Chapter 248: News from all parties
In the office of the President of the Italian Football Association, Carlo is pacing anxiously. He didn't expect things to escalate to this extent, underestimating the influence Wang Feng brought.
"What should we do?" Vice President Marchini asked. "I didn't expect Inter Milan and Wang Feng to have such a big impact in Italy. If we had known, we wouldn't have intervened so obviously."
Carlo glared at Marchini, "Stop talking nonsense. Think about what to do next. And what about Desantis? Who let him send off Wang Feng? That wasn't our intention at all."
Marchini shook his head with a bitter smile, "Regardless of who it was, if Wang Feng hadn't been sent off, Juventus couldn't have won that match. They wouldn't have won the league title, and our attempt to stop Inter Milan's consecutive titles would have failed."
"But this method is too crude!" Carlo said. "We're completely at a disadvantage!"
Suddenly, Marchini had an idea and brightened up, saying, "We can shift the focus a bit. Genoa, who won Serie B, has some issues. We can launch a high-profile investigation and divert attention to them."
"At the same time, let the newspapers lead with news about Wang Feng's transfer, rather than focusing on the match issues."
Carlo slumped back into his chair, saying, "Let's do that. We'll see how public opinion develops and decide on our public relations strategy."
When Wang Feng requested Balmond to handle his transfer, he had already formally submitted a transfer request to the club. Moratti was shocked and immediately sought him out to understand the situation.
After a long discussion, Wang Feng's intention to leave was firm, but Moratti still tried hard to persuade him, "Wang, I know Inter Milan faced unfair treatment this season, but I promise this situation won't last long. I will fully utilize the club's influence."
Although they didn't completely agree, Moratti ultimately adopted an open attitude toward Wang Feng's transfer. As long as someone could meet his expectations, Wang Feng could leave.
After discussing with Inter Milan's president Moratti, Wang Feng boarded a plane back to his national team duty. His agent Balmond also joined him to report on the situation, "Based on current contact information, the top clubs interested in you are mainly Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga, and Manchester United and Chelsea in the Premier League."
"But meeting Inter Milan's demands won't be easy. We don't know Moratti's expectations, and your contract runs until 2008 with a release clause of 200 million euros, which no club would pay."
"The most sincere offers are from Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester United. They have officially submitted bids, all around 80 million euros."
"What is Moratti's attitude?" Wang Feng asked. "Inter Milan hasn't given a clear response yet. It seems they're still waiting for further negotiations."
Wang Feng furrowed his brow, "Moratti isn't moved by these offers? Inter Milan only paid 20 million euros for me when they bought me."
Bamonte sighed, "You've performed too well, and you're still young. If I were Moratti, I wouldn't want you to leave either. Blame it on the damn Serie A environment."
Wang Feng sighed helplessly, "Just try harder. Do your best to convince Moratti. With this situation, are these the only three clubs I can choose?"
"Probably. Other clubs have lower offers. Bayern Munich, for example, can only offer 60 million euros, which is unlikely to persuade Moratti to accept."
"Then let's consider these three clubs first. I remember Barcelona has Ronaldinho and Eto'o upfront, and Manchester United has Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, right? They're not old, and they're also key stars the team focuses on developing."
Bamonte nodded, "You're right. If you choose these two teams, you have to face this issue: who is the real core of the team?"
Although football is a team sport, each team usually has one core player in attack, with resources directed towards them, such as who takes penalties and the competition for off-field honors.
For example, Barcelona now is built around Ronaldinho as the core. Eto'o's addition is just complementary, and even Deco has been moved from an attacking role to a defensive one. If the club were to nominate a player for the Ballon d'Or, it would only be Ronaldinho.
"What about Real Madrid? What's their situation?" Wang Feng rubbed his temples. "Real Madrid's situation is more complicated. They have too many superstars in the midfield and forward positions, making the squad bloated."
"But the only advantage might be that the superstars are getting older, with no new generation emerging. If you go there, they will definitely focus on grooming you as the heir."
"But I'm worried about the complex dressing room causing many off-field disturbances. And they are exceptionally eager for results now. If they invest heavily in you and don't see results, the pressure will multiply."
Wang Feng nodded, suddenly asking, "What about Chelsea? Didn't you say they were also interested? They should have ample funds."
"Yes, I've also contacted the top brass at Chelsea. Their coach Mourinho seems very interested in you. It seems your performance in the final between Inter Milan and Porto left a deep impression on him."
"But Mourinho seems to have some differences with the club chairman Abramovich. Abramovich prefers Shevchenko, especially after Sheva helped Chelsea win the Champions League this year. So he is the team's primary focus."
"Abramovich isn't optimistic about this transfer and hasn't made a formal offer. I'll continue to follow up, but the hope isn't great."
While Wang Feng was representing the national team in the World Cup qualifiers, there was new information about his transfer. According to Marca and Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid president Florentino and Barcelona president Laporta both assigned individuals to Milan to discuss matters related to bringing in Wang Feng.
At the same time, Barcelona coach Rijkaard specifically called Wang Feng to express his fondness, "I've watched many videos of your matches. Although we haven't faced each other formally, I know that Barcelona is not a match for Inter Milan because of you."
"So I'm extremely eager to work with you in the new season. Together, we will create legends for Barcelona, no less than the Inter Milan dynasty!"
At the same time, he hinted that although Ronaldinho is currently the core of Barcelona, Wang Feng can compete for that position through his own abilities. He believed Wang Feng could succeed.
Wang Feng thanked Rijkaard for his invitation, "I'm honored to have your trust. But at the moment, the initiative for the transfer is not in my hands."
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