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Chapter 187 Transfer Window Opens

Chi Zhen had just stepped out of the parking lot when he saw Jason Cheslet, the club's sporting director, walking towards him from the side. The two met by chance, and out of politeness, Chi Zhen greeted him first.

Good morning, Mr. Chesley.

Cheslet seemed preoccupied and didn't notice Chi Zhen immediately. He only reacted after Chi Zhen greeted him, and a smile appeared on his face: "Good morning, China Boy."

He then quickly looked Chi Zhen up and down and nodded: "Although you've had a vacation, you're in very good shape. I think Sergio will be very happy."

The "Sergio" he referred to is the team's assistant coach, Sergio Didaye, who is in charge of training and, naturally, the players' physical condition.

Chi Zhen said, "Even on holidays, I insist on physical training and dare not relax for a single day."

“That’s great. I hope everyone on the team can be like you.” Jason Cheslater then gestured, “Go to the locker room now, don’t keep Sergio waiting.”

After saying that, he left first, and at the same time, his brows furrowed slightly.

Seeing this, Chi Zhen confirmed that Mr. Chesley must indeed have something on his mind.

But that has nothing to do with him. He's just a player. He only needs to think about how to complete the training tasks assigned by the coach and how to perform well in the game.

After saying goodbye to Chesley, Chi Zhen walked towards the first team's locker room.

Today is the day for the Scots first team to assemble and report for duty. Assistant coach Sergio Didaye and the medical team are waiting to arrange medical examinations for each player.

For Chi Zhen, today is also the starting point of a year-long journey.

In the coming season, he will have to give his all in every training session and every game, and not only give his all, but also bring out his best form and performance.

That sounds a bit exaggerated. How could they do that in every game?

But this is not an exaggeration at all, because the opponent he is facing is too powerful. If he doesn't push himself to this point, he won't even be qualified to be the opponent's opponent.

In the new season, he will not only have to compete with Wang Ge in the national team, but also in the club.

To prepare for such competition, he has maintained physical training since the national team matches and strictly followed the standards during the season in terms of diet, which is why he has such a good physique that Mr. Chesslet could spot at a glance.

Actually, he hadn't done this before. After all, during a normal season, the strict dietary requirements make players especially eager to use their vacation time to relax. High-intensity and regular training and matches can cause players to accumulate a lot of pressure and fatigue both physically and mentally, and these negative things need to be released through vacation.

Once on vacation, players often completely abandon their season-long lifestyles, which leads to many players returning to their clubs somewhat out of shape and overweight. Furthermore, prolonged periods without regular training cause a decline in physical function, leaving the body completely relaxed and requiring a period of recovery training to gradually readjust to normal training intensity.

This is why preseason preparations always begin with physical training.

Chi Zhen used to be no different from other professional players: training hard and playing well during the season, and relaxing and enjoying himself during the holidays. Especially when he returned to his hometown and gathered with his family and friends, he couldn't strictly follow the club nutritionist's dietary requirements. As a Chinese person, isn't it normal to eat a few greasy and spicy hot pot meals and barbecues, and drink a few beers?

The fact that he doesn't smoke actually shows a high level of professionalism – you know, both in Chinese and European football, Chi Zhen has seen many heavy smokers who, after winning a match, would light up a cigarette in the locker room and puff away, looking incredibly relaxed and carefree…

Because he decided to challenge Wang Lie in the national team, Chi Zhen, who had just returned from the national team, decided to take Wang Lie as his role model and continued to train and eat strictly during the holidays, just like he was in a normal season.

To be honest, it's not easy.

During the season, there may be a regular training and competition environment that propels you forward. However, during the holidays, temptations abound, and without unwavering determination, all your previous efforts could be wasted.

So for Chi Zhen, the club's reporting day was not the "school bell" signaling the end of his vacation, but a savior during his ordeal—at least he didn't have to suffer alone anymore; he could be in that environment, supervised, and train and work hard with others.

Although it's tough to stick to training and a healthy diet during the holidays, the thought that I only need to persevere for a year makes it all worthwhile.

But Wang Lie persisted through such a monotonous and tedious life for more than twenty years...

In emulating Wang Lie, Chi Zhen thought of this point countless times, and then gained a deeper understanding of Wang Ge's strength and extraordinary abilities.

It's fortunate that Wang Ge is now thirty-eight years old. If he were twenty-eight, he wouldn't have any idea of ​​competing with Wang Ge at all, and would just obediently play a supporting role for Wang Ge in the national team.

Being able to stand beside Brother Wang and fight side by side is enough to make him proud and satisfied...

※※※

Jason Cheslater swore as soon as he walked into head coach Joseph Gill's office:

"You son of a bitch from the Middle East! You fucking troublemaker!!"

Seeing his agitation, Jill asked curiously, "What's wrong, Jason? What's making you so angry?"

"Atletico Lille rejected our offer!"

"How could that be? We've already offered the most sincere price."

"That still can't compare to the Middle Eastern oil tycoons whose money seems to spring from the ground up—Tain directly offered 80 million euros!"

Upon hearing this, Josephine Gil put down her work and looked up in surprise: "That's Isara's penalty for breach of contract!"

“Yes! So do you think Lille will still agree to our 55 million offer?” Jason Cheslet countered.

Jill shook her head: "Unless they've lost their minds..."

Lenny Isara, the starting defensive midfielder for Lille, the runner-up in Ligue 1 last season, possesses superb running ability and outstanding physical qualities. He is good at running and tackling, and also has better ball distribution ability than other "strong and tough defensive midfielders", as well as a special skill of scoring with a long shot.

After missing out on the league title last season, Scots set their sights on strengthening their midfield for the new season with this Ligue 1 best defensive midfielder, and they went back and forth with Atlético Lille for this goal for several rounds.

After all, Isala is an absolute key player for Atlético Lille, and if he leaves, Atlético Lille will find it difficult to find a suitable replacement in the transfer market in a short period of time.

However, Isala is not unsellable by the club; the key is whether the club can afford to pay enough. If the money is right, nothing is off-limits.

The Scots team has to contend with Lille on one hand, and guard against other competitors stealing their spots on the other.

Just when the two clubs were about to reach an agreement on the transfer fee, Tyne made his move...

And they came out with a bombshell – directly activating Lenny Isala's €80 million release clause, forcing Atlético Lille to accept the offer.

Then they can negotiate personal terms with the player.

As for what kind of deal Lenny Isara himself will reach with Tyne...

Unless there's a little boy inside him constantly telling him he should join the Scorsese, the Scorsese have no advantage over the Middle Eastern tycoon Tyne when it comes to money, whether it's annual salary, bonuses, or anything else.

Scorsese and Atlético Lille had been negotiating for so long, showing considerable sincerity and patience, employing superb negotiation skills, making steady progress day by day, and seemingly on the verge of breaking through this tough barrier. However, in the end, they couldn't withstand Tyne's financial power… This caused Scorsese's sporting director, Cheslet, to break down:

"Damn it! Incompetent UEFA! Which idiot came up with the policy that allows clubs to include investments in youth teams, women's football, training facilities, stadiums, and other infrastructure in Financial Fair Play?! Doing this is destroying the very foundation of football!"

In the midst of his outburst, he inappropriately recalled how the Scotsmen club had used the same policy to increase their transfer budget... Realizing he might not be able to acquire the midfield "defensive midfielder" he had specifically requested, Joseph Gil didn't join Chesley's rant against Tyne, but instead sighed, "Forget it, let's find another transfer target..."

※※※

"...A transfer rumor that circulated widely this summer is finally nearing its conclusion! It is said that the official account of Tyne Club is ready to announce the signing of midfielder Renzo Pisano from FC Madrid, and the official account of FC Madrid Club will also post a confirmation on the same day... However, neither party has disclosed the transfer fee, but it is understood that it should be no less than 50 million euros!"

Upon seeing the transfer news flash on his phone, Fu Xiaofeng shook his head and clicked his tongue in amazement: "Damn! Tyne is willing to spend 50 million on a 33-year-old guy who just recovered from an injury not long ago. He's fucking rich!"

He's a midfielder, as is Renzo Pisano, but he's nowhere near as good as the latter.

Overall, he doesn't even crack the top 20 midfielders in the world, while Pisano is a solid top-three player.

Of course, this refers to Pisano before his injury.

Now that he's injured, things are hard to say.

After all, it's obvious to anyone that Pisano can no longer stay at FC Madrid.

A player rejected by a La Liga giant, yet Tyne is willing to spend 50 million euros—rumors say no less than 50 million, meaning at least 50 million, but possibly more—to sign him… Is Tyne Club's vision exceptional, or is it a gamble for the Champions League?

Although he felt a little envious, Fu Xiaofeng sometimes envied Wang Lie for being in a team that was willing to continuously invest in achieving results.

Atlético Lille is considered a powerhouse in Ligue 1, and their performance in recent years has been relatively stable, securing a Champions League spot for next season. However, Atlético Lille is definitely not extravagant in the transfer market; instead, they are very cost-effective. Their current first-team squad includes many "high-value" players acquired from around the world, such as him—who only cost the Ligue 1 club €3.5 million to join them.

His midfield partner and friend, Lenny Isara, transferred to the club five years ago on a free transfer, without costing the club a single penny.

Fu Xiaofeng's lack of impressive results in the Champions League is also related to Atlético Lille's stinginess in investing. They can manage in Ligue 1, but the Champions League is a completely different world, where poor teams with no money can't compete with the big clubs.

Those capable of making waves in the Champions League are either established giants with a glorious history and tradition, or newly rich clubs willing to spend money.

Atletico Lille are caught between two unfavorable factors, so making it to the Champions League knockout stage would already be considered a success.

Of course, the club's management has always prided itself on its "prudent management style." By avoiding radicalism and high-stakes gambles, they have indeed ensured that the team's finances are relatively healthy, which has enabled them to maintain stable performance in Ligue 1. This is certainly an advantage.

Fu Xiaofeng chose to stay at Lille to play because the team was strong and the environment was relatively stable.
It's not easy to find a non-elite team in one of the top five European leagues that can consistently participate in European competitions, and even if you do find one, it's not easy to succeed.

As Fu Xiaofeng was reflecting on this, he received a call from his friend Isara:

"Hi, Fu, I'm here to say goodbye."

Fu Xiaofeng was stunned for a moment, then realized: "The club accepted the offer from the Scotts?"

He knew that the Skoss were interested in his midfield partner—Isara himself had told him about it.

When the two clubs began negotiations, he received a call from Isara, who asked him about Chi Zhen.

He only found out then that Isara might be going to the Skos, so it wasn't wrong for him to find out about his future teammates in advance.

He hadn't actually confirmed with Isala, but he figured that unless Isala was completely out of his mind, he wouldn't refuse an offer from a top Premier League club.

Atlético Lille and Scots are both title contenders in their respective leagues, but can the appeal of Ligue 1 and the Premier League be compared?

Therefore, he believes that as long as the two teams agree on the transfer fee and the individual contract terms are not too outrageous, Isara can be considered Chi Zhen's teammate.

Now that Isala is calling him, it's clear that everything is settled, the two clubs have reached an agreement, and Isala's personal contract with Skós has been finalized.

Although he was a little reluctant, Fu Xiaofeng knew that this was professional football, and if others had the ability to go higher, he should wish them well.

His choice to be a "loyal subject" at Lille does not mean that everyone around him must be like him.

So he adjusted his tone and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Lenny..."

But he heard Lenny Isara say, "No, the club did not agree to the Scorsese offer."

"Huh?" Fu Xiaofeng was stunned for a moment, thinking that he had misheard or that Isara had said something wrong.

Isara then added, "They agreed to Tyne's offer..."

Fu Xiaofeng: "Huh?"

"Actually, it wasn't that they agreed to it; it was that Tyne directly activated my termination fee..."

Fu Xiaofeng finally realized what was happening: "Wait a minute, Lenny, wait a minute. Let us confirm, you just said the club agreed to 'Tyan's' offer, right?"

“Yes, it’s Tyne, Tyne of Newcastle, the Tyne with the king!” Isara kept adding qualifiers, afraid of any ambiguity.

Then Fu Xiaofeng fell silent.

While he remained silent, Isara continued, "I didn't expect them to be interested in me, but that's exactly what happened. My agent told me that Tyne activated my release clause, and I'm going to discuss a personal contract with them..."

Coming to his senses, Fu Xiaofeng had to interrupt him: "So you haven't discussed the contract with them yet? I thought they offered an offer you couldn't refuse..."

"No, of course not. But I've made up my mind, Fu, I'm going to Tyne, I'm going to be Wang's teammate!"

Fu Xiaofeng smirked: "Why? Aren't Scotts more attractive than Tyne? After all, they're a traditional powerhouse in the Premier League."

"But the people of Skos had no king."

"When did you become a fan of Wang Lie, Lenny?"

“I’m not a fan of his, Fu. But I’m very curious about how he can reverse aging. I want to confirm whether he really drank the water from the ‘Fountain of Youth.’ I want to observe him closely…”

"What kind of ridiculous excuse is that! You might as well say you've been a Wang Lie fan for thirty years!"

Isara laughed at Fu Xiaofeng's teasing on the other end of the phone: "Hahaha! Maybe I'll be his teammate after I become one!"

Seeing his friend so excited, Fu Xiaofeng sighed: "I need to remind you, Lenny, be prepared, both physically and mentally."

“Of course, I’m ready!” Isara’s voice was still excited on the phone. “I can’t wait to go to Newcastle and join the training!”

Hearing his voice, Fu Xiaofeng knew he wasn't really ready: "Oh no, you're not. You have no idea how difficult it is to play football with Wang Lie. Anyway... get ready to give it your all, burn yourself out, Lenny."

As expected, Isara on the other end of the phone stopped laughing and fell into a long silence, seemingly frightened by Fu Xiaofeng.

Fu Xiaofeng concluded, "I wish you good luck, Lenny. Remember my advice."

(End of this chapter)