Chapter 249: I only keep you for one year
Barcelona Club's third-floor conference room, President Laporta is discussing with the club's top management about Wang Feng's transfer. "According to the information Jeffrey relayed, Inter Milan's attitude towards Wang Feng's transfer is not optimistic."
"Although we have raised the offer to 90 million euros, Moratti still hasn't budged," added Technical Director Laufenberg.
"According to Rijkaard's information, Wang Feng himself isn't eager to come to Bar?a either. In fact, if the player applies more pressure, like boycotting training or such, considering his status in Inter Milan, Moratti might be more willing to compromise," Laufenberg continued.
Laporta nodded, "Then we must make a decision now. Should we continue waiting for Inter Milan's exorbitant demands, or abandon this transfer plan?"
The executives exchanged glances. Vice President Kristensen said, "Wang Feng is strong, that's well known. But we shouldn't underestimate ourselves either. Last season, we successfully won La Liga, and the combination of Eto'o and Ronaldinho is working."
"And also, Bar?a never lacks talent. We just signed a contract with Messi, who's only 17 years old but already showing outstanding performances in the first team. The club will also make every effort to win him the Golden Boy Award at the end of the year," he added.
"Bar?a already has both present and future in hand, so there's no need to worry too much about Wang Feng."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Laporta concluded, "Alright then, let's stick to this price and not increase it further. Then let Jeffrey hint to Wang Feng's agent that he needs to make some effort himself. If it doesn't work out in the end, we won't lose much."
Similar scenes were happening in Madrid, inside Real Madrid's conference room. Florentino conveyed the unfavorable news about the transfer negotiations to his trusted executives.
"That guy Calderón is instigating trouble again at the board meeting. His intention is next year's elections. Real Madrid has missed the Champions League and league titles for three consecutive years. We must make a change," he said.
The early success of the Galácticos brought the club high brand value and profits, but as the star players aged, the team's performance plummeted. Now the team is gradually heading towards an abyss.
One of the executives, Sandro, said, "Shouldn't we prepare for both scenarios? If we fail to sign Wang Feng, then the Brazilian Robinho can be our new cornerstone, like Bar?a's development of Ronaldinho. And he's only 20 years old."
The Chief International Scout, Marquis, shook his head, "I've seen Robinho's data, he does have some talent, but he's far from being comparable to Ronaldinho, let alone Wang Feng, who won two Ballon d'Or awards at the age of 22."
"But if we do nothing in case the transfer fails, the team's performance next year will be even worse. The presidential election will be truly in danger!"
Florentino listened with closed eyes, pondering a solution. Although not from a football background, his rich experience in company management gave him many insights.
Real Madrid was originally just one of many European powerhouses, with a rich history but fundamentally no different from Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and other teams. It was after he took office and implemented the Galácticos policy that the team became unique.
Once the brand was established, maintaining it became crucial. Continuing to frequently acquire star players brought diminishing returns and seriously disrupted the team's balance, leading to poor results. A football club without results is like a floating duckweed without roots.
Thinking of this, thinking of the dynasty Wang Feng built at Inter Milan and his age, even his broad market behind him, Florentino finally spoke up, "Conventional solutions can no longer stop the sinking of the Galácticos. I plan to rebuild it. If it fails, bury me with it."
"Wang, I want to talk to you." When Wang Feng received a call from Real Madrid President Florentino, he was at the national team training base, so he found a secluded corner.
"I originally planned to talk to you face-to-face, but since you're still fighting for the national team, we can only communicate by phone. I'll be straightforward: come to Real Madrid. It's the best choice for you," Florentino said.
"In fact, our platform is much better than Inter Milan's. Real Madrid can maximize both your athletic and commercial value," he continued.
Wang Feng thanked Florentino for his interest but subtly mentioned the bloated lineup and tactical issues at Real Madrid. Florentino laughed, "To be honest with you, I think the Galácticos are already in trouble, so I plan to rebuild it. Come be the captain!"
With that, he introduced the club's new transfer strategy, clearing out aging stars from the squad and building around Wang Feng, respecting the coach's wishes, focusing on young players, and distributing the lineup more reasonably.
"When you were at Inter Milan, you were undoubtedly the king, holding up the already declining dynasty. Are you interested and confident enough to come to Real Madrid and lead this historically prestigious club to a full revival?" Florentino asked.
"At least we won't face as many external difficulties as Inter Milan."
To be honest, Wang Feng was moved! If everything turns out as Florentino said, then he can fully unleash himself at Real Madrid, and even have the opportunity to elevate his position again.
Suppressing the urge to agree, Wang Feng mentioned Moratti's attitude, indicating that if he agrees, the club would. Jeffrey smiled, "I've already reported this to the president, and he thinks it's acceptable. Waiting for a year is also okay, and he can take the time to adjust the team."
This was somewhat unexpected for Wang Feng, but if Florentino was willing, then he had nothing more to say. With that, a contract was signed, promising a transfer after a year. Real Madrid would pay Inter Milan 100 million euros for Wang Feng, breaking the historical transfer record.
Inter Milan promised to release Wang Feng after a year, or else pay Real Madrid 200 million euros, which coincidentally was Wang Feng's buyout clause. In other words, even if they don't want to release him, Real Madrid can use this buyout clause to terminate Wang Feng's contract.
To avoid unnecessary media trouble, the contract is currently kept confidential.
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