After all the training sessions ended, Ling walked into the café inside the training base, where Jorge Mendes had been waiting for him for quite some time.
"Recently, Adidas, Nike, and Puma have all approached me, wanting you to become their primary endorser," Mendes said. "All the details are in here. Take a look first, then tell me your thoughts."
Mendes slid a folder across the table.
In truth, the three sportswear giants had approached him last season, but a final agreement hadn't been reached due to sponsorship amounts.
However, after the Champions League final, Ling's popularity peaked and he further demonstrated his value through commercial activities in China.
The three giants suddenly shifted from being the active party to the passive one—after all, who wouldn't want to capture the largest market share in China?
Thus, they experienced competitive pressure akin to that between Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
Ling carefully reviewed the detailed materials from all three parties and found that since the rebranding of the European Champions League, the sponsorship rankings for Champions League winners were as follows:
Adidas: 11 times
Nike: 7 times
Umbro: 2 times
Kelme, Reebok, Kappa, and Lotto: once each.
As for Puma, they had zero wins.
This data also reflects the market shares occupied by major sports brands from a different perspective.
In recent years, Real Madrid's dominance in the Champions League has given Adidas a strong brand recognition and demonstrated its influence in the football world.
Nike, on the other hand, has seen a decline in brand exposure and buzz due to Barcelona's gradual decline.
As for Puma, there's no need to say much—it's the weakest among the three giants.
In fact, football has always been their core business.
When Puma was founded in 1948, the first products it manufactured included football boots.
Legendary players like Maradona, Pele, and Cruyff have all been its endorsers.
However, with the emergence of competitors such as Adidas and Nike, Puma's dominance in the football field did not last long, and its global market share was gradually eroded, leaving very little.
Nevertheless, Puma has made up its mind to make a grand return to the market and reclaim its proudest share in football.
Choosing the right endorser is crucial.
"Jorge, which one do you recommend?" Ling put down the folder.
Leave professional matters to the professionals—Ling understood this principle well, so he decided to first listen to Mendes' advice.
"Man United's biggest sponsor is currently Adidas, which signed a 10-year, £900 million deal with the club—the largest sponsorship contract in Premier League history. Moreover, with Adidas' influence in the football world, it can provide you with the greatest support."
"But—" Mendes quickly introduced a turning point, "Adidas' main endorser at the moment is Messi. Although Barcelona's performance in recent years has not been ideal, Adidas still chooses to allocate most of its resources to Messi. So, if you want to compete for international awards like the Ballon d'Or..."
Mendes didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear: Adidas would definitely not give up on Messi, who has five Ballon d'Or awards.
The same logic applies to Nike.
Ronaldo, who transferred to Juventus, is aiming for even greater honors after winning the Champions League Golden Boot last season.
Naturally, Nike won't abandon him either.
Therefore, if Ling were to choose either of these two brands, he would have to play second fiddle until Messi and Ronaldo retire or leave the Top Five Leagues.
"Then let's talk about Puma," Ling made the decision casually.
Mendes snapped his fingers and said with a laugh, "I knew you'd do that!"
He then made a phone call, and soon after, a middle-aged man walked in.
He extended his hand to Ling and introduced himself, "Patrick, Puma's Global Marketing Director. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Likewise." Ling stood up and shook Patrick's hand, showing basic respect.
Without much small talk, Patrick got straight to the point.
"First, we have prepared an endorsement contract for you worth £23 million per season. This is the highest fee for football boot endorsements in history. Neither Adidas nor Nike can offer a similar contract—I am absolutely confident about this. Messi earns £18 million, and Ronaldo earns £15 million. They cannot offer you better terms."
"But we can. Last year, our sales increased by 15% year-on-year to €1.049 billion, with double-digit growth across all regions and product divisions. This year, we've relaunched our basketball and football operations, and we're precisely in need of influential figures for endorsements."
Patrick spoke for a full half-hour before pausing to take a thirsty sip of coffee.
Ling thought to himself, 'Puma is another deep-pocketed sponsor!'
Although his base annual salary was only £18 million—which still ranked among the top three in the Premier League—this endorsement contract actually offered £23 million.
However, Ling understood that there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Based on the information he knew about the future, it seemed Puma had also offered Neymar a contract worth around £23 million.
In the blink of an eye, he regained his composure and asked, "What do I need to do?"
Patrick raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He had previously studied Ling's background in detail and knew that Ling came from an ordinary family and had faced financial struggles during his youth training years.
Logically, upon hearing about £23 million, he should have shown at least some excitement, right?
So Patrick set aside his underestimation and said seriously, "Sign a lifetime contract and cooperate with us on promotional activities. Of course, we will also fully support your marketing to enhance your global visibility, which will have a significant impact on the Ballon d'Or."
After another fifteen minutes of incessant talking, Patrick truly lived up to his title as Global Marketing Director—he'd probably be a leader even if thrown into a pyramid scheme.
Ling still hadn't lost his rationality and instead glanced at Mendes beside him.
The latter immediately understood.
"A lifetime contract is out of the question. The reason Messi has a lifetime contract with Adidas is fundamentally because he has his own brand under Adidas, but your contract doesn't mention anything like that."
Patrick felt a pang of bitterness upon hearing this.
He hadn't expected Ling to be so difficult to deal with—or rather, so unnaturally calm for a 19-year-old.
But once you start making concessions, you can only keep making more.
Puma currently had no more suitable candidates.
Patrick was well aware of Ling's influence in China.
As long as it could boost Puma's market share there, no matter how high the cost now, he believed the returns would be even greater in the future.
The contract certainly couldn't be signed in a coffee shop.
Both teams would meticulously scrutinize every clause to secure the best terms for their side.
After Patrick left, Mendes sighed with admiration, "Jeremy, your performance just now was excellent. If all the players under my management were like you, how wonderful that would be."
"Don't worry. To increase their influence, Puma has no choice but to promote you. Although you won't win the Ballon d'Or this year, I estimate you'll still rank in the top five. As long as you maintain your current form, I guarantee you'll be standing on the Ballon d'Or podium within two years! Because sponsors like Puma will only grow in number."
Since Ronaldo left Real Madrid to join Juventus, a rift had developed between Mendes and Ronaldo.
Mendes didn't want to put all his bets on Ronaldo alone.
Thus, he needed to promote a new player as the face of his agency.
De Gea, Falcao, Di Maria, Bernardo Silva—none of them were quite qualified.
Facing a similar predicament, he had no choice but to choose Ling.
Therefore, he would spare no effort to help Ling win the Ballon d'Or.
....
After the Puma matter was temporarily settled, time quickly arrived at August 19th, when the second round of the Premier League had already kicked off!
The Man United players travelled down to Brighton & Hove, the southern coastal city.
Brighton returned to the Premier League in the 2016-17 season, but their performance last season was average, finishing 15th in the standings and securing their top-flight status.
The match had reached the 40th minute, with the scoreboard reading 1-1—a temporary deadlock.
On the sidelines, Mourinho frowned deeply.
The Brighton players, rugged and unrestrained, frequently engaged in physical confrontations, fragmenting the rhythm of the game.
If not for Man United's swift counterattack at the start—where Rashford drove to the byline and crossed, Ling flicked the ball with a header to the right and Mahrez slid in to score—Man United might have been trailing by now!
On the opposite side, Chris Hughton frantically directed his players to attack Man United's defensive third, aiming to exhaust McTominay and expose the Red Devils' backline.
Fortunately, Man United held on until the end of the first half.
Back in the locker room, Mourinho adjusted the formation, switching from a double pivot to a triple pivot, mimicking Real Madrid's 4-3-1-2, with Rashford and Ling as dual strikers focused on counterattacks.
The second half proved effective, as Man United solidified their defense with numerical superiority and frequently utilized long balls for counterattacks.
In the 79th minute of the match.
David Luiz aggressively pressed forward to intercept, and the ball rolled toward the unmarked Maguire.
He wasn't just skilled in defense; his ball-carrying ability was exceptional among center-backs, especially with his unstoppable stride that often allowed him to break through unexpectedly.
According to Guardiola's analysis, it was due to a unique way of shifting his center of gravity.
Last season at Leicester, he averaged 0.5 dribbles per game—more dazzling than some Brazilian wingers!
De Gea felt an inexplicable tremor in his heart, as if foreseeing some dire outcome and immediately heightened his focus.
But Maguire heavily tapped the ball past Pascal tackle, then powered through using his physical advantage before launching a long pass!
The ball spun fiercely toward the space behind Brighton's center-backs.
Lewis Dunk quickly backtracked, preparing to clear the ball with a header, when he suddenly noticed a figure streaking past him.
A closer look revealed it was Man United's number 7!
Dunk immediately raised his hand to signal for offside.
But the assistant referee saw clearly that Ling was at least a quarter of a body length behind the other center-back, Shane Duffy.
High up in the gantry, Peter Drury's voice soared over the roar of the away end.
Peter Drury: "Maguire stepping out of defense like a colossus! He looks up... he goes long! Looking for the run of Ling! Dunk is caught flat-footed!"
Ling deftly controlled the ball in front of him.
Facing the onrushing Mat Ryan, he calmly slotted the ball into the far corner.
1-2!
Drury: "ICE IN HIS VEINS! FIRE IN HIS BOOTS! Jeremy Ling breaks Brighton hearts! He brings it down with the touch of a silversmith and finishes with the ruthlessness of an assassin! The boy is inevitable!"
Jim Beglin: "It's brilliant vision from Maguire, Peter, but the run and the finish from Ling... absolute perfection. Even though Brighton had identified Man United's weakness in midfield today, they still struggled to secure victory, because Man United possesses one of the world's top explosive players!"
Ultimately, the score remained unchanged until the final whistle.
In the post-match interview, Mourinho admitted issues with Man United's defensive midfield and promised reinforcements in the winter transfer window, adding the reassuring news that Nemanja Matic would recover and return next week.
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