SWR: Chapter 739/740

Chapter 739: Future Lampard

On the eve of the final, while Gao Shen was meeting with Ferguson at the hotel, Manchester City's former manager, Mark Hughes, was in another London hotel meeting with his old associate Mike Rigg.

He had just taken over as head coach of Queens Park Rangers, but after his first meeting with the club's executives, his initial feeling was regret.

Yes, he had only been in the job for less than a week, and he already regretted it.

Mark Hughes and Mike Rigg had a long history together, starting at Blackburn and later working together at Manchester City.

This time, the newly promoted Premier League side Queens Park Rangers had contacted Mike Rigg due to his long-standing experience in English football. Mike Rigg then recommended Mark Hughes.

The reason Hughes regretted accepting the job wasn't about his salary.

In fact, QPR offered a substantial wage and a decent level of authority, but the club itself was riddled with problems.

So much so that after just one meeting with a senior executive, Hughes felt like he had walked straight into a trap.

He immediately reached out to his trusted confidant, Mike Rigg.

"He wants to poach players from Leeds United!" Hughes said seriously as soon as they met.

"Isn't that normal?" Rigg replied with a smirk.

"We're a newly promoted Premier League team. There's a lot of hype on the outside, but the majority shareholder hasn't actually invested much. Based on our financial situation, we have three realistic targets for player recruitment: top performers from Championship teams that didn't get promoted, players from recently relegated teams, and loan deals or aging veterans."

Rigg had been around the Premier League for years. He knew exactly how these newly promoted teams operated.

Especially a team like QPR, which had heavily relied on loan players.

"But why does Bahati want to poach from Leeds United?" Hughes asked, puzzled.

He didn't have a good impression of Gao Shen to begin with.

"It's simple. Because Gao Shen is behind Leeds United, and the players he picks are usually not bad. Also, Gao Shen's name is a brand. Our major shareholder may not know the players or the teams, but he definitely knows Gao Shen. If we want him to invest more money, the best way is to tell him we're targeting Gao Shen's players."

"Just imagine, what a convincing argument!"

Even Mike Rigg couldn't help but get a little excited.

Hughes found it amusing. "The only problem is, I don't even know who's on Leeds United's roster."

"That doesn't matter, Mark," Rigg said reassuringly. "This isn't something we need to get involved in. We're just employees."

At the end, Rigg looked at Hughes with a serious expression. "Think about it, Mark. They're paying you well, right? Our job is to help the team avoid relegation. As for which players they buy, that's not our concern. Once they're in, you just coach them."

Hughes couldn't deny the logic, but he didn't like it.

He had his own beliefs and standards.

He may not have reached the level of top managers like Gao Shen, but he still had his own vision.

He'd heard about arrangements like this, but not even at Manchester City had he experienced anything quite like it.

…

Back in 2007, Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal's family partnered with F1 bosses Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone to buy QPR.

At the time, the Mittal family was one of the wealthiest in the world, and many assumed QPR had finally found their deep-pocketed backer.

But reality soon hit.

The Mittal family had little interest in football. The club was managed by Mittal's British son-in-law, Bahati, and the family itself stayed out of the picture.

Just this year, Malaysian tycoon Tony Fernandes spent £100 million to acquire a 66 percent stake from Briatore and Ecclestone, who then withdrew from the club.

However, the remaining 30 percent was still held by the Mittal family, and Bahati continued to serve as club chairman.

Tony Fernandes became the controlling shareholder and appointed a Malaysian named Nanalingam to the board. Reportedly, his father was a high-ranking government official in Malaysia.

Clearly, Fernandes' motivations were not purely football-related.

Neither Bahati nor Nanalingam had much knowledge of football or how to run a club, but they had money.

In their eyes, professional football was no big deal.

Isn't it just about spending money?

As long as you spend, like Chelsea and Manchester City, you'll be successful.

Fernandes wasn't as wealthy as Abramovich or Mansour, but he figured it should be enough to survive in the Premier League.

The Mittal family, no longer the majority shareholder, had no intention of investing. The only source of money was Fernandes, who was ambitious and eager to turn QPR into the next Manchester City, a new Premier League force.

First step: hire Mark Hughes. Once the club establishes itself in the top flight, the long-term goal is to bring in Gao Shen.

In three years, QPR will be a mid-table Premier League side. In five, they'll be in the Champions League.

That was Tony Fernandes' grand plan.

Bahati had only one thought: get the owner to spend more.

Spending might not guarantee survival, but not spending definitely meant relegation.

So, when Hughes met Bahati for the first time, the latter's request was simple—see if there are any players worth signing at Leeds United and poach them!

…

"Mark, according to my sources, clubs like Norwich, Swansea, Cardiff, and Reading, and even Premier League teams like Wolves and Bolton, are monitoring Leeds United."

Hearing this, Mark Hughes was clearly surprised.

"Why?"

"Jonathan Howson. The 22-year-old midfielder was one of the best players in the Championship last season, recording a double-double. Many are calling him the next Lampard. It's said even some top Premier League clubs are interested."

Hughes scoffed. Gao Shen said he's the new Lampard? When did he say that?

These things were all coming from the media. Had they planted a bug in Gao Shen's house?

"Don't be so quick to dismiss it. We're not fools. I asked around. After Leeds United's ownership changed, the first thing they did was begin contract talks with Howson."

"Last season, Howson had a major fallout with old captain Richard Naylor over the armband. This time, the new management immediately promised him the captaincy upon renewal. Meanwhile, Naylor's contract was terminated, and he moved to Doncaster on a free. That shows Leeds United's sincerity."

Hughes had to admit that made sense.

He might not like it, but he couldn't deny Gao Shen's sharp eye for talent.

Besides, Howson's double-double numbers were undeniable. He was a young English midfielder, and that spoke volumes.

"Swansea's Brendan Rodgers is very interested in Howson. Word is, he's preparing an offer. Blackburn are also monitoring the situation."

"What's Howson's stance?" Hughes asked.

"He wants to play in the Premier League," Rigg said with a smile.

Well, that was expected.

At this point, Hughes was tempted.

If they could really sign a player like Lampard—or even someone with 70 percent of his ability—it would be enough to secure their place in the top flight.

And he was homegrown too.

"Right now, many clubs are circling Leeds United. For example, Norwich are reportedly using Scottish head coach Paul Lambert's connections to lure McCormack and Snodgrass—both Scotland internationals."

"Those two are also key renewal targets for Leeds."

That raised another question for Hughes.

"Logically speaking, if Leeds really had a shortlist of renewal targets, it should've been confidential. How did it leak?"

Rigg chuckled. "You might not believe this, but as soon as Gao Shen's fiancée took over, she faxed an offer to Manchester United asking for three youth players. That's when people realized Gao Shen had created a renewal and recruitment list."

"You know how nosy journalists are. Once they caught wind of this, they dug deeper. And Leeds' internal handover was a mess, so…"

Hughes found it amusing too.

Clearly, she was inexperienced.

Gao Shen's fiancée had never run a football club and had been living in China before. She had no idea how terrifying the British tabloids were.

This was a lesson learned.

"Now, Howson's agent has said they haven't renewed the contract yet. Do you know what that means?" Rigg grinned.

No need to guess. They were waiting for the price to rise.

"There's talk that Howson, originally worth £2 million, has now doubled to £4 million or more. Lots of teams are watching."

Anyone familiar with the Premier League knew how valuable a good English player was.

Howson was still young and an England U21 player. Next year, he could be in the squad for the Olympic team.

And he was handpicked by Gao Shen, the so-called "future Lampard."

"What does the boss think?" Hughes asked, clearly interested.

He had always favored British players.

"The boss is back in Malaysia. He's heard of Leeds' youth academy and the reputation of Gao Shen. His order is simple: grab him!"

"And?"

"Bahati gave me the green light to sign anyone up to £7 million without reporting back."

He paused, then added, "The boss is footing the bill."

"Are you serious? Seven million pounds?" Hughes was stunned.

Gao Shen had only spent £15 million to buy Leeds United.

"The boss doesn't mind spending a bit. Besides, you know how it is—information is everything. City spent €30 million on Van Persie. People thought it was too much. A year later, he's worth €50 million."

"Ken Bates must be kicking himself now, haha!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 740: Tangled

Simon Kuper raised a soul-searching question in his acclaimed book Football Economics:

Why are most football clubs' signings so illogical?

Transfers involve millions, tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of euros, yet they rarely conduct serious market research. Why? Because of one match? One tournament? Sometimes, it's simply because everyone else is doing it.

So they all rush in.

He argues this is the starkest difference between professional football and modern enterprises.

Simply put, professional football is still terribly unprofessional when it comes to risk management.

Gao Shen had always found many of the book's concepts worth studying and applying.

For instance, Kuper wrote that many "stars" who emerge from major tournaments often command inflated prices—but usually fail to live up to those valuations. The reason: those players happened to flourish in a very specific tactical environment that allowed them to perform beyond their normal level.

Once they leave that environment and their form drops, they can't replicate that success.

This made a lot of sense to Gao Shen.

It was also the fundamental difference between major international competitions like the World Cup or Euros and the club football season.

Take Arshavin as an example. Even at Arsenal, he never replicated the dominance he showed in the European Championship.

But what Kuper didn't account for is that clubs do understand this principle.

Some might ask, if they understand it, why do they still spend?

Simple: different objectives lead to different perspectives.

In Gao Shen's previous life, people said Real Madrid bought James Rodríguez after the 2014 World Cup in exchange for a €7 billion infrastructure deal.

Gao Shen didn't buy into that rumor.

Any cross-border mega infrastructure project of that scale must be negotiated at the national level. It involves long-term diplomatic and economic discussions—not something triggered by buying a superstar.

Besides, are we to believe Real Madrid had already identified James as a breakout star before the World Cup? That they'd have bought any Colombian who emerged?

Absolutely not.

More realistically, James was both talented and good-looking—perfect for Real Madrid's commercial needs. Florentino Pérez had always prioritized stars who could enhance the club's global image. That's why they were willing to pay a premium.

And as a membership-owned club, Real Madrid—like Barcelona—is not allowed to show profits. While most clubs struggle to make money, Real and Barça face the opposite issue: how not to turn a profit.

That's why both clubs often make baffling transfer decisions.

From this perspective, Real Madrid paying a fortune for James Rodríguez isn't so strange after all.

But reality proved James was at most worth €40 to €50 million. Real paid a peak-market premium for a temporary star.

That's a bad deal.

By contrast, after Euro 2008, teams were far more cautious with Arshavin. As a result, he missed the market peak and ended up at Arsenal.

Looking back, what was the global climate in 2008?

…

After acquiring Leeds United, Gao Shen had to think about funding. So when Fernando Lucas presented an idea, Gao Shen was genuinely tempted.

How do you sell the players Leeds currently owns for maximum value?

Jonathan Howson was undoubtedly the most valuable asset and Lucas zoomed in on him.

This was standard practice in Europe.

To put it bluntly, behind every transfer, there's spin, packaging, and carefully placed media buzz.

Take Richard Naylor, for example. A 34-year-old veteran who spent most of his career in the lower leagues. Once a striker, now a center-back. He had joined Leeds to wind down his career. At this point, he no longer aligned with the club's long-term vision. Letting him go on a free was the logical step.

Then there's Jonathan Howson. A rising star and a fan favorite. But he was eager to leave. He wanted to prove himself on a bigger stage, especially after enjoying the best season of his career.

That made sense.

So Gao Shen and Lucas decided: send Naylor off, and present to the outside world that Leeds is trying hard to keep Howson. At the same time, leak flattering reports—like Gao Shen calling him "Lampard II"—to stir interest and build hype.

Of course, none of this would work if Howson hadn't actually performed well. But he had.

Other wantaway players—like McCormack, Schmeichel, and Snodgrass—would follow similar strategies. But they wouldn't fetch Howson-level fees.

Ultimately, performance is the deciding factor for professional players.

It's worth noting that Kasper Schmeichel was the highest-paid player at Leeds, earning £15,000 per week—already high for a Championship club.

Now, Howson's agent was demanding £25,000 per week and a promotion clause. Otherwise, they wouldn't rule out leaving for the Premier League next summer.

Under these conditions, how could Gao Shen possibly agree?

He knew what Manchester United were offering Pogba to renew: £15,000 per week.

That's the same as Schmeichel's salary, but nearly half of what Howson's camp wanted.

There was no way to make that work.

Even with Gao Shen's reputation, players wouldn't stay just because of his name—unless he were managing the team himself.

So, better to cash in now while the market's hot.

Thanks to Lucas's handling, Howson, Schmeichel, and others were indeed attracting attention—especially Howson.

Gao Shen was just waiting to see who would make the first move.

…

The night was quiet and deep.

All of London was asleep.

Everyone was waiting for tomorrow night's Champions League final.

Except in Fulham, where Barcelona were staying. In his hotel suite, Guardiola sat alone in front of the window.

He had dragged a sofa chair to the floor-to-ceiling glass and was staring out at the moonlit cityscape, deep in thought.

The coaching staff had just finished a tactical meeting to prepare for the final, but many issues remained unresolved.

One major question: where should Messi play?

On the right? Up front?

Striker? Or attacking midfielder?

Barcelona's squad was stacked, but Guardiola constantly tweaked formations to stay unpredictable. That led to numerous tactical setups.

For instance, Messi on the right, Agüero central, and Sánchez on the left. A standard 4-3-3.

Or Messi central, Agüero left, Sánchez right, another flavor of 4-3-3.

Messi could even drop into the No. 10 role, with Sánchez and Agüero as dual strikers. That resembled a 4-3-1-2.

Each formation activated players differently. Different roles, different responsibilities, different counters for different opponents.

Over the past season, Guardiola had mastered this system-switching style.

That's why Barcelona had already secured a domestic double and were chasing the treble.

In 2009, they also had the double and looked poised to win the Champions League at the Bernabéu. Instead, they were demolished by Gao Shen's Napoli, suffering a humiliating defeat.

Guardiola still remembered that game vividly.

Now he was facing Gao Shen again, but this time with Manchester City. How should he approach the match?

Guardiola was torn.

He considered using his go-to 4-3-3. But he had a nagging feeling that he would be suppressed.

Because he knew Gao Shen too well.

Despite Manchester City's reputation for possession and fluid attack, they couldn't out-pass Barcelona.

If Gao Shen were to rely purely on possession, Guardiola would be confident.

But he knew Gao Shen would go aggressive at the start, then gradually shift into a possession rhythm.

And really, who passed better than Barcelona?

The 4-3-3 had its strengths, but so did the 4-3-1-2. Both options had upsides—and risks.

Guardiola's head hurt.

He knew Gao Shen would target the midfield. Deploying Messi as a No. 10 could link midfield and attack, but it required a formational shift.

However, that 4-3-1-2 shape had only been used twice all season.

In the meeting, Vilanova played devil's advocate and proposed some tactical ideas. But Guardiola knew, Vilanova wasn't the kind of opponent he needed to plan against.

There was no fixed playbook against someone like Gao Shen.

If there was any "routine," it was that Gao Shen would use whatever worked best to win.

That was what gave Guardiola the biggest headache.

He was trapped.

Absolutely torn.

Just then, his phone vibrated.

He picked it up. It was a Twitter notification.

Gao Shen had tweeted.

> "Don't stress, my friend. I know you've got insomnia. Go shower and get some sleep. See you tomorrow night!"

Guardiola's jaw dropped.

What the hell?!

How did he know?

Was he watching me?

Guardiola quickly stood up and scanned the room. Could there be hidden cameras?

No way. This was one of the top hotels in London. Impossible.

There was only one explanation…

When he realized it, Guardiola groaned.

Gao Shen, you monster!

(To be continued.)