🎉SWR: Chapter 629/632

Chapter 629: Will Barcelona Sell?

Both Barcelona and Manchester United reached the Champions League final, which this year was held at the Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.

So, Gao Shen encountered something quite interesting.

He actually received four invitations and tickets to the final at the same time.

Guardiola sent him tickets, saying he hoped Gao Shen could come to the stadium to watch his final.

"Last season was an accident. We won't lose again this season!" Guardiola said confidently over the phone.

His next-door neighbor Ferguson also sent an invitation, saying that since he had bought tickets from Gao Shen last season, he just wanted to return the favor this time. The old Scot even said proudly, "Hey, I made it to the Champions League final again."

Gao Shen curled his lips, secretly criticizing the old man's boasting, thinking he was already acting like he'd won his third Champions League.

He really wanted to say: You can't beat Barcelona.

But in the end, Gao Shen held back.

The other two invitations came from Real Madrid President Florentino and UEFA.

UEFA's invitation was expected. As a popular coach in world football today, it was only natural for Gao Shen to receive one. Whether he accepted it or not was up to him.

As for Florentino, since the final was at the Bernabéu, it was normal for him to invite Gao Shen as well.

Moreover, for safety reasons, Florentino had arranged a place for him in his private box.

It had to be said that Florentino was still quite sincere.

Previously, Gao Shen had already turned him down once through Zidane and Valdano, but this time the invitation wasn't for business, it was out of personal friendship. If Gao Shen rejected it again, it would be a bit too much.

If he really did that, he and Florentino might no longer be friends.

With that in mind, Gao Shen had already made up his mind.

…

After finishing up in Manchester, Gao Shen gathered the coaching staff and even called Mubarak and the others to ask if they wanted to head south to Madrid to watch the match.

But Mubarak politely declined.

"If we reach the Champions League final one day, I'll definitely go!"

"Not just me, Mr. Mansour said he'll be there in person too."

Gao Shen didn't force them. After all, he invited the club's top brass just to show his stance.

He was simply accepting a friend's invitation to watch the Champions League final.

In the end, it was Gao Shen who took the coaching staff, along with Brian Kidd and Brian Marwood, and traveled from Manchester down to Madrid.

Their first stop in Madrid, Gao Shen led everyone in a mighty procession straight to Juan's House Barbecue Restaurant.

There was no helping it. He had been away for too long and really missed the barbecue there.

Not just him, even Carlo, Lucas, and the others all missed it dearly.

Brian Kidd and Marwood, who were tasting it for the first time, also enjoyed it thoroughly and had a great time.

Since they arrived in Madrid a day early, Gao Shen and his group had booked a hotel in advance.

But for Carlo, Lucas, and the others who had lived in Madrid, that wasn't necessary.

That evening, Valdano, Zidane, and Butragueño came to visit them at the hotel and brought Florentino's greetings.

At the same time, they mentioned Real Madrid's current predicament.

"This season has been a joke."

There was no one else around besides Gao Shen, but he wasn't considered an outsider, so Butragueño didn't hold back in sharing his thoughts.

One of the main reasons Real Madrid brought in so many big stars last summer was because the Champions League final was being held at the Bernabéu.

Florentino wanted to win another Champions League during his term, so he did everything possible to build a superstar squad, but ended up failing miserably.

Not only did Real Madrid lose to Barcelona twice in the league, they were also knocked out by a lower-league team in the Copa del Rey, and eliminated in the Champions League Round of 16. It was an incredibly embarrassing season for the club.

Even worse, both teams in this Champions League final posed an awkward situation for Real Madrid. Barcelona was their biggest rival, and Manchester United's star Sneijder was a player Real Madrid had discarded. The Dutch midfielder had publicly stated he wanted to prove himself at the Bernabéu.

Clearly, he was still upset about how he was treated at Real Madrid.

In short, no matter who won the title, it would be an embarrassing outcome for Real Madrid.

Gao Shen could only smile bitterly.

In his previous life, the Champions League final had been between Robben's Bayern Munich and Sneijder's Inter Milan. But now, Robben was playing for Manchester City, and Bayern failed to reach the final.

Sneijder did make it to the final, but not with Inter Milan. He was now at Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Barcelona, who failed to reach the final last season due to Inter Milan's run, had once again made it to the final this year after falling short last time and adjusting their signings.

If the final in his previous life had been a painful insult to Real Madrid, then this year's final was both painful and humiliating.

"Don't dwell on it too much," Gao Shen consoled. "With Real Madrid's current strength and squad, as long as the midfield is stabilized, I believe all the problems can be resolved. Making the Champions League Round of 16 won't be an issue."

Real Madrid had done well in the group stage but were eliminated in the knockouts by Lyon, who used a highly targeted tactical setup.

"By the way, we'll be in Pot 4 next season," Gao Shen suddenly recalled this serious issue.

When he was coaching Napoli, he had drawn Real Madrid.

Valdano, Zidane, and Butragueño exchanged glances and smiled bitterly.

If that really happened, there'd be nothing they could do.

Surely fate wouldn't keep placing Gao Shen against Real Madrid, right?

…

Gao Shen didn't pay much attention to the Champions League final.

In his eyes, Manchester United simply didn't have the strength to challenge Barcelona.

Just the midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets would make it very hard for Manchester United to cope, not to mention the attacking trident of Sánchez, Messi, and Eto'o, plus the wingbacks Alves and Vargas…

Gao Shen couldn't see how Manchester United could defend against that.

Ferguson's tactic was bold: start fast, go on the offensive early to disrupt Barcelona's game plan and rhythm. It had some effect, creating two dangerous chances.

But soon after, Barcelona used a goal from Sánchez to remind Manchester United of the gulf in class.

From then on, Barcelona completely controlled the game. Manchester United were pinned back and on the defensive.

Guardiola's team had full control of the match.

Gao Shen watched the game from Florentino's box. He was very familiar with both sides.

There was no need to mention Manchester United. As for Barcelona, Sánchez and Vargas were his former players. Thiago Motta was on the bench, and Guardiola had been his former assistant.

Speaking of which, Thiago Motta had performed well since joining Barcelona, but he was mainly used as a rotating defensive midfielder or center-back. It was clearly hard for him to take Busquets' spot.

This made Gao Shen feel a bit dissatisfied.

"What do you think? If I make an offer for Thiago Motta, would Barcelona sell him?" Gao Shen asked eagerly.

He needed a replacement or competitor for Javi Martínez.

Carlo and Lucas looked at each other and smiled bitterly.

Gao Shen still hadn't let go of Thiago Motta.

What you can't have always seems the best.

Just like Luka Modrić at Tottenham. Gao Shen had always had his eyes on him.

In fact, Rakitic was already good enough, but that didn't stop Gao Shen from pursuing Modrić.

Unfortunately, Tottenham had rejected him again.

Right now, it was truly hard to find a suitable and reliable No. 4 in Europe.

So, it was understandable that Gao Shen wanted to go after Thiago Motta.

In any club other than Barcelona, a player like Thiago Motta would have been an undisputed starter. But at Barcelona, Busquets' presence made it hard for Motta to shine.

Unfortunately, the Brazilian midfielder came up through Barcelona's youth system and had deep feelings for the club.

Guardiola actually valued Thiago Motta quite a lot. He had played in many matches this season, rotating between defensive midfielder and center-back. He and Busquets were key players in Barcelona's La Liga title and Champions League run.

"I'm afraid that's unrealistic," Lucas shook his head. "Pep still values him a lot."

After thinking it over, Gao Shen also felt the chances were slim.

…

Manchester United's opening attack didn't work. Instead, they conceded a goal to Barcelona.

After that, Guardiola's team slowly organized and built up play, gradually wearing down Manchester United's defense.

Ferguson's side really had no answers against Barcelona's possession game. All they could do was run hard and press aggressively. But Barcelona's passing was just too fast and precise, leaving United unable to win the ball back.

Messi and Iniesta each added a goal.

In the end, Manchester United lost 0-3 to Barcelona in the Champions League final.

After winning the La Liga and Copa del Rey double last season, Barcelona secured the La Liga and Champions League double this season, which was even more impressive.

Guardiola was clearly ecstatic. He had finally won the Champions League.

This was the title he had always dreamed of.

After suffering a 0-4 loss to Napoli in last season's final, he had gone through a period of doubt and confusion. But thankfully, he bounced back and showed a more mature coaching performance this season.

In a way, that heavy defeat in last year's final ended up helping Guardiola.

At the very least, it elevated his coaching level to a whole new height.

Gao Shen looked down at the excited Guardiola from the box. He was genuinely happy for his friend, but at the same time, he quietly reminded himself.

Guardiola had finally caught up!

(To be continued.)

Chapter 630: We Really Have No Money

After watching the match, Gao Shen sent a congratulatory text message to Guardiola.

Originally, he thought Guardiola would be too busy to respond, but to his surprise, he replied quickly and even invited Gao Shen to the dressing room to share the joy.

If it were someone else, Gao Shen might have suspected they were just showing off.

But not Guardiola.

Gao Shen knew him very well, and this was purely because he was genuinely happy at the moment.

Even so, Gao Shen politely declined. After all, this was Barcelona's time to celebrate.

Whether as Manchester City's head coach or as a former Real Madrid manager, it would be inappropriate for Gao Shen to appear in Barcelona's dressing room during their celebrations. Real Madrid fans were probably already upset.

If he went to celebrate with Barcelona at a time like this, wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

…

After watching the Champions League final, Gao Shen met with Florentino, Spanish King Juan Carlos, and then paid his respects to UEFA President Platini and several senior executives.

According to Gao Shen's personality, he would have preferred to avoid such formalities. But in this situation, he had to consider all angles. Otherwise, he wouldn't know when someone might try to take advantage of him.

Finally, Gao Shen made a special phone call to Ferguson to console him.

"It's alright, Sir. This loss might extend your coaching career by another five years!" Gao Shen joked.

Ferguson laughed and cursed on the other end of the line. "Are you trying to make me die in the dugout?"

"That wouldn't be so bad. It'd be an honor!" Gao Shen replied.

Encouraged by Gao Shen, Ferguson truly felt a bit more at ease.

In fact, it was clear from tonight's match that Ferguson, having previously lost to Manchester City, had learned from that experience and made better preparations to face Barcelona. But the early goal changed everything.

"From the way the match unfolded, if you'd played more conservatively, it's not like you wouldn't have had a chance. But you went all in right from the start."

Gao Shen shared some of his thoughts and observations with Ferguson over the phone.

"It's not that attacking from the start was wrong. That tactic was reasonable, but you overestimated your defense, especially in midfield. Honestly, after all these years, you really should reinforce your midfield."

Manchester United conceded the first goal because they pushed up too far and didn't have time to transition back when they lost the ball.

This was a serious issue.

Midfield defense had always been a major problem for Manchester United. After the failed attempt to sign Hargreaves, Ferguson seemed to have given up on acquiring a proper defensive midfielder. But the reality was, how could Carrick alone stop Barcelona?

Perhaps because he had just lost the match and was in a low mood, or maybe because Gao Shen's words struck a nerve, Ferguson was silent for a moment before sighing heavily.

"We really have no money!"

Gao Shen was stunned.

For the proud Ferguson to say something so helpless showed how dire the situation really was.

A few days ago, when Manchester United was still riding high from reaching the Champions League final, The Times broke the news that due to failing to meet the PIK (payment-in-kind bond) requirements, the interest rate on United's bank loan would rise from 14.25% to 16.25%.

Manchester United currently owed £220 million in loans, meaning their debt would instantly grow by £75 million.

This was the result of a series of financial maneuvers carried out by the Glazer family after they acquired the club.

In February this year, the Glazers were unable to repay maturing loans and were forced to issue bonds worth up to £500 million. They signed a "restrictive" agreement stating that the club's debt could not exceed five times their pre-tax profit.

Seven million pounds from that bond was used immediately to repay bank loans.

But according to PIK's evaluation in May, Manchester United's total debt stood at £539 million, and this season's pre-tax profit fell short of the requirement. As a result, the interest rate increased again.

Now, Manchester United was scrambling to find sponsors around the world in an attempt to fill the financial hole before August.

In this situation, how could they possibly afford new signings?

According to earlier media reports, Ferguson nearly had a major fallout with the board over the signing of Sneijder.

Luckily, Manchester United's performances this season were good enough, and reaching the Champions League final brought in a lot of revenue.

Otherwise, if Ferguson had signed Sneijder and the team underperformed, he might've had no choice but to resign.

…

After hanging up with Ferguson, Gao Shen felt a little heavy.

Looking at European football, there weren't many teams that could be seen as successful business models. Manchester United in the Premier League, Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, and Real Madrid in La Liga were all among the few examples.

But Manchester United had become obsessed with capital operations and building their own business empire, only to be taken advantage of by the Glazer family. They got something for nothing, while the club ended up in financial trouble.

Sometimes, Gao Shen thought, Ferguson really wasn't having an easy time.

He had no money to bring in reinforcements, yet still had to grind on and make do.

Still, this predicament would only be temporary and would be resolved in a few years.

Manchester City, by contrast, still relied mainly on financial backing. That wasn't very sustainable either. But Gao Shen had read the Abu Dhabi consortium's business plan and knew they weren't just throwing money around for short-term advertising.

Gao Shen believed that Manchester City would eventually become a top club. And because he was the one helping to lay the foundation for that, his name would surely be etched into the club's history, and even the annals of Premier League history.

…

Just after hanging up with Ferguson, Gao Shen received a call from Guardiola.

Not long after, he met the Barcelona manager in the VIP lounge at the Bernabéu.

"Congratulations, Pep," Gao Shen smiled as he hugged Guardiola.

Guardiola was clearly excited.

He looked like a student who had just scored full marks on an exam and was chasing after the teacher to show off the result.

He wanted to be praised.

Gao Shen understood this mindset perfectly and indulged him without hesitation, praising him enthusiastically.

This left Tito Vilanova, who had come with Guardiola and was eager to meet Gao Shen, in disbelief.

Is this really the legendary world-class coach Gao Shen?

Are we sure he's not a fraud selling fake medicine to old people?

Guardiola was in a great mood. After all, he had just won the Champions League. He didn't hide his ambition, either. His next goal was the treble.

"Next season, I won't let it slip away again!" Guardiola said confidently.

Gao Shen smiled and nodded, but deep down he was thinking, "Damn, I'm standing right here and I'm not dead yet!"

It was funny to think about it. Guardiola had now won two consecutive domestic doubles.

Last season it was La Liga and the Copa del Rey. This season, La Liga and the Champions League.

Results-wise, this track record was already brilliant. Many people now called Guardiola the second Gao Shen, since he had served as Gao Shen's assistant in the beginning.

Guardiola himself didn't seem to mind the title. Gao Shen had publicly defended and praised him multiple times, which only deepened Guardiola's respect and gratitude.

One thing had clearly changed, though: Guardiola had come around to something Gao Shen had once told him.

Barcelona's current tactics weren't suited for traditional center forwards.

Originally, Guardiola wanted a striker like Ibrahimović—technically gifted and physically strong—but he was slow and couldn't run enough.

That was to be expected.

Human beings can't defy gravity.

Tall players naturally carry more weight, and you rarely see one who's as agile as a smaller player while also covering a lot of ground.

If you did, you'd want to cut them open and study them.

So Guardiola had to choose: either bring in tall players and adjust the tactics to fit them, or abandon them and sign shorter, quicker, technically brilliant, and hard-running players.

Previously, Guardiola had been fixated on tall forwards, but now his thinking had changed.

"I want to sign Agüero from Atlético Madrid," Guardiola said bluntly.

Gao Shen was stunned, face full of question marks. "Agüero?"

"Yes, I've been watching him for a while. He's outstanding, and he has a great relationship with Messi. I think he'd fit in at Barcelona," Guardiola said with anticipation.

After hearing this, Gao Shen thought for a moment and immediately realized Guardiola was planning to sell Eto'o.

Sometimes, Gao Shen just couldn't understand why Guardiola disliked Eto'o so much.

Messi could play in the center, and Eto'o on the right. Wasn't that a good setup?

Maybe it was just a matter of personal bias.

Guardiola was the type that, when he liked someone, they could do no wrong. But when he didn't like someone, even breathing the same air felt offensive.

"Agüero isn't cheap. And you've got a presidential election this year. Both candidates will have their own superstar signings lined up."

It was a fascinating topic.

Back in the day, Real Madrid president Sanz thought that two Champions League titles in three years would guarantee re-election. He didn't take Florentino seriously. In the end, Florentino won with his superstar policy.

In Gao Shen's original timeline, Laporta had leveraged Guardiola's treble to seek re-election, but ended up losing to his former assistant Rosell.

Now, history had changed. Guardiola had achieved back-to-back domestic doubles instead of a treble. Laporta's momentum was at its peak. Could he still use Guardiola's success to beat Rosell and win re-election?

"By the way, if you want to sign Agüero and other stars, you'll need to spend a lot of money, right?" Gao Shen changed the topic.

Guardiola was briefly stunned, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously and nodded. "So..."

"Thiago Motta. For sale?"

Guardiola muttered inwardly, "I knew it," then flatly refused, "No. Don't even think about it. Impossible!"

His tone was firm and final.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Zeke Ppskin for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 631: Touching the High-End Porcelain

Guardiola ultimately didn't agree to Gao Shen's request. He refused firmly and without hesitation.

Instead, he proactively recommended Yaya Touré. The Ivorian midfielder was struggling to get minutes at Barcelona, especially after Thiago Motta's return. With Motta and Busquets locking down the defensive midfield role, and the center-back spots taken by Puyol and Piqué, Touré was left with very limited playing time.

But seeing that Gao Shen wasn't interested, Guardiola quickly dropped the subject.

The two chatted for a while at the Bernabéu before saying their goodbyes.

The next day, Gao Shen had a meal with Florentino, Zidane, Valdano, Butragueño, and Manuel Redondo. They didn't talk about football at all. It was just a casual get-together among friends.

However, Lucas received news through his own intelligence network that Mourinho had officially submitted his resignation to Moratti and wanted to take charge at Real Madrid. This would be another bold and risky challenge for the Portuguese madman.

If Guardiola really brought in Agüero, Barcelona's overall strength would rise even higher.

A front three of Sánchez, Agüero, and Messi, a midfield of Iniesta, Xavi, and Busquets, and a back line of Vargas, Piqué, Puyol, and Alves—this lineup would be shockingly strong.

Anyway, Gao Shen didn't have much confidence in Mourinho's coaching style.

But none of this had anything to do with him.

After finishing dinner with Florentino, Gao Shen left Spain that same day on an Emirates Airlines flight.

…

Even during holidays, Gao Shen didn't have time to relax.

The league might be on break, but as head coach of the team, he still had plenty of work to handle.

Even if the football side was taken care of, he was still the club's technical director and had numerous administrative tasks to manage.

After wrapping up Manchester City matters, he also had personal obligations to take care of.

Mainly, this involved cooperation with several major sponsors.

For instance, he had to film an Emirates Airlines commercial every year, shoot a promo for the UAE Tourism Board, and work with Chidon Suits. In the past year, he'd signed several additional endorsement deals, some of which required filming.

So during his "vacation," Gao Shen was busiest shooting commercials.

This summer was no exception. With the South Africa World Cup taking place, all the big sponsors were scrambling to capitalize on the tournament's hype. Naturally, they were pushing hard for Gao Shen to film quickly.

After finally finishing his work in Europe, Gao Shen returned to China and was invited by national television to appear in a World Cup preview program, serving as a special guest.

In truth, Gao Shen didn't plan on watching the World Cup because it didn't mean much to him.

To put it bluntly, the World Cup's level of competition is lower than the Champions League, both in quality and tactical content. For someone like Gao Shen, who was used to watching the Champions League, the World Cup didn't hold much appeal.

Rather than spending time watching, he'd rather stay home and get some proper rest.

Don't ask. Asking only brings exhaustion.

He'd been grinding for an entire year, dealing with football every single day. Even during holidays, there was no real break. Now that he finally had time off, why couldn't he just relax? Why force himself to watch the World Cup?

Is it really that fun to sit and watch games while silently cursing the coaches for their poor decisions?

Of course, on the show, Gao Shen said he'd definitely watch the World Cup and try not to miss a single match.

As for the tournament itself, Gao Shen said he was full of anticipation. The team he was most interested in was Spain. He believed they were the number-one favorites.

"I'm a good friend of Del Bosque, and I've always thought he's an extremely underrated coach."

The player he was most focused on was Robben.

"Robben is my player. He's performed exceptionally well at club level and is in great form. I believe he'll carry that form into the World Cup. He's the true number-one star of the Dutch national team. As long as he plays well, the Netherlands will have a real chance to break through."

In addition to Robben, Gao Shen was also watching Uruguay, since both his player Suárez and former player Cavani were in the squad. Gao Shen believed this team had the potential to surprise.

There was also Löw's Germany and Bielsa's Chile.

No need to elaborate on Germany. Neuer, the starting goalkeeper Gao Shen trusted, was there, and Toni Kroos, a midfielder he admired, was making his tournament debut. The Chilean national team had Sánchez and Vidal, and Bielsa was a coach Gao Shen respected immensely. He believed Chile could be another surprise package.

Maradona's Argentina was also worth following. Before taking over the national team, the legend had visited Gao Shen's Napoli to learn from him. He even said before the tournament that he hoped to replicate Gao Shen's football style at the World Cup. How could Gao Shen not root for him?

And Brazil—there were too many friends, too many players, and it was the five-time World Cup winner Brazil. Of course, Gao Shen was optimistic about them too…

Anyway, by the end of the 90-minute program, Gao Shen realized, somewhat awkwardly, that he had too many personal connections involved.

Even Switzerland's coach, Hitzfeld, was someone he knew well.

The show's hosts and guests were left dumbfounded by his deep and insightful analysis.

That kind of commentary deserves full marks.

A world-famous coach is a world-famous coach after all. He truly had connections everywhere.

Domestic fans were even more excited. Some even called for Gao Shen to be a World Cup commentator on national television. Gao Shen was so scared he didn't even dare respond. After recording the show, he immediately "disappeared from the public eye."

He really didn't want to worry about all that, and he didn't care about earning that kind of money.

Last season, Manchester City won the Premier League, and his title bonus alone was 5 million euros.

Instead of wasting time, he'd rather rest up and recharge, ready to lead Manchester City to even greater success next season.

Su Qing, on the other hand, was quite relaxed. She read newspapers and online comments to Gao Shen every day, most of which were about him.

The girl was clearly proud of his achievements.

She herself was doing quite well in the ministry. She had just been promoted and entered rotational training, which was a clear sign that the organization was grooming her. She was growing more composed in public and becoming increasingly methodical in how she handled things. Only in front of people close to her did she drop her guard and complain.

"In the ministry, a promotion just means you're slightly less insignificant."

She also helped Gao Shen avoid unnecessary social events so he could focus on work at home.

She really took care of everything, including preparing his meals.

…

During his holiday in China, Gao Shen stayed mostly in the capital. He briefly returned to Shanghai with Su Qing to visit her parents but stayed only one day before heading back.

Later, Gao Shen's own parents also returned to China, and the family reunited in the capital for a few days.

Recently, whether it was wine, cherries, or blueberries, business had been booming, especially the wine sales, which had skyrocketed.

This, in large part, was thanks to Gao Shen.

Ever since he gifted Ferguson a bottle of wine and it was reported by the media, their wine brand had become an instant hit. Gao Shen continued gifting wine to Ferguson before every match against Manchester United, and the media kept covering it.

Later, it was revealed that Ferguson had served the Chilean wine given by Gao Shen at a Manchester United internal gathering, further confirming the rumors.

The business was thriving, and they were making money hand over fist. Gao Shen, Sánchez, Vidal, and Vargas' farm and winery ventures in Chile and Peru were expanding rapidly. With domestic sales also rising, Su Zhijun had started considering company expansion.

From now on, Gao Shen's parents no longer needed to work so hard or handle everything themselves.

…

As Gao Shen vacationed in China and the World Cup kicked off, the European transfer market also began heating up.

Ever since Gao Shen said that Manchester City would be bringing in some blockbuster signings this summer, media and fans worldwide had been eagerly anticipating it. Everyone was curious to see who he'd bring in.

Some outlets even speculated that Gao Shen might try to sign Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi.

But soon, the Daily Mirror broke a story claiming that Gao Shen's real target was Barcelona's right-back, Dani Alves.

According to the Daily Mirror, Manchester City had begun seeking a new club for youth player Micah Richards, who was no longer part of the team's future plans. But with only one right-back, Zabaleta, the squad was ill-equipped for a multi-front campaign.

More importantly, from a tactical standpoint, Gao Shen preferred full-backs with strong attacking prowess. Zabaleta, while reliable, was slightly lacking in this area.

Dani Alves, on the other hand, fit that profile perfectly.

"Right now, Dani Alves' contract with Barcelona still has one or two years remaining, but he's dissatisfied with his weekly wage of only £62,000. Manchester City is prepared to offer him a weekly wage of £180,000, making him the club's highest-paid player. The player has also started taking English lessons, indicating he's preparing for the move."

After the Daily Mirror report, many were convinced that Alves was on his way to Manchester City.

But as the person in question, Gao Shen knew nothing about it.

The media loved wild speculation, and Gao Shen had long grown used to it. But this time, the Daily Mirror didn't even pretend to be subtle. They went straight for baseless guesses. What more was there to say?

Of course, Gao Shen suspected this was a tactic by Alves' camp to pressure Barcelona into a new contract and higher wages.

This sort of thing was very common these days. Plenty of players liked to use Manchester City to drive up their value.

What could you do? Manchester City had become the symbol of wealth in football.

More importantly, being linked to someone of Gao Shen's stature instantly raised a player's market value.

Once you become a prominent figure, you can't avoid this kind of drama.

Ignore it, and it might die down. Respond, and the other party will immediately use it to show off how important they are.

So, neither Gao Shen nor Manchester City responded to the Alves rumors. They stayed quiet and kept things cool.

If Barcelona were truly willing to sell, Gao Shen would definitely be interested. But the reality was, Barcelona wasn't going to sell, and Alves wasn't looking to leave either. That made the whole thing feel meaningless.

Gao Shen had no interest in playing someone's backup plan.

But what no one knew was that Manchester City's transfer business was already progressing in an orderly fashion.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Zeke Ppskin for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 632: He is the World Champion

No one knew that before flying from Manchester to Madrid, Gao Shen had made a phone call to the German national team.

The call was to Jerome Boateng, a young international playing for Bundesliga side Hamburg.

The 21-year-old German international held dual citizenship with Ghana and Germany. Born in Berlin, he received his youth training at Hertha Berlin and made his Bundesliga debut in 2007.

That same August, Boateng transferred to Hamburger SV.

He was tall and strong but had good footwork and was fairly agile. He looked like a promising defender and had always been a regular in Germany's youth national teams.

He once made a name for himself in a single match when he played full-back and shut down Bayern Munich's Ribéry. In June 2009, he played as the starting center-back for Germany's U21 national team in the European U21 Championship held in Sweden. His outstanding performance helped Germany defeat England 4-0 to win the title.

In October, he was called up by Löw to the senior German national team, but was sent off in his debut after picking up two yellow cards.

Today, Hamburg was no longer the powerhouse of the Bundesliga. Not only had they been left behind by Bayern Munich, but even teams like Dortmund no longer took them seriously.

As a rising star in the national team, Boateng naturally wanted to make a move to further his career.

It was under these circumstances that Manchester City came knocking.

…

As early as March, Gao Shen stated in a club management meeting that the team would aim to win the Champions League in the upcoming season.

Mubarak also promised there would be no transfer budget restrictions in the summer window.

Following the meeting, Gao Shen drafted a transfer plan and handed it over to Gary Cook, Marwood, Brian Kidd, and others for execution. Jerome Boateng was one of the names on the list.

The club's management immediately got in touch with Boateng's agent, Powell.

This wasn't difficult at all, since Boateng's brother, Kevin-Prince Boateng, played in the Premier League for Portsmouth.

Powell met with Manchester City representative Marwood, who hoped he would convey the club's sincerity and interest to the player, as well as coach Gao Shen's personal admiration for Boateng.

Manchester City had always maintained good relations with Hamburg. From Kompany to De Jong, City had signed two players from them already. The two clubs were familiar with one another, and Hamburg lacked the strength to reject City's approach.

At least for now, Hamburg wasn't in a position to resist.

As one of the most promising young defenders in European football, Boateng certainly had no shortage of suitors. But a call from Gao Shen made his situation feel very different.

To further strengthen the player's confidence in choosing Manchester City, Gao Shen personally gave him a call.

At the time, Boateng was with the German national team preparing for the World Cup.

Gao Shen personally promised that Boateng would play as a center-back. "I believe that's the position where you can best showcase your strengths and abilities."

But Gao Shen also believed that Boateng still had many issues to work on.

He didn't care at all about the impatience in his defensive actions, which was the biggest criticism from the outside world.

"Being overly aggressive in tackles and making big, risky movements aren't actual flaws. They're just part of a young defender's growth process. But your pace, positioning, and long passing are rare qualities, and they're what I value most."

On the call, Gao Shen told Boateng that Manchester City's coaching staff had rich experience and could help him improve his weaknesses, allowing him to grow and eventually become a world-class center-back.

That phone call from Gao Shen played a key role in confirming Boateng's decision.

In early June, while Gao Shen was still vacationing in China, Manchester City officially announced the signing of Jerome Boateng from Hamburg for 10 million euros.

This was Manchester City's first signing of the summer.

…

Although he was still at home, the club's transfer progress never slowed.

After the club officially announced Boateng's signing, Gao Shen immediately tagged him on Twitter to welcome him, and followed up with another tweet expressing his belief that Boateng would become a world-class center-back.

This made Boateng, who was in South Africa at the time, extremely happy. He immediately tweeted that he was thrilled to join Gao Shen's team.

"I can't wait to meet you and experience your famous pre-season training."

Gao Shen could only smile wryly.

He didn't expect his pre-season training to have gained such a mysterious reputation.

"I'm preparing a gift for you. It'll definitely help!" he replied.

Boateng responded, saying he'd wait and see.

After this remote exchange, Gao Shen began mentally outlining his plans.

With Boateng signed, the center-back position was now well-covered.

David Luiz, Kompany, Gary Cahill, and Boateng—four central defenders, all strong, capable of playing out from the back, and highly skilled.

Among them, David Luiz and Kompany had formed a partnership cultivated over the past season and were now the undisputed starting pair.

Cahill was the most experienced among the remaining options who still met Gao Shen's high standards.

Boateng was the youngest, but had tremendous potential and just needed more polishing and development.

Gao Shen had trained Ramos, David Luiz, Bonucci, and Kompany before. He was confident he could develop Boateng into a top-class defender.

With these four players, Gao Shen believed there should be no issues with the center-back depth in the new season.

If needed, Javi Martínez could also drop back to play center-back.

In fact, Gao Shen was already planning to play Javi Martínez in central defense during the pre-season.

…

After securing Boateng, Manchester City's transfer activity didn't slow down.

Three days later, the club officially announced the signing of 25-year-old Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk for 15 million euros.

This deal surprised media and fans across the globe. Fernandinho was not a widely known name, and many had never even heard of him.

But within European football circles, the Brazilian midfielder was not unfamiliar.

Shakhtar Donetsk had improved steadily in recent years. In the 2008–2009 season, they performed well in the group stage, including a memorable win over Barcelona.

Although they finished third in the group and dropped to the Europa League, they went on a remarkable run and ultimately defeated Werder Bremen to win the title, earning international attention.

Fernandinho, a key player in Shakhtar's midfield, scored four goals in nine Europa League matches and was considered one of the team's main contributors to their championship.

It was precisely because of his standout performances at Shakhtar that Fernandinho caught Gao Shen's eye. The Brazilian midfielder made the move to Manchester City for a hefty 15 million euros.

After the announcement, media outlets around the world expressed surprise, especially at the unfamiliar name.

Many people were eager to know why Gao Shen was interested in a Brazilian midfielder playing in the Ukrainian league.

As it turned out, a deeper look revealed that Fernandinho was, in fact, a world champion.

Back in 2003, at the U20 World Cup in Abu Dhabi, Fernandinho was part of Brazil's youth squad. However, unlike teammates like striker Nilmar, left-back Adriano, and right-back Dani Alves, Fernandinho had very little presence in that tournament.

He was merely a substitute, often coming on in garbage time.

But no one could have predicted that this little-known figure would play a pivotal role in the final against Spain, whose youth team featured the likes of Iniesta.

Just four minutes into the match, Spain's center-back Melli received a red card for a tactical foul.

Brazil had a man advantage for nearly the entire match but couldn't break down Spain's defense.

In the 70th minute, Fernandinho came on as a substitute, as if guided by fate.

In the 87th minute, Brazil earned a corner kick. Dani Alves took the set piece, and Fernandinho headed the ball in from the edge of the six-yard box, giving Brazil the lead.

But just three minutes later, a brawl broke out between players, and Fernandinho was sent off with a red card.

After the tournament, no one paid much attention to the U20 World Cup or the player who had secured Brazil the title in such dramatic fashion.

Fernandinho returned to play for Atlético Paranaense in Brazil, then moved to Shakhtar Donetsk in 2005.

Now, as the media dug deeper into this Brazilian midfielder signed by a top club, they were shocked to discover that he had, in fact, scored the winning goal in a U20 World Cup final—in Abu Dhabi, no less.

And Manchester City's financial backers were based in Abu Dhabi.

Was it all just fate?

Soon, however, the British press dug further and found that Fernandinho was not a traditional Brazilian midfielder. Although his passing was excellent, his defensive work stood out even more. He averaged 2.5 tackles, 3.3 interceptions, and 2.5 clearances per game—a true box-to-box midfielder.

So how did Gao Shen identify Fernandinho?

More importantly, the media soon discovered something even more intriguing: at 25 years old, Fernandinho had only represented Brazil at youth level. He had never played for the senior national team.

In other words, he had no caps with Brazil's senior squad.

So how could Fernandinho get a work permit to play in the Premier League?

According to the Premier League's core rule, non-EU players must have played in at least 75% of their national team's matches in the past two years.

Although the UK Ministry of Labour introduced the "Special Talent Clause" in 2003 to help avoid losing young talents, it was mainly aimed at younger players.

Fernandinho was already 25 years old and no longer considered young.

For a while, the media and fans were in an uproar, questioning whether Gao Shen and Manchester City had overlooked the work permit issue, or bungled the use of the special talent clause.

(To be continued.)