SWR: Chapter 641/642

Chapter 641: Too Arrogant

No one expected that, with the World Cup in full swing and the Premier League's summer training camp yet to begin, Gao Shen's comments would ignite heated discussions and widespread controversy across the UK and throughout Europe, causing a major stir.

The Times believed that his deep and unique perspective offered a fresh take, different from how most people had previously viewed the issue.

Whether it's the English FA, UEFA, or the British media, the Premier League has always been regarded as the British Premier League. As such, various policies have been introduced, including registration restrictions on foreign players and requirements for homegrown talent, all in an effort to protect British players.

They believe that the influx of too many foreign players has taken away the space for local players to grow and thrive.

And this isn't just the case in the Premier League. It's true across other leagues as well, including La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1. The only difference lies in the number of foreign players and the specific rules.

So why restrict foreign players?

The answer is simple: to protect local players.

Yet on the other hand, the four major leagues the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Serie A, have all been committed to globalization over the past decade. Relying on their status as the core of world professional football, they aim to export their brand globally to generate profit.

As a result, the share of the Premier League's overseas broadcasting rights revenue has continued to rise in recent years, even surpassing domestic earnings.

And that's just the broadcast rights. Once you factor in commercial sponsorships and other revenue streams, it becomes clear that the Premier League's current prosperity is entirely supported by the vast global market. Without it, that prosperity would cease to exist.

The same applies to leagues like La Liga, Serie A, and the Bundesliga, especially their top-tier clubs.

This creates a fascinating contradiction.

On one hand, they argue that the Premier League is the British Premier League and that foreign players should be restricted, even excluded. Yet on the other hand, they aggressively market the Premier League to the world and chase profits globally.

Isn't that highly contradictory?

The Times dedicated extensive coverage to dissecting the logic behind Gao Shen's comments and believed that his argument held water.

Because if the league were made up entirely of local players and coaches, the excitement and technical level of the Premier League would not be what it is today. Its rapid development in tactics and overall play owes much to the presence of foreign talent.

So what about local players?

"Gao Shen has already given the answer. He believes that the UK should strongly develop its youth training systems and increase efforts in nurturing young players. That way, more outstanding homegrown players can compete with high-level foreign imports, thereby improving the strength of English players and elevating the national team."

The Times argued that a more market-driven approach is the only sustainable development path for the Premier League, English football, and the ongoing trend of globalization.

"Further limiting foreign players and clamping down on foreign imports will only result in isolationist policies, which will do more harm than good."

Based on Gao Shen's statements, The Times also delved into the English FA's youth development investment over the years.

It's well known that a large portion of the Premier League's revenue is redistributed to lower-tier leagues like the Championship, with parts allocated to youth training and community programs. All of this is covered by the Premier League's expenditures.

So where does the FA's money go?

Each year, a handful of promising young players emerge from the Premier League, but how many truly succeed?

Take Walcott, who burst onto the scene four years ago with high expectations. Four years have passed. Does he still shine like he once did?

He's been completely overshadowed by his roommate, Gareth Bale!

"What Gao Shen said is absolutely right. If English football wants to improve, it must rely on both market competition and increased investment in youth development."

The Times pointed out that in Germany's last two major tournaments—2006 at home, and this World Cup in South Africa—a wave of young and talented players like Thomas Müller and Toni Kroos have emerged, leaving a lasting impression.

These players are the direct result of Germany's youth development reforms.

Back in the 1990s, after several poor showings in major competitions, a group led by Beckenbauer began to seriously reflect on the problems in German football. They pushed for youth system reforms and significantly increased investment, leading to today's situation where promising young German players are thriving.

Was this a coincidence?

…

But even within The Times, there were columnists who pushed back against Gao Shen's views, arguing that he was speaking from the standpoint of a foreign coach and foreign player, lacking true objectivity.

Why?

Because young players need match experience to develop.

But the Premier League is oversaturated with foreign players, leaving little to no opportunity for local youth to gain playing time.

When every Premier League club is used to recruiting players from around the globe, then how can the English players, whom the country has worked so hard to train, possibly compete with the world's best?

The truth is, they can't.

It's like having a national team go up against a club team, national teams simply don't have the depth to win.

Why?

Because of the limited player pool. National teams are naturally weaker in certain positions.

Likewise, if the Premier League continues without restrictions, or even relaxes existing rules, it could become like Serie A in the past, flooded with foreign talent, which in turn squeezes out the development space for local players.

"What's even more damaging is that clubs will lean toward buying players rather than developing them."

"The former requires less effort and carries less risk. The latter is more laborious and much riskier."

…

Similar scenes unfolded across The Guardian, The Mirror, The Sun, and other British media outlets.

TV stations, websites, and social platforms of all sizes joined the debate, each presenting their own perspectives and arguments.

Soon, the topic spread online especially on Twitter and then extended across Europe.

Before long, nearly the entire European football world and the entire internet were talking about it.

There were supporters, critics, and those who remained neutral.

But it was clear that no one was going to convince anyone else, and the debate wouldn't lead to any concrete results.

As the initiator, Gao Shen gained a massive influx of Twitter followers, boosted Twitter traffic, and significantly raised his public profile. But he didn't care at all.

Because he never intended to make a living as an internet celebrity.

His real job was still being a football manager.

He could rely on his looks if he wanted, but he chose to rely on talent instead!

As for the uproar and endless debates outside, Gao Shen's private assessment was…

…

"So boring!"

When Lucas brought up the media frenzy and asked for Gao Shen's thoughts, the answer caught him off guard.

"Don't you think this kind of discussion has value?"

"What value? What can you possibly get out of a public argument? If people in England have time to waste on this, they might as well focus on improving youth development. Just look at how bad the state of youth training is in England."

Gao Shen was genuinely baffled.

"Then why were you so passionate when speaking in front of the FA?" Lucas challenged.

Well…

Gao Shen was a little speechless. "I just couldn't stand their arrogant attitude."

Lucas was at a loss for words.

Great. You've said both the good and the bad.

In truth, Gao Shen felt that there was no absolute right or wrong in this matter.

Restricting foreign players isn't inherently a problem.

The world isn't black and white.

It all comes down to balance.

But is the issue with English football really about how many foreign players there are? Is it really about whether local players have room to grow?

Come on, just take a look at how high the price tags are for domestic players these days.

Clearly, the real issue in English football is youth development.

Gao Shen had already stated this bluntly. There are very few English players competing abroad, and even fewer who find success.

Who's the last English player to thrive overseas?

Beckham.

And then?

That's it.

Isn't that clear enough?

Damn it. If the players you train aren't good enough, they're not going to be competitive overseas. Got it?

In Gao Shen's past life, England eventually learned from its mistakes and decided to build St. George's Park, launching a major youth development reform. Eventually, a generation of talents like Sancho, Foden, Rashford, Sterling, and Stones emerged.

The national team's performance improved almost immediately.

But sadly, the media prefers sensationalism over actual analysis.

Why? Because conflict brings traffic, attention, and sales.

Analyze the problem?

Please. Most people in this world don't like thinking things through.

They want it simple, blunt, and aggressive.

…

Still, even with all the chaos, there were positive outcomes.

For example, Fernandinho's hearing went smoothly, and the jury gave unanimous approval.

They trusted the judgment of Manchester City's scouting team and believed in Fernandinho's strength and potential, even though he was already 25 years old.

Manchester City immediately began the process of securing a work permit for Fernandinho and officially submitted an application to the Home Office.

Meanwhile, Yaya Toure's agent, Seluk, returned to Africa and discussed the offer with the player. Within a few days, they got back to City with the news that Yaya Toure wanted to speak with Gao Shen directly.

Gao Shen agreed.

The two had a private meeting in Manchester that lasted over an hour. In the end, Yaya Toure agreed to join Manchester City.

The club quickly submitted an offer to Barcelona, signing the Ivorian midfielder for a hefty 20 million euros.

The deal sent another shockwave through the Premier League.

Everyone could see it now, Manchester City really was arrogant!

Even though their transfer activity had cooled off somewhat this summer, they had still spent 92 million euros. That figure alone was unmatched in European football, and City's squad had improved significantly.

And don't forget, the exciting players Gao Shen had previously mentioned still hadn't even been revealed yet.

They've already surpassed the 100 million mark again. No suspense there.

Who can stop Manchester City from signing players at this rate?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 642: I Am Willing to Join Manchester City

On July 5, Manchester City regrouped. Except for the national team players who participated in the World Cup, all other players returned to the squad. After gathering in Manchester, they underwent their first medical check-up following the start of training camp.

As Manchester City had accepted an invitation from their American sponsors to play warm-up matches in North America this summer, Gao Shen and the coaching staff decided to hold the summer training camp in Portland, USA.

This was also part of Manchester City's broader plan to expand into the American market.

With the experience gained from last season and the strength of this season's squad, Gao Shen and his coaching team were very confident they could make progress on multiple fronts and strive for better results.

Especially in the Champions League.

This was not only a competition Gao Shen valued highly, but also the one Manchester City's management was most focused on.

Because of this, the coaching staff placed great emphasis on summer training.

Carlo, Buenaventura, and Pintus spent a long time carefully crafting a summer training plan for the team, including physical conditioning and status adjustments for national team players returning from the World Cup.

…

As Manchester City departed for training in the United States, the World Cup was drawing to a close.

In the end, the Netherlands and Spain met in the final.

The two sides remained tied 0-0 in the first half, but it was clear that Robben's performance was better than in his previous life.

In the 62nd minute of the second half, the Dutchman broke the offside trap and scored the opening goal for the Netherlands.

But soon after, Sneijder, who had assisted Robben, made a passing error that gifted the ball to David Villa, who slotted home the equalizer for Spain.

In the 83rd minute, the Netherlands launched another quick counterattack. Robben dribbled at high speed into the box, got past Puyol, and delivered a low cross with his left foot. Van Persie charged forward and calmly finished the move with a precise strike into the net.

But in stoppage time, just when it mattered most, Iniesta scored to level the match again for Spain.

Even after extra time, neither side was able to score.

In the penalty shootout, Casillas was heroic, saving three penalties and helping Spain defeat the Netherlands to win the World Cup.

It's worth mentioning that several of Manchester City's new signings performed well at the World Cup.

Yaya Toure and Lichtsteiner were solid in the group stage, but the most eye-catching was Jerome Boateng.

The young defender was deployed by Löw on the right and delivered an impressive performance, especially in the semi-final against Spain. He was Germany's standout player, locking down the right flank and completely nullifying Spain's left-side attack.

Later, in the third-place playoff against his club teammate Suarez, Boateng continued to play steadily. Not only was he strong defensively, but he also frequently pushed forward and delivered several high-quality crosses.

In the 56th minute, it was Boateng's right-wing cross that curled perfectly to meet Jansen's head, deflecting into Uruguay's goal.

Germany went on to beat Uruguay 3-2.

Thanks to his excellent World Cup performances, Boateng proved his quality to the world.

Ten million euros. For Manchester City to secure such a talent at that price, their scouting vision was once again widely recognized. Everyone was now convinced that Boateng would have an important role at City in the new season.

…

While the world's attention was focused on newly crowned champions Spain, Gao Shen handed over the Portland training camp to Carlo, with assistance from Buenaventura and Pintus.

He quietly left Portland with Brian Kidd and Lucas, flying to Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Of course, his trip was not to visit Amsterdam's red-light district, but to meet someone.

The Dutch national team had returned home quietly after their loss in South Africa.

Although being World Cup runners-up is a respectable achievement, for the Oranje, it was still a disappointment.

That's normal. No team that reaches the final is ever satisfied with finishing second.

Since all domestic leagues had already begun preparations for the new season, the national team disbanded upon returning home.

That night, Gao Shen met the target of his trip in a high-end hotel in Amsterdam.

Robin van Persie.

He was the exciting star Gao Shen had previously mentioned!

…

Both Manchester City and Arsenal kept Van Persie's transfer negotiations confidential, and they did a very good job keeping it under wraps.

Arsenal's main concern was the fans' reaction.

Logically speaking, in a typical transfer, if Arsenal were open to selling, they should have attracted more buyers to drive the price up. But Manchester City made a one-time offer that was hard to refuse.

Van Persie's market value was estimated at around 18 to 20 million euros by the media, far lower than Arsenal's top stars, captain Fabregas and in-form striker Adebayor.

But Manchester City offered 30 million euros, an offer Arsenal found hard to reject.

Looking across European football, there was likely no other club willing to match Manchester City's offer.

Arsenal's situation was indeed difficult, especially when it came to keeping their players.

They missed out on Champions League qualification, lost tens of millions in revenue, and struggled to retain top talent. After serious deliberation, Arsenal and Wenger decided to let Van Persie go.

Gao Shen had made this special trip to Amsterdam to complete the final and most critical step of the transfer.

Convincing Van Persie!

…

Van Persie was no stranger to Gao Shen, and through his agent, he had already learned about Arsenal's stance and situation.

Selling was now Arsenal's only option.

Van Persie also understood Wenger's and the club's position. Joining Manchester City seemed like a good move.

The bigger issue was that Manchester City already had Suarez.

The Uruguayan striker had been impressive both in the Premier League last season and at this World Cup.

While still with the Dutch national team, Van Persie had even asked Robben about Suarez. If he were being honest with himself, he wasn't confident that he could definitely beat Suarez and secure the main striker role at City.

Not to mention, Sturridge and Giroud had also performed well last season.

Under these conditions, joining Manchester City meant facing stiff competition.

Gao Shen was well aware of Van Persie's concerns, but he told him bluntly that all championship-caliber teams face fierce internal competition.

"If a title-challenging team promises you a guaranteed starting spot, then I can tell you very clearly, that team has no future or at least, not a very bright one!"

Van Persie had to admit that Gao Shen had a point.

Speaking about Manchester City's new season, Gao Shen confidently stated that the team wasn't just aiming for the Premier League title.

"Just look at how aggressively we've signed players this summer, and the level of those players. If our goal were only the Premier League, we wouldn't need to sign this many top players."

"I can say with confidence that with last season's squad, I'd still be confident about defending the Premier League title this season!"

Gao Shen's self-assurance even surprised Van Persie a little.

After the surprise faded, he couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.

They were both young. Van Persie wasn't much younger than Gao Shen, but Gao Shen was already a world-class manager.

And Van Persie?

He was confident in his ability, but he wasn't among Europe's top stars, he was maybe third or fourth in Arsenal's pecking order.

"Our goal at Manchester City next season is to compete in both the Premier League and the Champions League. Even in domestic competitions, we'll be pushing hard. So we need a strong, competitive squad to handle battles on multiple fronts."

"So, I think the question you should consider is whether you want to stay in your comfort zone at Arsenal, or come to Manchester City to take on a new challenge and create something new with us."

Gao Shen's words were very inspiring.

Van Persie had joined Arsenal in 2004. At that time, he was still a troubled teenager. He came to the Premier League full of hope, joining a Gunners team that had just completed an unbeaten title-winning campaign.

Back then, everyone thought he would follow in Henry's footsteps and lead Arsenal to glory.

Even now, many still hoped he would become the next Henry.

But he knew he wasn't.

Not only were their playing styles different, but their achievements also didn't compare. Over the years, Van Persie had only won a Community Shield and an FA Cup with Arsenal. Individually, he had two Player of the Month awards and one assist title. That was it.

Now about to turn 27, staying at Arsenal would likely bring no further progress.

Because Manchester City had risen.

The power structure of the Premier League had been completely overturned.

If he had ambition, if he wanted success and to win titles, then he had to join a team capable of winning.

As Gao Shen said—either stay in your comfort zone or face challenges head-on.

Thinking of this, Van Persie raised his head and looked deeply at Gao Shen.

"Mr. Gao, how competitive do you think Manchester City will be in the Champions League this season?" Van Persie asked seriously.

Gao Shen curled his lips slightly, secretly excited, and smiled.

"Stronger than Napoli two years ago!"

Two years ago, Gao Shen had led Napoli to the Serie A treble.

It was the first treble in Serie A history.

Now, he said Manchester City was stronger than that Napoli squad, and Van Persie's doubts vanished.

"Thank you, Mr. Gao!" Van Persie said as he stood and extended his right hand.

Though he was left-footed, Gao Shen was right-handed.

"I'm willing to join Manchester City!"

(To be continued.)