Chapter 540: Chapter 539: The Ultimate Form of the Galactic Battleship, Manchester United Has C but Still Wants D (Please Tip)
After Cole left, Van Nistelrooy asked Ferguson for his number.
However, Ferguson told Van Nistelrooy, "Your number ten jersey is very good already, I’m afraid you can’t handle number nine, Van. I have another use for it, haha."
As a result...
It turned out to be for Cristiano Ronaldo!
Considering Ferguson had previously said, "Cristiano Ronaldo is the ideal player in his mind."
Van Nistelrooy was undoubtedly jealous.
He single-handedly carried Manchester United through three competitions last season, like a god, and yet you wouldn’t even give me the number nine jersey?
Ferguson: Those three competitions all fell through, didn’t they? This shows it’s just not your fate, Van!
For a time, Van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo, the divine duo of Manchester United’s frontline, had not yet met, but there was already a rift between them.
Their future was uncertain.
...
Of course.
In the shock ranking of this summer’s transfers, Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Manchester United could only come second.
Because the first was Ronaldo’s transfer to Real Madrid for a fee of 45 million Euros!
The Galacticos, a mega-star every year, for three consecutive years, officially took off!
That’s the impact of a World Cup champion!
This has gone beyond rational thinking at the competitive level.
Inter Milan, which had been clamoring that Ronaldo would never leave, could only turn around and bring in Lazio’s Argentine striker Crespo for 40 million Euros!
Then add another 23 million Euros for Cannavaro to complete the season’s signings.
As a player who was at the peak of his strength, played nine years in Italy, won a UEFA Cup, two Coppa Italia titles, a Supercoppa Italiana for Mallorca, and was honored as the best defender in Serie A in 1999, his value was just 23 million Euros.
This showed just how exaggerated the values of players like Barzagli, Drogba, Ibrahimovic, Pepe, and Kaka were.
Most of them had only played two years in the Portuguese league, with their previous league levels either lower or even amateur.
It had been calculated that Sporting Lisbon had netted over 160 million Euros in this transfer window alone!
Considering the current market shrinkage, and taking into account the unwritten rule of discounts for buying players in bulk, this could even buy the entire starting eleven of Real Madrid!
Just ask yourself, explosive or not?
Sporting Lisbon, both in matches and transfers, went all-in!
A model among models in the football club world.
In short, the epitome of epitomes!
...
"Fight another year! Fan Zhiyi joins Cardiff City!"
"Abroad! With the domestic league breaking up, Tottenham Hotspur picks up China’s Owen, Qu Bo, for 2 million Euros!"
"Breaking news! Not enough national team appearances, Qu Bo fails to obtain a work permit!"
"The English Football Association rejects Tottenham’s application for Qu Bo under the ’Special Talent’ clause! Qu Bo will not be able to register for the Premier League! The transfer might be off!"
"Tottenham pulls out! Tottenham announces failure in bringing in Qu Bo!"
"Qu Bo seeks help from Know-All Football Emperor! Is his European journey doomed mid-way?"
"Jiang Yunzhu steps in! Manchester City officially announces signing Qu Bo for 2 million Euros!"
"Jiang Yunzhu’s phone is blown up! More than fifty domestic professional players hope to play football in Europe with the help of Know-All Football Emperor!"
"Deng Kai Football Fund greatly supports domestic professional players’ European endeavors!"
"Sporting Lisbon loans Manchester City player Qu Bo for two years, with a loan fee of 2 million Euros! Lisbon gains a new youngster! Yu Shihao, Shao Jiawei, and others welcome him!"
Manchester City starts to move.
But Manchester City fans are disappointed with Mansour’s moves this summer.
Look at Manchester United next door.
Cristiano Ronaldo!
Ferdinand!
Now look at us.
Deschamps, assistant coach.
Qu Bo, loan player.
It’s all Manchester, so why is the gap so huge?
Even well-informed Manchester City fans found out that Ferguson seemed to have set his sights on Deng Kai. Only by gathering the CD, could Manchester United compete with the ultimate form of the galactic battleship!
Although Manchester United no longer had transfer funds.
But... Deng Kai didn’t require a transfer fee!
He was a free agent!
"Of course, I know your stance, and I really like Manchester United as a team," Deng Kai said, looking at Beckham’s note on the screen and listening to Ferguson’s voice over the phone, cursing Beckham countless times.
I don’t covet your Victoria, and this is how you repay me?
"As long as the salary isn’t a problem, I can join Manchester United anytime!" Deng Kai gave Ferguson a way out.
Ferguson was also very satisfied.
Finally, he had secured Deng Kai.
But the next day, the club officials responsible for transfer negotiations came looking for Ferguson.
They said they couldn’t meet Deng Kai’s demands.
Ferguson was surprised.
That shouldn’t be the case.
Guarantee of a starting position, guarantee of playing time, tactical compatibility... Ferguson had made all the promises.
He even hinted to Deng Kai that if you come to Manchester United, the team will build a brand-new strategy around you.
It wasn’t so much that Ferguson was humble.
Mainly because the direction of Ferguson’s tactical continentalization reform just happened to align with Deng Kai’s technical style.
You could say it was a perfect match.
Deng Kai had absolutely no reason to refuse.
"Where’s the problem?" Ferguson asked.
Staff member: "The salary."
Ferguson: "Salary? Are you joking with me? I’ve said that even if he wants the top salary, we can give it! Did my words go in one ear and out the other?"
The staff member looked helpless: "Indeed, it’s the top salary, but this top salary... we’re afraid we can’t afford it."
Ferguson was speechless: "I know, those damn owners had objections to giving Keane a top salary, they have no idea what Keane means to Manchester United. Just like Makélélé meant to Real Madrid, anyone who underestimates them will be punished."
That summer, Manchester United and Keane completed their contract renewal.
Keane received the Premier League’s latest top salary, at ninety thousand pounds per week!
That adds up to about six million euros a year.
This was already very close to the top salary in world football.
The current top salary in world football belonged to Zidane who transferred to Real Madrid last year, with an annual salary of about six million five hundred thousand euros, only slightly more than Keane’s.
If they gave Deng Kai a Premier League top salary of six million euros, under a five-year contract.
Taking into account the player’s development, Deng Kai’s age, his contribution to the team, etc., over five years it almost amounts to giving Deng Kai an extra five to nine million euros.
It looked like Manchester United was at a loss.
But Deng Kai came without a transfer fee.
His transfer fee couldn’t be lower than Ronaldo’s.
With such a player, the salary naturally had to be higher.
So signing Deng Kai, Manchester United not only didn’t lose out, but they also likely made around forty million euros!
Can’t they do the math?
But the next moment, Ferguson cursed out loud, "Oh! Damn it! Did you write it wrong?"
The salary requirement for Deng Kai wasn’t the Premier League’s top salary of six million euros.
It wasn’t the world football’s top salary of six million five hundred thousand euros either.
It was... a weekly wage of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds.
Converted... nine million euros!
A full fifty percent more expensive than Zidane!
In the current economic situation... Ronaldo, who just signed with Real Madrid, didn’t have that much!
And it was far from that much!
