Chapter 532: The home of the twin stars
When the European football scene was in turmoil, a group of ordinary people were celebrating their hard-won league championship.
After a full decade, Genk finally lifted the Belgian Pro League trophy again. The small town with only 60,000 people was plunged into madness.
"Damn it, Kevin, get your stinky feet off, and give me back the championship trophy!" A black-haired teenager was disdainfully pushing aside a blonde youth, trying to take the silver trophy from his arms.
But even after a hangover, the blonde youth still tightly held onto the object in his arms and refused to let go, muttering, "This is mine, I am the real hero."
The two were none other than the "twin stars" of Genk, Yellow Tiger and De Bruyne. At this moment, they were at the club's training base, surrounded by many teammates who had fallen asleep in various positions after drinking all night until dawn.
Yellow Tiger sighed as he gently rubbed his forehead, unwilling to give up and continued to strive while cursing, "I am still the top scorer in the team, you scoundrel."
But he still couldn't get it out in the end. At this moment, the phone rang, and Yellow Tiger had to turn around to dig out his phone from a pile of clutter and answer it.
"Yellow, congratulations on winning the Belgian League championship, and please congratulate De Bruyne for me too. I believe it's time to discuss your career plans. I'll come to your apartment this afternoon."
Yellow Tiger said helplessly, "Okay, Balmond, but it might be a bit late. We celebrated too much yesterday."
"Haha, no problem at all. After all, winning your first league championship is worth celebrating big time."
In the evening, when Balmond visited the villa-style apartment located north of Genk's training base, a tired-looking Yellow Tiger opened the door for him.
The 1.80-meter-tall Asian guy weighed 76 kilograms, a bit thin, but he thought to himself, after landing in one of the top five leagues and honing his skills, this well-known European agent pondered silently.
"What about De Bruyne? Hasn't he come back yet? I've been trying to call him, but his phone has been off."
"He's still sleeping in his bedroom. Someone stepped on his phone and broke it during the celebration yesterday, and he hasn't had a chance to buy a new one."
"Well, wake him up quickly. I have something very important to discuss!"
Soon, the two new stars sat on the sofa waiting for the agent to deliver the news. Balmond cleared his throat and said, "Uh, your performance last season was outstanding, not only helping Genk win the league championship but also having good individual stats."
"Yellow scored 14 goals, becoming the top scorer in the team, while De Bruyne, you had 5 goals and 16 assists, making a comprehensive contribution."
"So now many top clubs are throwing olive branches. I think it's time for you to move to a higher platform, especially De Bruyne. You're only 20 years old and in the prime of your development. Yellow, you can take it easy for now."
Before the Belgian could respond, Yellow Tiger immediately protested, "I also want to move to a higher platform. I'm already over 18!" He always remembered Wang Feng's teachings from years ago, always chasing after his teammates without a moment of relaxation.
De Bruyne rolled his eyes, "Let's hear what clubs we can choose from first. I can't wait to join a top club."
"Chelsea and Liverpool in the Premier League have shown strong interest. Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga has submitted a formal offer to Genk. AC Milan and Juventus in Serie A have also contacted me."
Seeing the Belgian's eyes light up, Balmond quickly poured cold water on him, "Specific transfer situations also depend on the clubs' willingness. Genk's management is open to offers, but they need to meet their valuation."
De Bruyne frowned and said, "Balmond, these clubs are all top-notch. I do feel restricted by my current platform. Can you try to negotiate for me?"
Balmond nodded. It was time to test his skills as a top agent. Over the years, he had accumulated enough resources thanks to Wang Feng's guidance.
Yellow Tiger wasn't as eager for top clubs. Given his age and performance, even if he joined, he would likely be on the bench. He believed in improving himself through games, so mid-table teams lacking players in the top five leagues were more suitable for him.
"You're dreaming in broad daylight," the agent patted his head. "These clubs won't spend big money on a greenhorn like you. They'd rather invest in experienced stars. There are plenty of talents like you in their academies."
"So what should I do? If I want stable playing time, should I just stay in the Belgian league?" Yellow Tiger asked unwillingly.
"There's still a way. If you're bought by a top club but can't secure a starting position, you can seek a loan to other teams. This way, both parties are relatively satisfied. The lending club can develop players, and the borrowing club doesn't have to spend too much money."
"If there's no other way, I'll choose this method. Anyway, Kevin, if you're going, I'm going too!"
Balmond nodded. "Just be patient for now." He got up and left. He was so focused on these two youngsters because they had shown good performances and had the potential to become stars of tomorrow, plus Wang Feng had specifically instructed him about them.
In the following days, both De Bruyne and Yellow Tiger felt like time was dragging on. They watched as Real Madrid and Barcelona restructured, as PSG and Manchester City splurged money, and as various clubs made frequent moves. Their hearts grew more restless and anxious, silently praying that a club would notice them.
By the end of July, with still no news, both of them had become desperate. They could only focus on helping Genk secure a place in the Champions League group stage, which was some consolation.
Just then, Balmond finally contacted them. "It's finally settled. Damn it, almost all of the summer window was wasted on you two."
"Finally, Chelsea came up with an offer that satisfied Genk. The twin stars are going to the Premier League!"
Before he could finish, Yellow Tiger immediately asked excitedly, "What's our transfer fee?"
"The Blues are willing to pay a total of ￡15 million. According to them, De Bruyne is valued at ￡9 million, and you are valued at ￡6 million. De Bruyne will receive a weekly salary of ￡15,000, while you will get ￡10,000."
"Ah, I'm worth so much less than Kevin, and the club agreed to it. They're underestimating me too much!"
De Bruyne wasn't as naive as Yellow Tiger. Amidst his excitement, he suddenly thought of a problem. "But doesn't the Premier League have work permit regulations? I'm okay, but what about Yellow, who isn't from Europe?"
After being reminded by him, Yellow Tiger remembered his identity, and Barmont continued, "It's good that you're so attentive. This is also what I'm going to discuss next."
"You have two options. The first is to naturalize in Belgium, which I mentioned before. Both the Belgian Football Association and the government are very willing."
"The second is to seek Chelsea's special talent clause, which allows each Premier League club to have one non-European slot per year."
Upon hearing this, Yellow Tiger hesitated. He had grown up in Belgium, his only close relative, his grandmother, had passed away a few years ago, and he had been rejected by the national team. It seemed like there was no reason to stay.
But he felt a sense of disgust at the idea of changing his nationality just for himself. "Let's see how things go in the future. There's no rush for this matter."
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