Chapter 531: Respective recombination
Real Madrid saw several key players and even the head coach leaving successively, which made fans and media outside the club extremely worried. Some even believed that the foundation of the dynasty had been destroyed and that the team might not be able to maintain its dominance in the upcoming season.
However, the spokesperson for the Galactic battleship stated during a routine press conference that this was just normal personnel changes, and the recruitment work was proceeding orderly. "Every season, there are voices of doubt about us, but in the end, Real Madrid always has the last laugh."
Alongside this strong statement, the club also took practical actions. Firstly, they announced that former Chelsea coach Ancelotti would take over as the head coach of the Galactic battleship. The Italian considered this to be a wonderful experience.
"I am very honored to take charge of this great club. Wang Feng and I are old acquaintances, and he has left a deep impression on me. I believe we will have excellent chemistry," Ancelotti said.
Following this, the Galactic battleship announced the signing of 23-year-old Portuguese defender Fabio Coentrao from Benfica for 30 million euros to fill in Ashley Cole's position.
In addition to this, they also brought in 18-year-old French center-back Raphael Varane from Lens for 10 million euros, and 23-year-old Turkish midfielder Nuri Sahin from Borussia Dortmund for the same amount.
After multiple negotiations with Tottenham, Real Madrid finally secured the transfer of 26-year-old Croatian midfielder Modric. The Galactic battleship needed to pay 30 million euros plus 5 million euros in variable clauses.
"If Real Madrid wins the league and the Champions League in Modric's first season with us, then we are happy to pay the variable clauses," the person in charge of transfers said with a smile. Meanwhile, Tottenham's staff looked at each other, thinking, "Six consecutive championships? Don't joke about it."
When Modric learned that he was transferring to the best club in the world, he was stunned. His agent joked, "Didn't you say you wanted to join a top club? There's no club more top than the Galactic battleship, right?"
"That's true," Modric said with a bitter smile. "But the pressure is also immense. They've just reached the peak, and if there's a significant drop in performance next, I'm afraid I'll be torn apart by angry fans and the media."
After packing his bags, Modric decided to head to Madrid as soon as possible to adapt to the club environment in advance.
In addition to the new arrivals mentioned above, Real Madrid had been negotiating with South American star Neymar about his transfer. This year, he successfully helped Santos lift the Copa Libertadores after 48 years, making him highly sought after.
Facing Neymar and Santos's reluctance to part ways, the Galactic battleship put forward their highest offer: 35 million euros transfer fee and 10 million euros signing bonus.
This was definitely a sincere offer. If successful, the 19-year-old would set a new record for transfer fees for a youth player. As a result, both sides reached a basic agreement, awaiting the final signing.
However, just as the relevant personnel were planning to fly to Brazil, they suddenly received a call from Neymar's father, who hinted that Barcelona had offered a higher signing bonus. He wondered if Real Madrid should show more sincerity as well.
The situation was immediately reported to Florentino. "Who does he think he is, setting the price like that? Tell them we won't raise a single penny anymore!" the Spaniard said urgently yet with a laugh.
Ultimately, the deal fell through, and Neymar was snatched up by Barcelona for a transfer fee of 35 million euros and a signing bonus of 12 million euros. "Rejecting the greatest club for just 2 million? He'll regret it," some remarked.
While signing Neymar, Barcelona also had heated discussions, not about Neymar himself, but about whether they should sell Messi.
Led by Rosell, the executives firmly believed that they must not do so. "He's both ready to play and still young. We should continue to strengthen the team around him, rather than gambling on an uncertain future."
"Moreover, losing him would mean we give up on the next several seasons. If Real Madrid continues to win consecutively, it will be irreversible."
Though Laporta had already lost power, he still held significant influence among the executives. Their faction believed they should focus on nurturing Neymar. "After exhausting Wang Feng, Barcelona will reign supreme. Messi is no longer useful."
The deadlock between the two sides made Messi very uneasy. He didn't even dare to bring up the issue of salary raise and contract renewal. After all, Messi's current salary is only 8.5 million euros, ranking eighth in the world. It didn't match his top-three abilities.
Messi had lived in Barcelona since he was 13, for 11 years now. He didn't want to leave the team he had been fighting for for years, but the current situation of the club was beyond his control.
It wasn't until weeks later that his father, as his agent, contacted him: "Barcelona has made a decision. You can stay here, and the next step is contract negotiations. This time, we must mention salary properly."
Messi hurriedly reminded his father that he could make concessions if necessary. He felt ashamed for not bringing honor to the club yet. "I understand, but we can also be more assertive. Many clubs offer much higher salaries, and even if you are eager to continue playing for Barcelona, they must show sincerity and respect!"
Apart from signing Neymar and renewing Messi's contract, Barcelona also dealt with Kaká. After the controversy surrounding his participation in the World Cup with concealed injuries, the Brazilian completely lost the trust of the club.
At this point, his former club AC Milan extended a helping hand, offering to buy back the former Prince of San Siro for 8 million euros. In just two years, his value had plummeted by 57 million euros, and the Catalan club naturally refused.
In the end, both sides agreed to his return on a loan basis first. Barcelona hoped that Kaká could regain his form through games and then be sold at a good price.
Other reinforcements were also targeted. They spent 29 million euros to bring in Fabregas from Arsenal, hoping he would gradually replace Xavi in midfield.
They also spent 26 million euros to bring back Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez from Udinese, to compensate for Pedro's lack of threat in the front line.
Overall, the summer transfer market in 2011 was still dominated by the clubs backed by Middle Eastern funds. PSG splurged 42 million euros to sign Pastore from Palermo, becoming the star of the season.
Manchester City, unwilling to be outdone, first spent 35 million pounds to bring in Aguero from Atletico Madrid, and then 27 million pounds to sign Dzeko from Wolfsburg, as well as 24.75 million pounds to sign Nasri from Arsenal.
After several years of rapid development, people suddenly realized that the lineup of the Citizens was no less than that of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and many other powerhouses. They would definitely be the dark horse of the next season.
As for the English Premier League champions Manchester United, despite Ronaldo repeatedly proposing vigorous signings to the club's high-level executives, their tight finances prevented them from doing so. They could only focus on young players, re-signing players like Phil Jones, Ashley Young, and David De Gea.
This approach naturally displeased the Portuguese, and to make matters worse, his relationship with Rooney deteriorated rapidly. The Englishman even publicly criticized him as "ambitious, unrealistic, and selfish."
Ferguson intervened to suppress the conflict, but Manchester United at this time was like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.
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