Clichy.
Zabaleta.
Jesús Navas.
Jadon Sancho.
Phil Foden.
Brahim Díaz.
These six players' names were written on the note Zhao Zhao handed to Guardiola.
Three veterans, three youngsters.
The three veterans upfront were Clichy, a left-back, Zabaleta, a right-back, and Navas, who could play both right-winger and right-back.
These were precisely the positions Sunderland needed to strengthen the most.
Regarding the left-back position, although Zhao Zhao's plan was to acquire Robertson from Hull City, who were relegated this year, if Clichy could come, it would certainly be a very cost-effective deal.
That's because...
All three of them were out of contract this season and were leaving Manchester City, all on free transfers!
Of course, those available for "0-cost acquisition" should be prioritized.
Moreover, players coming from Guardiola's tutelage could generally adapt to Zhao Zhao's tactical system and integrate seamlessly.
As for the three youngsters, they were all top talents in the current Manchester City youth team.
In the future, they would all become players for top clubs, and they all started playing in the top League at a very young age, with high growth rates.
So, Zhao Zhao naturally wanted to probe and see if he could pick up some gems from Guardiola.
Zhao Zhao had long wanted to acquire Sancho and Foden, while Brahim Díaz was added at the last minute.
Because Brahim Díaz's best position was attacking midfielder, Zhao Zhao had originally thought he wouldn't need him if he could secure Januzaj.
But now, having hit a wall with Mourinho, he had no choice but to resort to a backup plan.
Of course, if this deal could be finalized, it might even be better than Januzaj, after all, he could become a star player at Real Madrid in the future.
"This list of yours... I think I understand what you mean." Guardiola stroked his slightly graying beard. "You want to sign these three veterans on free transfers, and then you want me to put in a good word?"
"They are all your disciples, and they usually respect you," Zhao Zhao said with a smile. "If you can help me say a few good words, it will certainly be better than me approaching them directly."
As for the three veteran full-backs, since their contracts were almost expired, strictly speaking, they were no longer Manchester City players, so Guardiola actually had no power to decide their future.
But they still needed to find new clubs!
Sometimes players would seek help through their coach's connections, as the coach is one of the most important decision-makers when a team wants to buy players;
And in the football world, the connections between coaches are also very close; coaches with good relationships often engage in player transfers.
Conversely, transfers between coaches with poor relationships are sometimes difficult to happen—just like between Zhao Zhao and Mourinho.
Uh, this seems to be the same logic as in the FM Football Manager game.
In short, as the respected coach of these three veterans, it was very reasonable for Guardiola to provide some "employment guidance" and "employment recommendations" at this time, and they would also be more likely to listen to Guardiola's advice.
"Alright. I'll call them now to talk." Guardiola said, picking up the phone from the table and getting up to make the calls.
As expected of Guardiola, he acts decisively!
Of course, Zhao Zhao also understood why Guardiola didn't make these calls in front of him.
Their conversation might involve some club matters that outsiders shouldn't overhear.
And it could also be considered a courtesy.
Zhao Zhao ignored him and started devouring the boiled fish on the table.
Delicious! How could foreigners not love such tasty food...
About 20 minutes later, Guardiola returned to the dining table.
"How was it?" Zhao Zhao put down his chopsticks, looking at Guardiola with anticipation.
"Navas will not go to Sunderland." Guardiola shook his head. "He has already reached an agreement with Sevilla and will return to La Liga next season."
"Oh, returning home," Zhao Zhao nodded.
Navas's decision was completely understandable to Zhao Zhao.
This Spanish international himself came from the Sevilla youth academy, then joined the first team in 2003 to begin his professional career, and later helped Sevilla win the Europa League for two consecutive years, officially starting Sevilla's path as the "King of the Europa League."
It wasn't until 2013 that he transferred from Sevilla to Manchester City, also bringing his former club 20 million euros in revenue.
Now at 31, wanting to return to his former club to play a few more years before retiring at the end of his career is truly beyond reproach.
However, for Zhao Zhao, it was truly a pity.
Because he knew that Navas maintained a high level for many years.
In the 2019-2020 season, he once again helped Sevilla win the Europa League.
In 2023, he even won the Europa League Player of the Tournament award.
Due to his excellent performance at the club, he was also recalled to the Spain national team, and at the advanced age of 38, he won the 2023 UEFA Nations League with the team...
Even in 2024, Navas received a contract extension from Sevilla and planned to continue contributing to the team after retirement.
So, if Zhao Zhao could have gotten Navas, at least Sunderland's right flank would have been secure for several years.
But there was nothing to be done; sometimes, the emotional attachment to one's former club can transcend everything.
Why do so many players in international football choose to return to their former clubs at the end of their careers? It's all the same principle.
"So, who's next? Clichy?" Zhao Zhao asked again.
But Guardiola shook his head again: "He has decided to go to Turkey. It should be Istanbul, he said they offered him an irresistible high salary."
"Oh." Zhao Zhao was a bit disappointed.
With this free left-back gone, he would have to go for Robertson!
Of course, there's nothing to say about players playing for money.
What determines where a player at the end of their career goes, besides loyalty, is money.
For example, with players from Real Madrid, Modric chose to stay, while Benzema chose to go to Saudi Arabia; either choice is understandable and beyond reproach.
Everyone is a worker, after all.
Specifically for Clichy, as a main player or important rotation player for Manchester City in recent seasons, his weekly wage at Manchester City was at least 100,000 euros, which was already more than Sunderland's top salary.
In fact, very few players at Manchester City who played at a rotation level had a weekly wage below 100,000 euros...
For Istanbul to attract Clichy, the new salary must be higher, not lower.
Such free-transfer players can demand higher salaries, which is also a way to maximize their own interests.
Therefore, attracting Clichy from a financial perspective was certainly impossible, and Zhao Zhao couldn't do it, so he could only decisively give up.
"But the good news is, Zabaleta is willing to talk to you." Finally, Guardiola smiled, "He prefers to stay and play in the Premier League, and for that goal, he can accept a suitable pay cut."
This also made Zhao Zhao's spirits lift.
Finally, there's a chance for a free acquisition!
And very importantly, Zabaleta was exactly the type of player Zhao Zhao liked most.
He had powerful explosiveness on the right flank and could maintain strong fighting spirit throughout matches, which allowed him to play for ten years at Manchester City, a team full of strong players.
At the same time, he was also an important member of the Argentina national team, consistently holding the starting right-back position.
Although he was already 32, he still maintained good competitive form.
In Zhao Zhao's previous life, Zabaleta joined West Ham United on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City.
He played for the Iron Hammer Gang, a mid-table Premier League team, until 2020 when he announced his retirement, which itself proved that his current ability was still perfectly fine for playing in the Premier League.
Speaking of which, the reason these veterans didn't get contract renewals wasn't that their skill declined, but primarily because Guardiola's demands were too high.
Take the right-back position, for example. Guardiola was planning to bring in Kyle Walker from Tottenham to be the main player this season.
And Walker, who had just been selected for the Premier League Team of the Season, his strength and speed were unmatched by the aging Zabaleta, and even Navas, known for his speed, had to step aside.
As for the left-back, Manchester City's new signing this season was Benjamin Mendy from Monaco.
He was also a regular for the France national team; if not for some off-field incidents later, he actually played very well at Manchester City.
And these two alone would cost Manchester City over 100 million euros in transfer fees!
Ahem, so on this point, Sunderland simply couldn't compare to Manchester City.
For Zhao Zhao, being able to pick up some of Manchester City's scraps was excellent!
This is also the way for small clubs to survive.
"I'll find time to talk to Zabaleta. But..." Zhao Zhao suddenly showed a sly smile:
"Now, shouldn't we talk about the main point?"
"That is, the youngsters from your youth team on the list..."
At this moment, Guardiola's gaze towards Zhao Zhao became somewhat intriguing.
"I heard your first signing this summer was a defender under 20 from Brighton," Guardiola said.
"Although I don't know how you spotted him, I can still understand it, after all, he had played in the EFL Championship and cup matches."
"But these three kids on your list, the oldest is only 18, and I haven't called them up to the first team. How did you observe their performance?"
Zhao Zhao chuckled:
"You wouldn't know, would you? Besides my own first-team matches, I usually like to watch youth team matches everywhere to scout for young talents."
"These three young players have performed exceptionally well in your youth team, so of course I would notice them."
"And coincidentally, my frontline is short of players. Anyway, they won't get to play in a strong team like Manchester City, so why don't you do me a favor and sell them to me?"
But this time, Guardiola said without a hint of anger, "No. They are players I rate highly. I might call them up to the first team very soon in the future. I won't just sell such promising players."
"This..." Zhao Zhao didn't expect Guardiola to refuse so directly, and his eyes immediately darted around, thinking of a countermeasure.
But Guardiola quickly added, "However, Sancho can be considered for sale to you."
"Oh?" Seeing a turn for the better, Zhao Zhao's face lit up with surprise.
Guardiola sighed:
"Actually, Sancho is the most talented among them; he's arguably the strongest player in the youth team. But he doesn't have much patience and always wants me to promote him to the first team, even wanting to play immediately."
"But think about it, who are my wingers? Sterling, Sane, and I'm also bringing in Bernardo Silva, who can also play as a winger."
"For me, I hope Sancho can take it one step at a time, settle down, and slowly adapt to the first-team rhythm, but he can't wait."
"In this regard, Foden has performed much better, and I'm also planning to give him some opportunities next season."
"Back to Sancho, he had already talked to me before, saying he wanted to seek a transfer this season, and I agreed."
"Now, it's perfect; playing at your place, I think it's a good choice."
Zhao Zhao nodded: "Understood."
Indeed, in the original timeline, Sancho also left Manchester City in this summer transfer window to join Borussia Dortmund.
He was indeed as talented as Guardiola said, playing for Borussia Dortmund at the age of 17, and then becoming a regular in the following season, performing exceptionally well.
He also helped Borussia Dortmund win the Bundesliga runner-up and the DFB-Pokal, and he himself was selected for the Bundesliga Team of the Season and finished second in the European Golden Boy award.
By the time Sancho was sold back to the Premier League, to Manchester United, his value had already risen to 85 million euros!
Although his performance at Manchester United was quite ordinary, when Sancho was loaned back to Borussia Dortmund, he seemed like a changed man again, continuing his excellent form and helping Borussia Dortmund reach the Champions League final!
The reason being...
"Maybe it's really because he couldn't eat at the Manchester United cafeteria," Zhao Zhao stroked his chin. "What's the big deal! When the time comes, I'll let him eat whatever he wants at the Sunderland cafeteria; I guarantee his form!"
"What are you saying?" Guardiola asked, seeing Zhao Zhao mumbling to himself.
"Oh, nothing." Zhao Zhao smiled, "Then I'll take this Sancho. One price, five million euros, how about it?"
Guardiola frowned: "Isn't that too little? He is, after all, a star player in our Manchester City youth team. I think he should be worth at least ten million."
"Damn it." Zhao Zhao thought to himself.
In his previous life, Sancho was indeed sold to Borussia Dortmund for roughly ten million euros.
It seems these famous coaches' valuations of players are truly spot-on.
To be honest, ten million for Sancho was indeed not expensive.
The main thing is that this guy is mature for his age; at 17, he can already make a splash in a top League, no need to wait for him to grow!
And even if we don't need him in the future, we can still sell him to Manchester United for a high price, erm…
But the problem is that Sunderland's budget is tight right now, so we should save every penny we can.
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Zhao said, "Pep, what do you think of this? You're not planning to sell Diaz and Foden, right? Then I won't force a purchase. But I'll take a loss and help you train them for a season, how about that?"
"You mean you want to loan them?" Guardiola looked at Zhao Zhao, a hint of confusion on his face.
"Exactly. You know perfectly well that they already have the ability to play in Europe's top five Leagues, but they can't compete with the established stars at Manchester City. And if they stay in the youth team, their growth rate will definitely not be as fast as it would be with me. Playing in the Premier League will surely give them more experience!"
After hearing Zhao Zhao's words, Guardiola fell into deep thought.
Because for him, this was indeed a very good plan!
Of course, what he was primarily considering in his mind was Foden, whom he rated most highly.
Guardiola was even unwilling to loan Foden out, as he wanted him to develop in good training conditions and a stable match environment.
But Zhao Zhao's request for a loan was different.
Zhao Zhao was the young coach Guardiola admired most, and his training methods were identical to Manchester City's.
In other words, even if Foden went to Sunderland, he could still maintain high-level training and even play within a tactical system similar to Manchester City's, ensuring he wouldn't be led astray.
At the same time, he would gain something at Sunderland that he couldn't get at Manchester City: sufficient opportunities to play in a top League!
Any player or coach knows how much real professional matches develop a person; it's absolutely incomparable to youth team games or regular training.
In fact, just as Guardiola had said earlier, he was already planning to promote Foden to the first team this season to adapt and grow in professional League play.
In the normal timeline, Foden didn't get many chances to play at Manchester City initially, but he was very patient.
After making his debut in the Champions League and Premier League this season, he steadily grew within the team, gradually carving out his own niche among Manchester City's star-studded squad, becoming the true Prince of Manchester City!
By the 2023-2024 season, Foden had helped Manchester City win four consecutive League titles and was named Premier League Player of the Season, becoming the first English player in Manchester City's history to win the Premier League season's best player award!
"So, my idea is this: we still take all three kids, but with a different plan."
Seeing Guardiola deep in thought, Zhao Zhao knew there was a chance.
So, he struck while the iron was hot and immediately laid out his idea:
"Foden, I'll loan him for one season, with no buy-out clause, and no avoidance clauses whatsoever. Our club will also pay his wages."
"Diaz, also a one-season loan, but with a five-million-euro buy-out clause. I can choose to buy him at the end of the season, and of course, you can refuse then."
"As for Sancho… you see how much I'm helping you, let's make it a bit cheaper, eight million for a flat price, how about that?"
This was a differentiated purchase plan based on the varying importance of these three young players in Guardiola's mind.
Sancho was determined to leave, so he would be bought directly at a price, but with a slight negotiation down.
Foden was Guardiola's prized possession, so he wouldn't be bought. Instead, he would be loaned for a year, which could also help pressure Sancho's price.
As for Brahim Díaz, he was the oldest, but his development was actually the slowest.
He also joined Manchester City's first team in the 2017-2018 season, but with even less playing time. Then, in 2019, he was sold to Real Madrid.
Diaz, who couldn't get playing time at Manchester City, obviously couldn't establish himself at Real Madrid either.
So he was loaned to AC Milan for three seasons, slowly developing there, before finally returning to Real Madrid.
In other words, Diaz was not considered "non-transferable" in Guardiola's eyes.
Therefore, Zhao Zhao proposed a loan-to-buy plan for him.
Part of the reason for this was to save money.
By loaning him first, at least the player could be used immediately, and the transfer fee could be saved for now.
As for the five million buy-out fee, that could be dealt with next season!
However, listening to Zhao Zhao's "personalized" purchase clauses, Guardiola began to laugh:
"You really are a Premier League rookie, haha. Don't you know that you can only loan one player from the same team at most?"
"Ah?" Zhao Zhao's mouth dropped open, and then he remembered.
Oh, right, it seemed like he had seen such a clause when playing FM before.
It was just that when he played games, he always preferred to hoard young talents to train himself, so he rarely used loans and had forgotten about it.
But Zhao Zhao reacted quickly and immediately said, "Then let's do this: Sancho + Diaz, a total of 12 million euros, paid in one lump sum! And I'll help you train Foden for one season. If you think I train him well, I can even continue to help you train him for free, how about that? *Cough*, anyway, you guys aren't short on that little bit of money…"
Hearing this final proposal, Guardiola looked at Zhao Zhao and thought for a while longer.
Finally, he shook his head helplessly and extended his hand to Zhao Zhao: "Alright, then, we'll do as you say. Tomorrow, I'll have someone prepare the contract documents, and I'll also talk to a few of them."
Mainly because Zhao Zhao was right, the difference of two or three million might be a big deal for Sunderland, but for Manchester City, it was truly negligible.
Guardiola was essentially using those two or three million to train Foden through Zhao Zhao, which didn't seem like a loss?
Of course, what made Guardiola feel it was even more "worthwhile" was that Zhao Zhao could provide him with many good ideas for his tactical system.
The role of such a "strategist" was truly worth far more than two or three million!
Even if it was just making a friend, and Zhao Zhao's price was indeed fair; besides Sancho, Guardiola didn't really rate Diaz that highly...
"Haha, it's great to be friends with you!" Zhao Zhao also laughed heartily, reaching out to shake Guardiola's hand, "Believe me, this will definitely be a win-win situation!"
Then, Zhao Zhao pointed to the boiled fish in front of him:
"To celebrate our successful deal, have a piece of fish?"
Guardiola: "…Forget it, how about we just cancel this deal? That way, we don't have to celebrate, and I don't have to eat this strangely flavored fish."
Zhao Zhao: "…"
-----------------
Finally, with the big deal with Manchester City settled, Zhao Zhao was naturally overjoyed.
Sancho, Foden, and Diaz could all play as attacking midfielders, which minimized the loss of not being able to extend Januzaj's loan, and might even be an upgrade.
At the same time, Sancho, being right-footed, could primarily play as a left inverted winger, while Foden, being left-footed, could primarily play as a right inverted winger, then freely switch to traditional wingers depending on the playing style.
And Diaz, of course, would primarily play as an attacking midfielder, and could also play as a winger on either side when appropriate.
This way, Sunderland's attacking personnel for the new season would be much more abundant, and their tactical options would be more diverse.
Unlike last season, where the only real options on the wings were Borini and Khazri, with Januzaj at most as an addition.
Moreover, while Borini was indeed a hardworking player, his technical ability was quite ordinary, making it difficult for him to be a game-changer.
It was precisely for this reason that Zhao Zhao's tactical designs tended to focus more on breakthroughs from Khazri's side, with personnel support also leaning towards him.
But with these three young players joining, things would be much easier.
Especially Sancho, his breakthroughs on the left wing were incredibly sharp, and his speed was very fast, he would definitely become a sharp weapon for Sunderland's flanks!
Foden should even be able to compete with Khazri for the starting right winger position; it just depends on how that kid performs then…
Besides this attacking trio, the addition of veteran Zabaleta was also very important.
After bidding farewell to Guardiola, Zhao Zhao quickly contacted this Argentine veteran international.
With Guardiola's recommendation, the negotiations between the two went very smoothly.
Zabaleta was willing to take a pay cut to eighty thousand euros per week and sign a two-year contract.
This way, Sunderland's right-back defense was also secured!
He was a very consistent player, with abundant stamina, solid defense, and good attacking instincts. It could be said that his abilities fully covered the original starting right-back, Billy Jones, making him a significant upgrade!
Next, Zhao Zhao's targets would be the following positions.
"First, of course, the defense."
After securing Ben White and Zabaleta, Sunderland still needed a left-back and a center-back.
Perhaps an additional player who could play both as a full-back and a center-back would be needed, as this would facilitate transitions between three-center-back and two-center-back formations.
"Then, the defensive midfielder."
Because they needed to fill the void left by the departure of Swedish veteran Larsson!
The other defensive midfielder, vice-captain Cattermole, was decent, but his aggressive style meant he was prone to getting cards.
He had received 87 yellow cards and 7 red cards in the Premier League, so it was commonplace for him to be sidelined due to suspensions.
Although there was also young McNair who could step up, and a substitute in Gibson, this position was still a bit thin.
If possible, Zhao Zhao still hoped to sign one more defensive midfielder—hmm, if they could play center-back and full-back as well as defensive midfield, that would be even better!
Why wasn't Rodwell, another midfielder in the team, mentioned?
Because he was a target Zhao Zhao needed to clear out.
In the Sunderland documentary "sunderland 'til i die" that Zhao Zhao watched in his previous life, Rodwell was mentioned.
Rodwell, who came through the Everton youth academy, once broke Everton's record for the youngest player to appear in a European competition and was once considered a rising star for England's midfield.
But when he joined Manchester City, which was just starting up at the time, his injuries and poor professional attitude prevented him from securing a stable position.
In 2014, he joined Sunderland. And then, the Black Cats fans' nightmare began.
During his years with the Black Cats, Rodwell never performed up to expectations, and repeated injuries and comebacks almost completely eroded his fighting spirit.
And after Sunderland was relegated in the real timeline, since he was the only Sunderland player whose contract did not include a relegation clause, after many players left the team, he, unwanted, became the highest-paid player in the squad with a 70,000-pound weekly wage.
This was something an EFL Championship team could hardly afford, let alone Sunderland, which was in difficulties. This was the knife that was about to cut their throat!
With completely unreliable attendance and a player whose spirit had already dissipated, Rodwell could no longer bring even a shred of positive energy to the team.
He became a "high-paid deadweight" and refused to take a pay cut to help the team, nor could he provide any help on the field.
This also prevented Sunderland from freeing up funds to bring in new players, leading to two consecutive relegations, directly dropping them to League One!
At this point, Sunderland could no longer tolerate Rodwell's inaction and terminated the contract of the 27-year-old English midfielder early, making Rodwell a free agent.
Then, this slacking player was unable to secure a new contract for a long time, eventually only managing short-term contracts in the EFL Championship, and now he is hard to find.
Zhao Zhao, of course, had no regard for such a player with little professional ethics.
If he wasn't cleared out quickly, he might even affect the young players who had just joined the team.
It was a good opportunity to sell him quickly while he had performed decently as a substitute at the end of last season, and they could even recover some funds.
"Finally, I still need a backup striker."
Although Defoe, who was in excellent form, would certainly be the main striker for the new season, he also needed a suitable backup.
And ever since Anichebe went to China, Sunderland had lacked such a tall striker, which would certainly not be conducive to changes in playing style.
As for such a striker…
Zhao Zhao knew exactly who he had in mind.
He quickly dialed someone's number.
Alf Haaland.