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Chapter 195 Recruiting troops
Luca Herlitch sat on the sofa, looking at his agent, River Crowff, who was sitting across from him and talking on the phone with Tobias Heim, the general manager of Isa Munich.

Clough didn't turn on speakerphone, so he couldn't hear what Heim was saying on the other end of the line.

Even so, he could still sense Heim's anger, because through the sound leakage from the phone's receiver, he could still hear Heim's muffled roars, though he couldn't make out the specific content.

These roars made Herlitch uneasy. He shifted his position on the soft sofa and continued to look at Clough with concern.

Agent Clough, who was facing the wrath of the general manager of IFK Eisár Munich, was much calmer.

He waited until Heim's roar subsided before calmly saying, "I must remind you of one thing: we haven't reached any verbal agreement, Mr. Heim..."

Before he could finish speaking, a loud roar came through the receiver.

Clough wasn't angry or impatient. Instead, he said calmly, "If you don't want me to finish speaking, I'll hang up now. I didn't really need to say anything to you here after everything was settled."

As soon as he said that, the roaring sound coming from the phone receiver disappeared.

Clough then slowly said, “Yes, I did say that Luca was willing to join Isa Munich. But that was just my statement, and it only represents the situation at the time, not the future. You know what happened afterward—Taine made an offer to Helic. When I told you that, Luca was indeed more inclined to go to your club; I wasn't lying to you. But the conditions changed. Taine offered better terms, and what about you? You insisted on not raising your salary and benefits…”

His words were interrupted again by the roar from the other side.

So Clough paused and waited for Heim to finish his rant before continuing, "Let me clarify something, Mr. Heim. I later said that, given the same conditions, we preferred to join ESAR Munich. That hasn't changed. But the conditions are different; you didn't match the annual salary offered by Tyne..."

The general manager of ESAB Munich is swearing again.

Helitch saw his agent smiling and nodding slightly as he listened to the phone call.

Then, after Tobias Heim finished his tirade, he continued, "Maybe, Mr. Heim. But Tyne is also eligible for the new season's Champions League; at least both teams are Champions League contenders. As for the championship… who can guarantee we'll win? We're just doing our best. If I remember correctly, Eczacıbaşı wasn't the league and German Cup champions last season. So…"

He paused, startled, before picking up his phone and glancing at the screen. He laughed, "Oh no, looks like I've really offended Mr. Heim—he hung up on me. Ugh, it was him who called..."

"What did he say?" Helitch asked impatiently.

“They’ve called me a traitor, a money-grubber,” agent Clough shook his head. “No wonder he’s the general manager of a top Bundesliga club, thinking that the ‘Ilsa Munich’ brand alone is worth more than all the money other clubs have…”

"In Germany, Óscar Munich certainly has a lot of influence..."

“No matter how much appeal they have, it can't compare to double the salary,” Clough scoffed. “If Tain only offered slightly more, then choosing Munich would be no problem. But why should we choose Munich when Tain pays twice as much? Frankly, that's just the arrogance of a big club. Heim firmly believes that if you give up Munich, you'll say goodbye to the championship. I won't even discuss whether going to Tain truly means being forever barred from the championship, but didn't Eczacıbaşı Munich also end up empty-handed last season?”

After saying this, he comforted Helitch:

"Don't listen to what those Munich fans are saying online. Let me tell you, Luca, going to Tyne is definitely not a sign of self-degradation. Tyne has been very active in the transfer market this summer. They're ambitious, participating in the Champions League for the first time, and these investments are real money. Furthermore, to increase their transfer budget, they've announced plans to build a new, more modern stadium… Why does UEFA allow clubs to include their infrastructure investments in Financial Fair Play regulations? I think it's encouraging emerging clubs to challenge the old order established by traditional giants. After more than a hundred years, European football is too old, like a stagnant pool. It's time to throw a stone into it. So, your move to Tyne isn't just about money; it's about choosing the future."

Hlitch doesn't know if his transfer to Tyne truly represents the future.

But that's all he can think for now, since he's already signed his name on Tyne's contract.

He has no way out.

Even if he wanted to back out and go to Óscar Munich now, the Munich fans wouldn't accept him. In their minds, he was already synonymous with "mercenaries."

He has no choice but to go down the dark path.

Looking back now, life is truly unpredictable—just a week ago, he had made all the preparations to live in Munich, and even asked Clough to help him look for a house in Munich. But now he has become a member of a new Champions League team, and is going to leave his familiar Stuttgart for Newcastle.

Language, food, weather, new teammates, new tactics, new requirements... everything has to be started from scratch.

I just hope my agent wasn't lying to me...

※※※

"I've made up my mind, I'm going back to Newcastle."

Claire O'Neill told her agent, Scott Boydell.

Boydell was surprised: "Why? Didn't the Tyne coach make it very clear to you on the phone before? Your role at Tyne is rotation. They just finalized the transfer of Helic from Stuttgart Unicorns to Tyne... That Bosnian kid is the starting center-back for the new season. Since you can't be a starter anyway, why not stay at Clayton Athletic and go through all this trouble?"

Thirty-two-year-old Oni has become a substitute at Clayton Athletic, but before last season, he was a key center-back for the club.

However, after the club spent €85 million to sign Dušan Ratkovic last season, Oni lost his starting position at Clayton Sporting.

In fact, Clayton Sports Club did not intend to sell him, after all, he still has the ability and can strengthen the team's squad depth.

It was Oni who wanted to leave; he didn't want to stay at Clayton Stadium as a substitute.

So his agent, Boydell, went around looking for a new agency for him.

The former Premier League champion's starting center-back wanting to leave his former club is definitely a hot topic in the transfer market.

As a result, many teams extended offers to him.

This included Tyne, who was recruiting players everywhere in order to make the club's first ever appearance in the Champions League.

Team head coach Sam McNeil even called O'Neill to discuss his plans.

McNeil was very sincere, but he also told the truth that O'Neil was not a starter in his team's plans, so if O'Neil wanted to find a team to be a starter, then Tyne might not be a good fit for him.

If that's the case, why did McNeil call O'Neil and invite him to join his hometown team?
Because the team is competing on three fronts, the starting lineup is not fixed. Even as a rotation player, Oni will get more playing time than he did at Clayton Sports.

Meanwhile, Tyne has big ambitions, and McNeil hopes that O'Neill's experience during the four consecutive Premier League titles can help the team.

“I can’t lie to you, Claire. You’re not a starter, but you’re really important to the team. So I hope you’ll seriously consider coming back.”

Although McNeil's final words were sincere, Oni had to admit that he was disappointed after the call.

He was initially very interested in returning to Tyne, after all, it was his hometown team and where he started his career. Now that Tyne is finally going to participate in the Champions League, he feels that with his ability and experience, he can not only help the team as a starter but also enjoy the sense of accomplishment of returning home.

Kill two birds with one stone.

But head coach Sam McNeil told him he wasn't a starter...

It was like pouring a bucket of cold water over his head.

At the time, agent Boydell felt that Oni probably wouldn't choose to return to Tyne.

Who would have thought that a few days later, Oni would tell him he was going to Tyne?!

"Why, Claire? Why?" Boydell couldn't understand how Oni had made this decision.

“Do you remember the game last season when we beat Tyne 3-2?” Oni asked him.

Boydell thought for a moment, then nodded: "Of course. Clayton Sports almost lost at home in that match... Wang scored a goal in the 88th minute, just one goal short."

Oni pointed to himself and said, "Do you remember who was defending Wang when he scored?"

“Uh…” Boydell’s memory wasn’t that specific. He guessed, “Ratkovic?”

"In that match, Ratkovic was indeed mainly responsible for defending against Wang. But that goal was scored by me and him together defending against Wang. Can you imagine, Scott? The game had been going on for 88 minutes, and Wang was still able to score while being double-teamed by Ratkovic and me... At that time, the ball actually changed direction, and neither Ratkovic nor I reacted in time. Wang rushed out first and got to the ball... The way he sprinted was nothing like a 38-year-old guy..."

"Indeed, Wang is very strong, but what does that have to do with you going back to Tyne to be a substitute?"

“After that match, I’ve been observing Wang’s performance, and I’ve found that he’s even stronger than when he played against us…”

"So you don't want to be an opponent of a king like that?" Boydell teased him.

Oni chuckled at his words: "Perhaps I do have that thought deep down. But actually, I have more confidence in Tyne for the new season. I think Tyne might surprise everyone. Like Wong said, it's a great undertaking, and what could be more fitting for me, a Newcastle native, than returning home to participate in this endeavor?"

After he finished speaking, Boydell asked, "Are you serious?"

“Yes, I’m serious. I’ve thought about it carefully for many days before finally making this decision,” Oni nodded in reply.

"So you're just blinded by the rosy prospects the King paints, preferring to be a substitute in Tyne rather than a starter in Porter or White Mountain? My God, what magic does the King possess that makes people, including you, believe his grand pronouncements?" Boydell was somewhat distraught after hearing his player's reasons.

"Perhaps it's because he's a man of his word, Scott. For example, he said Tyne would play in the Champions League, and Tyne did play in the Champions League... There's something I don't know if you've noticed, Scott, but since losing to Clayton in the league, Wong's Tyne hasn't lost a single game."

Scott Boydell paused, having not noticed this detail before.

"That's why I said that Tyne might surprise everyone in the new season. Wong is very serious about creating a 'great career.' I don't want to miss out on something so interesting."

※※※

"...Another exciting piece of news has been circulating in the Tyne fan community, and today it has finally been confirmed! Yes, that's right, cheers, Tyne fans! Our 'Big O'Neil' is coming back! After leaving her hometown for ten years, Claire O'Neil has finally officially announced her return to Tyne!"

Upon seeing the message on his phone, the man in the driver's seat pumped his fist and cheered.

"Well done! Great job! Haha!"

The comment section below this news on the internet is also full of enthusiastic and excited messages:

“My God! Am I dreaming? I was only 26 when ‘Big Oni’ left Tyne, and I thought I would never see him play for Tyne again… and now I have three kids and he’s back! Haha! That’s great, when he returns to Lize Park, I’ll bring my three kids to welcome him!”

"Besides Dean, I think 'Big O'Neill' is the most regrettable Tyne player. If he had stayed with Tyne, maybe we wouldn't have struggled so much..." "Hey buddy, I understand your feelings. But what right did Tyne have to keep 'Big O'Neill' back then? He was only twenty-two and already showed amazing talent. His later championship with Clayton proved his choice was right. The past is the past. The important thing is that he's back now, and he'll be wearing the Tyne jersey again!"

"Although 32-year-old 'Big Oni' spent most of last season as a substitute at Clayton Athletic, I still think he's the player Tyne needs. Katic used to be a top center-back, but he's getting old now, and the newly arrived Helic is not tall enough and has poor aerial ability. 'Big Oni' can make up for this deficiency... I don't know how McNeil will use him, whether it's a three-center-back system or rotation... Tyne's defensive strength will reach a new level next season!"

"Tyne is getting better too. Players like O'Neill, who haven't even fully entered the end of their careers, are choosing to come back. In the past, we wouldn't have even dared to dream of that... There hasn't been another one like Goetz, right?"

"It's not just this that's getting better! Now we can attract top players to join us! I'm happy to see the Eczacıbaşı Munich fans cursing at us now—how could the fans of the Bundesliga's top team ever give us a second glance?! Ha! Now, because we snatched Hılıç from their team, the Munich fans are all fired up!"

……

The man didn't join the passionate online discussions; he just scrolled through his phone, read other people's comments, and chuckled along.

Yes, everything is getting better!

Just as the man was inwardly sighing and continuing to scroll through his phone, there was a knocking sound on his passenger-side window.

He turned his head and saw a young man wearing a Tyne sports jacket; it was his son, Danny Keller, who played for Tyne's U19 youth team.

He had been parked in the parking lot, waiting to pick up his son from school.

He unlocked the car and watched his son open the door and get in.

Then he sensed something was wrong—his son hadn't said a word from the moment he knocked on the window until he got into the car and was clutching his training backpack tightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked, puzzled. "Did you make a mistake during training?"

The son opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated several times. Just when the father's patience was about to run out, he finally said, "Just now... uh, the boss told me, he said..."

"What did you say?" The man finally couldn't hold back any longer, his voice rising eight octaves. "I said you shouldn't come to training tomorrow?!"

He had meant it as a sarcastic remark, but to his son's surprise, he turned to look at his father and exclaimed, "Dad, how did you know?!"

The man nearly fainted: "You got fired?!"

The son then realized his father had misunderstood and quickly explained, "No, no! The boss just told me not to come to youth team training tomorrow..."

"Isn't this the same?!" the man roared before his son could finish speaking.

"...instead, they went to train with the first team."

The man frowned and looked at his son: "What did you say? Repeat what you just said..."

"Dad, I've been selected for the first team!" Danny Keller seemed to have finally recovered from the initial shock of hearing the news and excitedly told his father.

"I can train with Wang now!"

The man was stunned at first, then slowly leaned back in the driver's seat.

The son was startled when he saw his father like this: "Dad, what's wrong? Are you alright...?"

After taking a few deep breaths, the man's complexion regained its rosy hue, and then he couldn't help but yell, "Such great news, why do you look like you're constipated?! Is this how you should behave after being selected for the first team?!"

The son explained sheepishly, "I was afraid I was dreaming, and that if I got too excited, I'd wake up..."

The man remembered that a fan on his phone had said the same thing:

Am I dreaming?
Thinking of this, he pinched the inside of his thigh, and the pain almost brought tears to his eyes.

Seeing his father like this, the son was surprised: "Dad, what are you doing?"

The man didn't answer him. Instead, he wiped away his tears, then deftly pressed the clutch, shifted into reverse, released the handbrake, and checked the rearview mirror.

As he reversed the car, he told his son in the passenger seat, "Fasten your seatbelt."

After his son fastened his seatbelt, he backed the car out.

At this moment, he pressed the clutch pedal again, shifted into drive, gripped the steering wheel with one hand, quickly turned his head to check the outside of the car on his right, and was still instructing his son:

"Call your mom and tell her to inform everyone in the family that we're having a family dinner today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped on the gas, and the screeching sound of burning tires came from under the chassis. The rear of the car swayed twice, and the old manual transmission car roared off, heading towards home.

※※※

Sitting in the pre-arranged van, Serge Cabella smiled and waved through the open window to the Tyne fans wearing blue jerseys.

He was met with excited screams from the fans:

"Sergi! Sergi!"

"Please sign my autograph, Sergi!"

"Hey, look here, look here! Sergi!"

"Welcome to Newcastle, Serge! Welcome to Tyne!"

As the van slowly started moving, some fans ran alongside it, holding up their phones to take photos with Sergi Cabella inside the vehicle, using the front-facing camera.

For the safety of the fans, Cabella had to roll up the car windows.

Even after the car turned onto the main road, Révier Etxetta, the agent sitting next to him, looked back and could still see the Tyne fans.

He said happily, "It seems you have so many fans even in the far north of England, that's great news, Serge. To be honest, I was worried that not many people outside of Spain knew you..."

“You’re right, Reviere. Outside of Spain, not many people really know me.” Sergi Cabella shrugged.

“Ha, how do you explain these people?” Etxetta pointed behind the car. “They were holding up posters of you at Sporting Basque Country, and some were even wearing your Sporting Basque Country jerseys to welcome you. It can’t be that Tyne FC hired people to pick you up at the airport because they were afraid of embarrassing you, right?”

“Tyne Club wouldn’t be that boring,” Cabella scoffed. “Before I came here, I saw a post online where the poster called on Tyne fans to come to the airport to welcome me…”

Upon hearing this, Etxeita laughed: "So don't underestimate yourself, look, someone even organized your fans to come to the airport to pick you up!"

Cabella shook her head: "They're not my fans, they're Tyne fans. In fact, they've organized many similar airport welcome events, and every player who transferred to Tyne this summer has received this treatment."

"Huh?" The agent was somewhat surprised. "Why is that?"

"I think maybe they just wanted every player who came to Tyne to feel the passion and love. Or maybe they simply wanted to express their joy, after all, so many people came to Tyne this year..."

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Etxetta said. "When the Middle Eastern capital first acquired Tyne, they also bought a lot of people in the transfer market. Why didn't Tyne fans organize a special event to welcome them at the airport? Of course, there were people who welcomed them, but it was definitely not like this, making it seem like you're already a superstar... Is there any difference between this Tyne transfer and their previous aggressive moves?"

“Of course it’s different, Reviere,” Sergi Cabella said. “This time, Tyne is playing in the Champions League.”

Révier Etchett opened his mouth, unable to refute.

※※※

"...With the new season approaching, Tyne has accelerated their recruitment efforts in the transfer market. Their official accounts are announcing new players at a rate of one per day."

Stuttgart's star center-back Luka Hlic, whom Eisack Munich considered a sure thing, ultimately chose to join Tyne, dealing a heavy blow to the Bundesliga champions' ambitions to reclaim the domestic title this season. Just days before, transfer market experts believed the 28-year-old Bosnian defender was already a Munich player. Rumors suggest that Hlic's transfer to Tyne was due to Tyne offering him double the salary Eisack Munich paid!

"After being betrayed, Eisablan Munich's general manager, Tobias Heim, angrily accused Helich's agent, Rivi Klöf, on his personal social media, saying that he was willing to ruin the player's career for money... He also said that no matter what, Eisablan Munich is a Bundesliga powerhouse, and if someone rejects Munich, it is definitely not Munich's loss, but that person's loss."

"On this point, the people of Skos and FC Madrid must feel the same way..."

German newspaper Bild posted a cartoon mocking Helsch's choice. The cartoon depicts him weeping in the empty trophy room of the Tyne club, while outside stands Wern Tafeltershöf holding the Bundesliga title trophy…

Another German media outlet, Kicker, criticized nouveau riche like Tain for disrupting the transfer market. They argued that by waving checks, they were stirring up the malice within agents, significantly inflating player valuations and salaries, which would inevitably damage the healthy relationship between teams and players.

"Taine clearly didn't hear these criticisms, or perhaps they did but didn't care. They continued to be active in the transfer market. After signing the Stuttgart Unicorns' centre-back, they also reached an agreement with Clayton Athletic to bring in Claire Oni, a centre-back who had previously come from Tain."

"Oni's return has delighted Tyne fans, as he was a key player in the first three of Clayton Sports' four consecutive Premier League titles and, since Bury Taylor, is the most successful Newcastle player to emerge from Tyne's ranks. His return may also have more symbolic significance—perhaps in the future, outstanding players nurtured by Tyne themselves, such as Bury Taylor, Claire Oni, and Sonny Dean, will no longer need to leave Tyne to seek their fortunes..."

"Perhaps to confirm this conjecture, 18-year-old Tyne U19 youth team player Danny Keller has been promoted to the first team and is training with the team. As the main right-back for the England U19 national team, Keller can also play in more positions on the right flank, such as right wing-back and right midfielder... McNeil chose him for the first team precisely because he values ​​his versatility on the right flank. Although he is only training with the team now, perhaps we will see the name of this young man, Danny Keller, on the final first-team roster?"

"...Sergi Cabella, the 23-year-old midfield prodigy of Sporting Basque Country, has also become Tyne's new 'target.' This Sporting Basque midfielder, who has shone brightly in La Liga for two consecutive seasons, seems to be at the point where he should take his career to the next level. However, Sporting Basque Country is unwilling to sell him to league rivals Atlético Barcelona and FC Madrid..."

"So despite Atlético Barcelona's eagerness to acquire him, and reportedly having reached an agreement with the player himself, they still couldn't sway the Basque club. Ultimately, Tyne secured this dribbling and agile midfielder. How he, along with Renzo Pisano and Lény Isala, will perform in midfield is one of the biggest things to watch in Tyne's new season..."

"However, with the endorsement of Atlético Barcelona and the Skosman, this midfield combination might not be too bad."

"In addition, Tyne also signed Milton Tucker, a 21-year-old local striker from East London United, who is expected to be Wang Lie's backup."

"Furthermore, due to the change of manager at Kensington, left winger Adam Little was explicitly told by new manager Lindsey that he was not in his plans and thus sought a transfer. Tyne also needed a left winger who could rotate with Vitini, so the two sides quickly reached an agreement. The only concern is that although this Welsh international is fast, he is prone to injury..."

"Taine is rapidly strengthening the club in preparation for its first-ever Champions League season by continuously recruiting new players. However, whether they can integrate these newcomers into a cohesive and competitive team, given their increased strength on paper, will be a major test for McNeil's coaching staff."

"Hopefully, Tyne won't repeat the mistakes of the past, where a lot of money was spent but all wasted. As Chinese fans and media, we still hope that Tyne can perform well in the new season. After all, a good team performance means that the team's core player, Wang Lie, will also perform well. And for next year's World Cup, we want a Chinese captain in top form more than ever."

(End of this chapter)