, Mike Rigg had full faith in the man's judgment.
More importantly, Aaron Ramsey had already shown incredible talent from a young age.
Not only was he a pentathlon champion, he also possessed rare qualities for a British player—
Superb footwork and exceptional creativity.
Those were in short supply.
That's why the Big Four, as well as clubs like Everton and Tottenham, had all been watching Aaron Ramsey closely.
So why hadn't they made a move?
Because they had already tried.
Cardiff rejected their £1 million offers.
Should they offer more?
Those clubs didn't have that kind of spare cash lying around.
Not to boast, but among Premier League clubs, the only one willing to put up £1 million cash upfront for a 16-year-old prospect was probably Bayswater Chinese FC.
Sure, Manchester United and Chelsea had money—but would they really spend it like that?
Arsenal and Liverpool?
They were nearly broke.
Transfer fees had to be squeezed out of thin air, stretched, delayed, and deferred.
That's why Cardiff agreed to sell to Bayswater Chinese FC.
"Mr. Yang asked me to tell you to prepare for preseason training with the team. Also, we'll be heading to Asia later this year, so you'll need to get a few things sorted ahead of time."
Aaron Ramsey nodded quietly.
He still felt a little dazed, barely able to believe it.
I'm really going to the Premier League?
…
Yang Cheng was still in China, yet he was already remotely directing the transfer operations in Europe.
Adam Crozier was stationed in London, handling negotiations with clubs looking to poach their players.
The main focus was Ashley Young and Gökhan Inler.
Of the two, only Manchester City was showing interest in Gökhan Inler.
According to Yang Cheng, he didn't really want to sell Inler.
The Swiss midfielder was solid on both ends of the pitch, with decent passing and a tough playing style—
A very capable all-around midfielder.
Last season, Inler had contributed goals and even secured points for the team multiple times.
But Manchester City was offering too much.
They weren't just offering him a starting role; they were also pitching their ambitions to the Swiss midfielder.
Ever since they received investment from former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, City had set their sights high—
Their transfer targets included young talent like Fiorentina's Valeri Bojinov and Atlético Madrid's powerhouse winger Martin Petrov.
There were also players like Elano from Shakhtar Donetsk and Corluka from Dinamo Zagreb—both hot commodities on the European transfer market.
Every one of these players came with a hefty price tag.
Gökhan Inler was tempted.
He believed that under the management of the Thai Prime Minister, Manchester City might become the next Chelsea.
So he conveyed his desire to leave through his agent to Bayswater Chinese FC.
Adam Crozier discussed the matter with Yang Cheng.
Yang Cheng even called Gökhan Inler personally, hoping to persuade him to stay.
With both the Champions League and the Premier League to compete in next season, they desperately needed reliable players like Inler in the rotation.
But the Swiss midfielder still wished to leave.
He believed he already had the strength to be the starting midfielder at a Premier League club—especially one as ambitious as Manchester City.
He longed to prove himself.
And since things had reached that point, what else could Yang Cheng say besides wishing him the best?
Adam Crozier then began negotiations with Manchester City.
And indeed, Thaksin Shinawatra had invested real money.
After several rounds of talks, Manchester City eventually signed Gökhan Inler from Bayswater Chinese FC for £13 million.
After the Inler deal was finalized, Bayswater Chinese FC quickly responded.
Mike Rigg flew to Switzerland personally and negotiated with FC Basel for two days.
In the end, they signed 18-year-old midfield prodigy Ivan Rakitić—who holds both Croatian and Swiss citizenship—for a transfer fee of £3.5 million.
Last season in the Swiss Super League, Rakitić played 33 matches for a total of 2,282 minutes, scoring 11 goals.
In the first 11 rounds, he was mostly used as a substitute.
But over the final 25 matches, after becoming a starter, he netted 11 goals and provided 1 assist—an eye-catching performance.
This outstanding display attracted the attention of numerous Bundesliga clubs.
But Bayswater Chinese FC swooped in and snapped up the young talent for £3.5 million.
It's worth mentioning that when Yang Cheng decided to sell Inler, he had also considered Bayern's Toni Kroos.
The young German was set to be promoted to the first team this season.
But after much deliberation, Yang Cheng chose not to make a move—at least not yet.
With a player like Toni Kroos, and considering Yang Cheng's high-profile status, it was all or nothing—
Either you make a bid and secure him, or you don't make a move at all. There likely wouldn't be a second chance.
…
Unlike previous years, the 2007 European summer transfer window could only be described as chaotic and unpredictable.
Everyone involved—players, clubs, managers—was finding it difficult to see the full picture.
In the Premier League, Thaksin's heavy investment in Manchester City made waves. He declared an initial outlay of £50 million, and if that wasn't enough, he'd add more.
Chelsea still had cash in hand and were eyeing their targets like a hungry predator.
After missing out on Champions League qualification for two consecutive seasons, Wenger's Arsenal was finally ready to increase spending.
Meanwhile, Liverpool, runners-up in last season's Champions League, were more ambitious than ever.
La Liga wasn't any calmer.
Real Madrid had beaten Barcelona to finally lift the league trophy after years, and President Calderón was brimming with ambition.
He launched a move for Chelsea winger Robben and publicly targeted Kaka as well, declaring that he would bring in two global superstars this summer.
Barcelona, having lost the league title and with their Dream Team II showing signs of crumbling, saw both Laporta and Rijkaard commit to increasing investment.
But the biggest surprise came from Atlético Madrid.
The Colchoneros had been lackluster for years, but this summer, they too ramped up their transfer spending.
Over in Serie A, Inter Milan's president Massimo Moratti was determined to conquer the Champions League. He increased investment to further solidify Inter's dominance in the league while also launching an assault on European glory.
However, with Juventus now back in Serie A, the Bianconeri immediately became one of the most closely watched teams in the transfer market.
Their first signing was Hasan Salihamidžić on a free transfer from Bayern Munich—
Firing the first shot of Juve's return to Italy's top flight.
From the Premier League to La Liga to Serie A, European football had become a boiling cauldron of chaos.
The entire transfer market was in disarray and incredibly hard to decipher.
It was around this time—starting in late June—that a new rumor began to spread in the European football world:
A center-back shortage.
At first, no one paid much attention.
Shortage of center-backs? How could that be?
There were so many top-tier defenders in European football. How could they be running short?
But gradually, people started to realize something wasn't right.
Chelsea were in need of a center-back—everyone knew that.
Arsenal lacked center-backs. Liverpool too.
In La Liga, both Real Madrid and Barcelona were short on center-backs.
In Serie A, Inter Milan and Juventus were both in the market for defenders.
At first, everyone thought it was just hype and fear-mongering—until someone looked closer.
And it became clear that most of Europe's top clubs were, in fact, short on center-backs.
When all the elite clubs simultaneously need a specific position, that position inevitably becomes the most sought-after commodity on the transfer market.
At that moment, the most coveted center-back in Europe was none other than Cristian Chivu from Roma.
How hot was Chivu?
Juventus and Inter Milan from Serie A, Real Madrid and Barcelona from La Liga, and Chelsea from the Premier League—
Five wealthy superclubs were all targeting the Roma defender.
This caused Chivu's transfer fee to skyrocket—reaching €18 million.
And yet that wasn't all.
As the bidding frenzy intensified, Chivu's agent, Giovanni Becali, made a bold demand:
Any club that wanted to sign Chivu would have to offer a net annual salary of €5 million.
Whoever paid that—got the player.
It was madness.
The transfer market was spiraling into panic.
Especially for clubs that urgently needed defenders.
The fastest to react was Barcelona.
Laporta quickly shifted his focus—abandoning the pursuit of Chivu—
And instead executed a swift €20.5 million deal to sign Gabriel Milito from Real Zaragoza.
By the way, Milito refused a transfer to Real Madrid.
Back when he first arrived in La Liga from Argentina, he was originally set to join Madrid—
But they pulled out after his medical, forcing him to join Zaragoza instead.
Because of that, he had no interest in going to Madrid again.
Which indirectly benefited Barcelona.
Since Milito wouldn't go to Real, Barça became the next best option.
Even so, Barcelona still paid €20.5 million for a player whose market value was only €14 million—
A massive overpayment.
It clearly showed how chaotic the transfer market had become.
Juventus also responded with sharp instincts.
The Bianconeri quickly pivoted and paid €11 million to Deportivo La Coruña to sign Jorge Andrade.
For Juve, giving up on chasing top-tier defenders in favor of a more cost-effective solution was a reasonable choice.
Besides, signing a world-class defender didn't necessarily guarantee better results.
If Barça and Juve had made wise adjustments—
Then Real Madrid and Inter Milan were charging straight into the abyss without brakes.
Real Madrid's transfer operators lacked experience and negotiation skills, constantly being led by the nose by Roma.
At the same time, they were also working on deals for Lyon's Malouda, Dortmund's free agent Metzelder, and Barcelona's free agent Saviola—
Not to mention Chelsea's Dutch winger, Robben.
As a result, Real Madrid never fully focused on Chivu, nor did they shift their attention to alternative targets.
Inter Milan, by comparison, didn't have Real's financial might, but they had players.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter intended to offer Samuel plus 50% ownership of Pizarro, along with €5 million in cash, in exchange for Chivu.
This once again shocked the entire transfer market.
It was madness!
As July approached, most of the major transfer moves were coming into focus.
Lyon's sharp businessman Aulas originally hoped to drive up Malouda's price by leveraging the competition between Real Madrid and Chelsea.
But Malouda clearly stated that he had no interest in joining Real Madrid and would only go to Chelsea.
Not only that—he refused to even speak with Real.
This caused Real's transfer plans to fall apart, while Chelsea quickly reached an agreement with Lyon.
In the end, the Blues signed Malouda for €20 million, about £13.5 million.
Even more unexpected was that the same thing happened with Roma's center-back Cristian Chivu.
Chivu's agent, Giovanni Becali, insisted in negotiations with Real Madrid that the player must be paid a net annual salary of €5 million.
Why that number?
Because, for Inter Milan, the requested salary was only €4.5 million net—so why demand €5 million from Real Madrid?
Becali explained: La Liga had lower taxes.
At first, Real Madrid kept their composure.
General manager Predrag Mijatović even told the media that Real had already secured Metzelder and retained Cannavaro, so they weren't desperate for a center-back.
Moreover, Ramos could also play in central defense.
"We are not in a rush to sign Chivu. Even if the player and his agent want to delay, we have no fear."
Besides, Real Madrid's €18 million offer had already been accepted by Roma.
So, Real felt they had the upper hand.
But they didn't expect Inter Milan to raise their offer to match—€18 million—and also get Roma's approval.
On top of that, Inter had a great relationship with Becali.
This plunged Real Madrid into panic mode.
Mijatović, who had just claimed he wasn't in a hurry, suddenly issued an ultimatum—Chivu and his agent had 48 hours to respond and decide whether or not to accept Real Madrid's offer.
In Calderón and Mijatović's eyes, no player would reject Real Madrid.
They assumed Chivu and his agent were just using Inter as leverage to negotiate better terms.
Especially since Chivu had publicly stated that joining Real Madrid would be an honor.
But what they didn't see coming—was that the cooked duck flew away.
Just as the ultimatum reached Italy, Chivu's agent Becali, seemingly annoyed, announced publicly that his client was rejecting Real Madrid's offer and would accept Inter Milan's contract.
Now Real Madrid truly panicked.
Mijatović immediately flew to Rome.
But the only thing waiting for him was confirmation—Chivu had signed with Inter Milan.
At the same time, more intel came through.
Why did Becali insist on €5 million net from Real?
Because Real Madrid hadn't offered him any incentives.
Inter, on the other hand, promised him a €1.5 million commission once Chivu joined the club.
And if Chivu didn't transfer this summer and left as a free agent next year, Inter were willing to pay Becali €3 million in commission.
The brutal reality of the transfer market slapped Calderón and Mijatović in the face.
It reminded them: this is no playground, and certainly not a one-sided fantasy.
Today's Real Madrid was no longer basking in the glory of the early 2000s.
From Malouda to Chivu to Gabriel Milito, one star after another had snubbed them.
Now, Real Madrid faced a pressing issue.
New coach Bernd Schuster made it clear: with only Cannavaro and Metzelder, the team wouldn't survive a whole season.
Signing another center-back was an absolute must!
…
While the whole of European football was focused on the center-back wars raging in Italy and Spain, in the Premier League—
Chelsea quietly recalled Brazilian center-back Alex from PSV Eindhoven.
Arsenal signed 16-year-old Norwegian prodigy Havard Nordtveit from Haugesund.
Cash-strapped Liverpool focused all their firepower on one target: Atlético Madrid striker Fernando Torres.
Rafa Benítez hoped that with Torres, he could revamp Liverpool's attack.
He believed this would help them achieve better results in the new season.
Manchester United, after selling Heinze to Real Madrid for £8 million, also sold Italian forward Rossi to Villarreal for £6 million.
Richardson went to Sunderland for £5.5 million.
And finally, Alan Smith was sold to Newcastle for £6 million.
These moves marked the end of Sir Alex Ferguson's final round of squad experiments from the previous season.
Ferguson had handpicked West Ham striker Carlos Tevez—the Argentine beast—to join United.
According to media reports, Kia Joorabchian paid £2 million in compensation to West Ham to free Tevez.
Meanwhile, Manchester United paid Joorabchian's company £10 million in loan fees for a two-year deal—
Meaning Tevez's loan cost was £5 million per year.
After the two-year loan, United would have the option to sign him permanently on a three-year contract.
Prior to that, United had already spent £17 million on Nani from Sporting Lisbon,
And another £17 million on Anderson from Porto.
The Red Devils were certainly splashing the cash in this summer transfer window.
Then, on July 1st, Manchester United officially announced—
They had beaten Chelsea to the punch, signing Ashley Young from Bayswater Chinese FC for £27 million.
At the same time, Yang Cheng ended his holiday in China and returned to London with Xia Qing.
Bayswater Chinese FC announced the signing of young prospect Aaron Ramsey from Cardiff for £1 million.
As for Paul Pogba, since he was still a youth player, the club did not make a public announcement.
The French midfielder was quietly integrated into the Brent Training Base's youth system.
With two top teenage talents in hand, Yang Cheng was very satisfied!
Additionally, the team signed a young goalkeeper, Asmir Begović, for £300,000 from Portsmouth.
Holding triple nationality—Bosnian, English, and Canadian—he would replace Danny Coyne, who had left the club.
After returning to London, Yang Cheng began preparing for the team's summer training camp and managing ongoing transfer activities.
He also started house hunting in London with Xia Qing.
His mother had already threatened—
If they found the right place, she'd pay for it.
So, Yang Cheng was taking the search seriously.
He was tired of living in a makeshift room at the Bayswater stadium.
Finding a proper home, cuddling with his girlfriend every night—wasn't that the good life?
And just at that moment, after a string of failures in the transfer market, Real Madrid—desperate and flailing—sent an offer to Bayswater Chinese FC.
(To be continued.)
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