SWR: Chapter 1051/1053

Chapter 1051: Sorry, I Am the Head Coach of Real Madrid

The day after Real Madrid won the Champions League at Wembley Stadium, Barcelona defeated Espanyol 1-0 away with a goal from Sánchez, winning the city derby.

This goal came in the 84th minute, and Barcelona won in a very precarious way.

Three days later, Real Madrid defeated Real Sociedad 3-1 away.

This was also Real Madrid's 37th-round La Liga match after the Champions League final.

On June 1, the 38th round of La Liga took place.

Real Madrid defeated Osasuna 5-1 at home, establishing an early advantage.

But Barcelona also defeated Málaga early at Camp Nou, beating their opponent 4-1.

Finally, the La Liga title was decided.

Real Madrid had to give up the championship with a 1-point deficit, becoming one of the most unfortunate runners-up teams in La Liga history.

With Real Madrid's current performance, they would have been champions in almost any other La Liga season.

But this season Real Madrid encountered an unusual Barcelona.

The illnesses of Vilanova and Abidal had a huge galvanizing effect on Barcelona.

After lifting the title at Camp Nou, Barcelona captain Puyol admitted in an interview that Vilanova and Abidal were like spiritual leaders in the dressing room, and everyone wanted to do their part for them.

This was why Barcelona had been so tenacious this season.

Regarding the intense clashes, especially the four consecutive defeats against Real Madrid, Puyol said the team was also reflecting.

"I believe that in the new season, we will be able to perform better and better!"

The Catalan media gave high praise to Barcelona's La Liga title. After all, Real Madrid had performed very well this season. The fact that Barcelona were able to beat Real Madrid to the title was in itself proof of Barcelona's outstanding season.

However, Daily Sports also suggested that the club should increase its recruitment efforts this summer.

Because the advanced Real Madrid has reached its peak, the Galácticos will only be stronger next season than they are now.

If Barcelona fails to respond soon, they could end up empty-handed next season.

"Gao Shen has already brazenly announced Real Madrid's goal for next season. He wants to win all the championships!"

"Barça must respond!"

In response to calls from the media and fans, Barcelona president Rosell also made a positive statement, saying that the team was actively recruiting and had made very significant progress.

For example, the Brazilian prodigy Neymar.

The talented forward had made it clear that he was willing to join Barcelona, and only the final contract details remained to be negotiated.

"We can tell the fans with certainty that in the new season at Camp Nou, they will be able to see Neymar and Messi dancing together!"

Rosell's remarks further excited the Catalan media and fans, who were generally enthusiastic about it.

Neymar is a super talent recognized worldwide.

Now that he is coming to Camp Nou, Barcelona will only be stronger next season.

More importantly, the whole world knows that Real Madrid were also pursuing Neymar but lost out to Barcelona.

In the Champions League, Copa del Rey, and even La Liga, Barcelona did lose to Real Madrid, but in the transfer market, Barcelona winning Neymar was a heavy blow to Real Madrid.

After all, Real Madrid had been pursuing Neymar for three years.

By beating Florentino to sign Neymar, Rosell's reputation at Barcelona was further enhanced.

Everyone was also looking forward to how Barcelona, with its star-studded team, would launch a magnificent attacking storm next season.

…

Frankly speaking, failing to overhaul Barcelona in the league standings was already within the expectations of Gao Shen and Real Madrid's management.

That was why the club arranged the victory parade after the Champions League final. This clearly told everyone that there was basically no chance of winning La Liga.

Before playing Osasuna, Gao Shen also told everyone very clearly not to think too much about the results or the match at Camp Nou, but to focus on enjoying the football at the Bernabéu.

It was precisely because Real Madrid had a clear understanding of the situation that, even when Barcelona won the title in the end, Real Madrid were not too disappointed.

In an interview, captain on the field Ramos bravely took responsibility and said that it was because of several of his mistakes that the team dropped points they should not have, and he would learn from it.

"I promise that next season, we will definitely win the title back!"

The day after the match, the whole team gathered for the final time at Valdebebas.

All of Real Madrid's games this season were officially over.

Next, the players would go their separate ways, either on vacation or reporting to their national teams.

The Confederations Cup would be held in Brazil this summer, and many Real Madrid players would participate.

Gao Shen did not say much, he simply reminded everyone that whether on vacation or playing in tournaments, they should take care of their fitness.

He specifically reminded Marcelo and a few others who were not very self-disciplined.

"If I find that you are overweight when the training camp opens in early July, I can only say, I am sorry."

Faced with this blatant warning, the players said they were truly scared.

There was a burst of laughter, but everyone understood the deeper meaning.

Real Madrid will enter a harvest period next season.

Gao Shen would not allow anyone to interfere with his plans and strategy anymore.

After the team was dismissed, Gao Shen had a separate chat with Higuain, Kaka, and Albiol.

They all wanted to leave, and Gao Shen formally agreed, but their situations were different.

Kaka would leave on a free transfer, Albiol had been allowed to go, but Higuain would be put on hold for the time being.

Gao Shen made it clear that the club was working on signings, and as long as the right players arrived, he would allow the transfer.

The Argentine expressed his understanding and said he trusted Gao Shen's promise.

…

The day after Real Madrid disbanded, Gao Shen left Madrid with his family and headed north to Manchester.

Pochettino accompanied him.

All Premier League matches this season had ended as early as May 19.

Leeds United surprised everyone by finishing sixth in the league, which was very impressive.

It was not just Leeds United.

Swansea City finished ninth, newly promoted West Ham United came in tenth, and then Reading were relegated, completing a one-season stay in the Premier League.

The other two relegated teams were Wigan Athletic and Queens Park Rangers.

It is interesting to note.

Queens Park Rangers invested more this season, but the results were worse and they were relegated.

Former Leeds United captain Howson had previously contacted the club through his agent, hoping to return and continue playing in the Premier League, but Leeds United now looked down on the former captain who could not even play for Queens Park Rangers.

Rodolfo Borrell rejected the possibility of Howson returning to Leeds United on the spot, on the grounds that there was no place for him in the current team.

Leeds United's performance was truly shocking, ranking sixth in the Premier League and finishing ahead of Everton and Liverpool.

But if you look at the table, it is not hard to see that Leeds United still had a clear gap with the first tier in front. They were not only behind the two Manchester clubs, but also 10 points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fifth.

This clearly proved that Leeds United still lacked hard power and confidence.

In the FA Cup final, Leeds United lost to Manchester City without any suspense.

Frustratingly, Leeds United lost to Manchester City in the domestic cup final for two consecutive seasons.

Fortunately, Leeds United won the League Cup, which top teams do not usually prioritize.

In other words, Leeds United can play in the Europa League next season.

However, the value of this competition is not very high, and Leeds United does not place much importance on it. It is more of an additional tournament, an extra stage for development, and more opportunities for players to showcase themselves.

It is worth mentioning that Icardi ranked fourth in the Premier League scoring chart this season, scoring 19 goals, behind Van Persie, Suárez, and Gareth Bale, but one more than Swansea's Michu.

This also made the Argentine striker a household name.

Considering his age, expectations for him are high.

After Leeds United's success, head coach Sarri also wrote a farewell letter to the fans at the end of the league, thanking them for their support over the past two years, but saying he wanted to return to Italy to pursue his dream.

He wants to coach his hometown club Napoli.

Napoli's current head coach Allegri will go to Juventus.

Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport revealed that after Sarri decided to coach Napoli, he requested the club sign four Leeds United players, namely Koulibaly, Jorginho, Allan, and Icardi.

He wants to use these four central players to reshape Napoli's tactical system.

When Gao Shen and his party arrived at Manchester Airport and reached the villa in Cheshire, he received a call from Napoli chairman De Laurentiis.

On the call, De Laurentiis asked Gao Shen about the valuations of Jorginho and Allan.

Obviously, De Laurentiis had considered it carefully and knew he could not afford Koulibaly, and for the striker position he wanted the long-famous Higuain rather than Icardi.

To put it bluntly, today's Napoli is no longer the Napoli of the past.

They are a strong Serie A club that can play in the Champions League every season. What they want is no longer young players who are cheap but need time to develop, but established names with proven strength.

Of course, bringing in big names requires higher transfer fees.

Gao Shen joked that he basically does not interfere in Leeds United's operations anymore, leaving them to professional managers. If there were any issues, they could directly contact Fernando Lucas or Rodolfo Borrell.

"You know, I am now the head coach of Real Madrid." Gao Shen reminded him seriously.

De Laurentiis on the other end of the line almost exploded.

Damn, now you are saying you are the head coach of Real Madrid?

So what is your relationship with Leeds United?

Across from Gao Shen, Fernando Lucas and Rodolfo Borrell were sitting, both looking extremely embarrassed.

If Gao Shen is the head coach of Real Madrid, what are they doing now?

Will UEFA and FIFA investigate them?

What if Real Madrid sues them for private contact?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1052: Signed

The 12/13 season was a season of complete transformation for Leeds United.

As a newly promoted team, the White Roses climbed all the way to sixth place in the Premier League, behind the champions Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur.

Next were Everton and Liverpool.

It is worth mentioning that Ferguson has retired, and Everton head coach Moyes will replace him.

Because Leeds United finished sixth, their share of Premier League broadcasting fees this season reached 54 million pounds, ranking seventh in the league after Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool.

Liverpool's situation is somewhat special. As an established top club, although their ranking bonus was not as high as Leeds United's, they had more live broadcasts, resulting in total revenue higher than Leeds United's.

It is worth noting that the Premier League's TV revenue distribution uses a guaranteed-minimum plus commission model. Each season guarantees a certain number of broadcast matches and a base payment, then additional payments for each extra live game.

Leeds United, as a newly promoted side, did not have many live broadcasts in the first half of the season, though many were added later. Even so, it was still fewer than Liverpool's.

In terms of the live broadcast share, Leeds United received 9.2 million pounds, while Liverpool received 11.9 million pounds.

Leeds United's situation was relatively good. Take Everton as an example. Although they ranked higher than Liverpool, their live broadcast share was only the guaranteed 5.8 million pounds, so Everton's final total revenue was only 50 million pounds, 5 million pounds less than Liverpool.

Another situation was that in the final round of the Premier League, some teams' positions shifted significantly.

For example, Fulham beat Swansea 3-0, which pushed them up three places in the table. Based on the ranking bonus, they earned an extra 2.25 million pounds.

Newcastle, on the other hand, lost in the last round, dropped three places, and lost 2.25 million pounds in prize money.

Manchester United had the highest revenue in the Premier League this season, at 61.4 million pounds.

But this figure will definitely be broken next season, as the Premier League champion's revenue may even exceed 100 million pounds.

In other words, every Premier League team next season will have the chance to increase its current revenue by nearly 40 percent as long as it maintains its ranking.

Thanks to the high share of Premier League TV money, Leeds United's total revenue this season reached 110 million pounds, which ranks around 25th in European football.

This also shows the astonishing money-making ability of the Premier League as a platform.

But whether it was Gao Shen, Su Qing, or Fernando Lucas, none of them were satisfied with Leeds United's current situation.

The reason is simple. The proportion of TV revenue is too high.

…

"As we have said before, according to our plan, ideally, matchday revenue, broadcast revenue, and commercial revenue should be split three ways. That provides a good hedge against risk."

Fernando Lucas introduced the current situation of the club.

Matchday income is the most stable, generally fluctuating little. Broadcasting revenue is the least stable, affected by team performance, especially in Europe. Commercial income is relatively stable and tests the club's operational ability.

"Matchday revenue is a problem. Due to our previous commitment not to raise prices, coupled with the limited capacity of the stadium and incomplete facilities, our matchday income is much lower than other teams."

Matchday revenue is not only tickets. Merchandise sales are also a big part, but Leeds United are heavily restricted in this area.

"Broadcast revenue now accounts for half of our total, and commercial income is growing too slowly. These are the areas we will focus on. Our North American office will be set up soon, and our Asian office will also ramp up. We are striving to achieve 100 percent growth in commercial revenue next season from the current base."

Gao Shen was a little surprised when he heard this. "That is not easy."

"Yes, but we have to do it."

Lucas believes that matchday income has hit a temporary bottleneck with limited room for improvement. At most, next season brings Europa League games, but the prize money is small and the extra matches only add a little.

But can Leeds United maintain their current Premier League position?

That is the question.

Only by increasing commercial income can the club operate healthily. Otherwise, if TV revenue accounts for 70 to 80 percent like many teams, what do you have to compete with?

In fact, Leeds United's biggest commercial negotiation this season was with AXA Insurance.

Unfortunately, no sponsor is interested in Elland Road's naming rights. Otherwise, Leeds United would seriously consider selling them.

Even earning two million pounds a year would be great.

"Oh, by the way, Rodolfo, you have been to France several times. How did the talks go?" Gao Shen looked at Borrell.

Because Gao Shen had been busy with Real Madrid's matches and did not communicate in time, he knew nothing about Borrell's progress.

When he asked, Borrell immediately laughed.

"It's signed."

"What?" Gao Shen was a little surprised. "I mean Mbappé."

"Yes, it's signed." Borrell was also very excited.

"Did you really sign him?" Su Qing was very surprised.

Gao Shen often praised Mbappé in front of Su Qing, saying he was a youngster not inferior to Haaland. Did they really sign him?

"I went to France six times and did everything I could to convince Mbappé and his family. I practically became friends with them." Borrell could not help laughing.

"I really think this kid will bring surprises. Seeing him felt like when I saw Messi, it was a shock, but a different kind of shock."

Gao Shen nodded deeply and gave Borrell a thumbs up.

This was a brilliant move.

Now, Mbappé and Haaland are both at Leeds United, which makes Gao Shen look forward to the future.

Talent is still crucial in football.

Leeds United has assembled a group of extremely gifted youngsters.

Sterling, Arnold, and Rabiot were signed from Manchester City, and Mbappé was brought in from France. Of these, apart from Sterling and Rabiot who can make the first team, the others are enriching the academy and are semi-finished products needing more development.

But Leeds United's youth setup is no joke. Their results last season were very good, and this season is expected to be better.

This is inseparable from Gao Shen's large-scale investment.

Whether in software, hardware, or players, Leeds United has begun to regain the look of the former European youth powerhouse.

For example, in the first team, the 17-year-old Martial has already played in cup matches.

Leeds United's entire ecosystem is running very well now. The team dares to give young players opportunities and room to make mistakes. Once they get on the pitch, they play without fear and fight hard. That is rare.

Gao Shen also repeatedly reminded Lucas, Borrell, and the next head coach Pochettino to maintain this club culture.

Once the club becomes afraid to give youngsters chances and refuses to allow mistakes, it will be difficult to keep the team as vibrant and energetic as it is now.

That was Real Madrid's problem in the past.

…

Because of the club's huge investment in youth development, Leeds United has been scouting globally. This even became a key topic at the Premier League Chairmen's Summit, and the league reminded Leeds United to be mindful.

Of course, Leeds United paid training compensation and adhered to FA regulations.

But poaching like this is likely to cause public anger.

Is there any alternative?

In recent years, most Premier League clubs have not valued youth development or the nurturing of young players. Leeds United is different. They cultivate many youngsters every year, their academy is renowned, and naturally they attract talented kids.

For example, Andrew Robertson of Queen's Park in Scotland's fourth tier.

He performed well in the fourth tier last season. Although only 19, his displays were eye-catching.

Following Gao Shen's suggestion, Leeds United moved immediately and signed Robertson on a free, beating Scottish Premier League powerhouse Dundee United.

There is also Stuttgart U19 midfielder Kimmich. After Leeds United took a liking to him, they spoke directly to Stuttgart. When the other side was willing to sell for 500,000 euros with a 750,000 euro buyback clause, Leeds United rejected the clause and instead signed Kimmich for 1.5 million euros.

This left Stuttgart baffled.

Were Leeds United really that optimistic about Kimmich?

"I joked with them that we had more money than we could spend in the academy budget and had to rush to use it before season's end."

As soon as Borrell said this, Gao Shen and the others laughed.

Will this give the outside world the illusion that Leeds United is very rich?

But it has to be said that Leeds United is no longer what it used to be.

When they signed Paulinho for 1.5 million, they took a long time to consider it. Now it is just a matter of Borrell's decision.

Leeds United is still picking up bargains everywhere. For example, they signed Milinkovic-Savic from Serbian club Vojvodina for 300,000 euros and loaned the 18-year-old to Genk in Belgium.

This is also one of the ways Leeds United and other clubs develop young players.

Belgium does not have too many restrictions on foreign players, which makes it easier for Leeds United to operate.

Leeds United's academy staff and scouts will always monitor the players' development and keep in close contact.

In terms of local poaching, in addition to Manchester City, Leeds United originally wanted to sign Declan Rice and Mason Mount from Chelsea's academy.

Rice was released by Chelsea due to physical reasons, so signing him was simple. But Mount was one of the most valued players in Chelsea's youth setup, and he himself was unwilling to leave London, which ultimately led to Leeds United failing to land him.

Although only Declan Rice was signed, it was still a gain.

Not only that, Leeds United also signed 17-year-old Spanish youngster Rodri from Atlético Madrid's academy, beating Villarreal and others.

And everything Leeds United is doing now is preparation for the future.

This summer, the team is likely to face serious personnel losses. Leeds United must plan ahead and stock sufficient talent to prepare for next season and the coming Premier League campaigns.

Leeds United's signings share one common trait. They are young, talented, semi-finished products at low cost.

This fits perfectly with Leeds United's positioning as a star-making factory. Bring in players, develop them for a few years, then sell after they perform well.

This is Leeds United's way of survival.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1053: Historic Opportunity

The land that had been abandoned for many years and overgrown with weeds was cleared and leveled, and the messy warehouses and scrapyards were cleaned up.

Green barbed-wire fencing was erected on the small mounds beside the surrounding highway, blending with the rows of tall trees that often stood 20 to 30 meters high.

In the future, Leeds United will invest to create a mixed green belt of trees, shrubs, and grass around the training base, which will both beautify the grounds and protect its privacy.

After exiting the M621 motorway, head north around the Elland Road roundabout and enter the main road of Leeds.

Construction fences have been erected on both sides of the road.

Not far ahead, the eye-catching construction gate comes into view.

At this moment, both sides of the gate are filled with vehicles. Many guests, fans, TV stations, and media reporters have gathered, set up their cameras, and are filming this project that Leeds fans and countless supporters worldwide are looking forward to.

When the Mayor of Leeds, Leeds United chairwoman Su Qing, CEO Fernando Lucas, and the European general manager of a Chinese construction company laid the foundation stone for Leeds United's new training base amid salutes, warm applause broke out at the scene.

Gao Shen stood in the front row, side by side with chief designer Norman Foster, applauding the groundbreaking ceremony.

Driven by Gao Shen and Leeds United, this project attracted the attention of countless fans and media even before it began.

Coupled with Leeds United's outstanding performance last season, all of this made the project a hot topic.

The total budget of the project is as high as 80 million pounds, making it the most luxurious training base ever built.

Part of it is the municipal park at the north end, funded by Leeds City Council and built jointly with Leeds United. After completion, it will connect to the youth team's home ground and training area.

It is an interesting integration.

But Gao Shen was thinking that from the southwest corner of the training base, across the large roundabout, lies Leeds United's Elland Road stadium area.

"What do you think, Norman, if these two areas could be connected as one?" Gao Shen asked suddenly.

"This way to the stadium?"

"Right."

Gao Shen grew more interested as he spoke, but Norman Foster shook his head.

"It is unrealistic."

"Why?"

"I have studied Elland Road carefully and there is little value in expanding or renovating it, especially the West Stand, which is too old. Instead of investing so much money, it would be better to rebuild."

Gao Shen fully agreed.

Many times, the cost of renovating an old stadium is not much cheaper than building a new one. The push to renovate is often about the venue's location and approvals.

For example, Real Madrid's Bernabéu is located in central Madrid. Every inch of land there is precious. It is absolutely impossible for Real Madrid to move.

If you do not leave the Bernabéu and want a new build, its feasibility is very small, because it would be a massive project. It is basically unrealistic in the busiest city center. How much work would demolition alone require?

So Florentino chose renovation.

But Leeds United's situation is different.

The land around Elland Road belongs to the club, and it is quite large.

"I calculated that the area to the east, which now has the Centenary Pavilion, plus the rented warehouse area, combined, is not enough to build a modern football stadium."

"Not enough?" Gao Shen felt that the land seemed substantial.

It is called a centenary pavilion, but it is essentially a bungalow with a tin roof. The warehouse is even older. The roof has been repaired repeatedly because there was no money for proper renovation. It is currently rented to a beer company.

The surrounding area serves as a temporary parking lot on match days.

"I do not need to explain the West and South Stands. They are decades old. They are not worth renovating or expanding, and their seating capacity is too low. If you want to build a new stadium on that land, right next to the Centenary Pavilion, you would have to demolish the East Stand, which has the largest capacity."

Currently, Leeds United's attendance is concentrated mainly in the East Stand, which has been renovated and has a high capacity.

Demolishing that section would not be cost-effective.

Especially considering that once construction of a new stadium begins, it will take three years if all goes well, and four or five years if it does not.

If that happens, Leeds United would lose an untold amount in matchday revenue alone.

"If it were up to me, the initial plan would be to build on the west side of the plot, close to the original railway line. It is currently a temporary parking lot and would be very convenient. It would not even affect the current use of Elland Road."

In other words, by building on the west side, Elland Road could continue to be used until the new stadium is completed.

After Norman Foster said this, Gao Shen remembered something.

One of the important reasons former Chelsea chairman Ken Bates took over Leeds United was that Leeds had a very large commercial plan at the time, namely to renovate the West and South Stands of Elland Road.

On the west side of the stadium lay the club's original training base, which was later moved to the current Thorpe Arch. The original plan was to build Leeds United's largest shopping center there.

Back then, Leeds United conducted a dedicated market survey and found the transport links were excellent. It is adjacent to the M1, connected to the M621, and links to the M62 in the west. Both are major arteries running north and south across the UK.

It can be said this is one of the most convenient locations in Leeds and even all of Yorkshire.

Everyone knows cars are a vital means of transport in the UK. Many shopping centers are in the suburbs because of parking convenience. Therefore, the land around Elland Road has considerable potential, which has not yet been tapped.

There are actually two plots on the south side of the stadium, currently allocated to Leeds United as temporary parking on match days. If all this land were fully utilized, the value would be considerable.

Most importantly, it would have little impact on Leeds' matches.

…

At Leeds United, Su Qing has always been the one to liaise with the Leeds City Council.

After all, she has a ministry background, is efficient and capable, and handles matters in an orderly way. She has opened all the channels, allowing the new training base project to progress very smoothly.

After the groundbreaking ceremony, when Gao Shen met the mayor of Leeds, she did not forget to praise Su Qing, which made Gao Shen very proud. At the same time, he felt he had made the right decision to entrust Leeds United to Su Qing.

According to estimates by the Chinese construction company, the construction period for the training base is about twelve months, which means that at the latest, Leeds United will move in before the start of the 2014 summer training camp.

This is also a very important milestone for Leeds United.

At that time, the first team and academy will move to the new training base, and even the club's administrative departments and data center will be transferred there.

This will become the heart of Leeds United.

After the groundbreaking ceremony, Gao Shen hosted a banquet for the construction company's senior management, Norman Foster's team, and Leeds United's core executives, then met with the club's management at Thorpe Arch.

The meeting was mainly to summarize the past season and look ahead to the next.

Gao Shen formally introduced Pochettino to everyone, saying he was very optimistic about Pochettino's coaching at Leeds and believed he had the ability to lead the club in the Premier League and Europa League next season.

Pochettino also promised that he would do his best to lead Leeds United and strive for good results in the new Premier League season.

Gao Shen then focused on the 2013 U20 World Cup in Türkiye.

Many Leeds players would participate, such as Pogba, Kondogbia, and Kurzawa for France, as well as Brozovic for Croatia, Cancelo for Portugal, and Stones, Maguire, and Harry Kane for England.

Sterling was originally of the right age but missed the tournament because he could not get minutes at Manchester City.

This can be regarded as a butterfly effect brought by the changes.

However, in the new season at Leeds United, Sterling will definitely get more opportunities.

Because in Pochettino's plan, Coutinho's position should be in midfield, not on the wing.

His two wide players tend to be faster and more direct.

If Icardi transfers, the team's striker options will consist of Harry Kane, Vardy, and Martial.

Among them, Gao Shen, Rodolfo Borrell, and Leeds United's technical team have always viewed Martial as a center forward, a center forward in the Henry mold.

Gao Shen hopes the scouting team and the data center will pay special attention to the U20 World Cup to see if any emerging talents have slipped through the net.

…

After the meeting, Gao Shen kept several core executives behind and discussed his conversation with Norman Foster.

He noticed everyone's eyes light up.

Everyone present was basically aware of Leeds United's previous plans, which they knew about when acquiring the club.

Now, that plan is outdated, and many parts no longer fit.

For example, there was no large shopping mall in Leeds at that time, but there is one now, on the north bank of the River Aire in the city center, about three kilometers in a straight line from Elland Road.

But this does not mean Leeds United lacks advantages, especially in transport.

If the club can capitalize on that advantage, there is still great potential in its land-use planning.

It is even possible to create a perfect business-stadium combination in Leeds similar to Old Trafford.

Whether in the fans' purchasing power or the size of the fanbase, Leeds United is not much inferior to Manchester United.

This plan is attractive, but the investment would be huge.

Leaving everything else aside, the new stadium alone would require a massive investment, and Elland Road would have to be demolished, the land consolidated, and commercial planning carried out. The total investment would be astronomical.

Leeds United simply cannot afford it at the moment.

At most, they can first consider a new stadium.

And this cannot be rushed. Proper market research and stakeholder groundwork are essential.

Thinking it through, time is still very tight.

"Let us see how the transfers go this summer. If they are successful, we will start studying the new stadium," Gao Shen said, a little impatiently.

Time waits for no one.

He must seize this historic opportunity.

(To be continued.)