I build a giant in the Premier League

Chapter 341 Super Black Market! Monopolizing Power! A Triangular Transfer That Shocked the World! Let's Surrender! [Please Subscribe]

"we lose!"

In the Zurich hotel, Blatter looked at his four fellow sufferers. His cloudy, aged eyes had completely lost their former luster and become dull and lifeless.

Blatter, Platini, Valcke, Infantino, and Villar...

They're more like a league of losers!
“Let’s surrender!” Jerome Valcke suggested, his face filled with panic.

As FIFA Secretary General, he was well aware that once Yang Cheng initiated FIFA's financial audit, they would have no chance of what would happen next!

"Surrender? What a joke! He's going to wipe us out. Are we going to surrender now?" Bilal was clearly still not quite grasping the situation.

"Didn't we already say that? As long as they don't resign voluntarily, what can they do?"

Two years ago, the bribery scandal involving former German Football Association president Zwanziger was confirmed, but he did not resign voluntarily, and even FIFA could not do anything about him.

Finally, Blatter persuaded Beckenbauer, and then the German Football Association intervened, using a multi-pronged approach to get Zwanzig to withdraw.

He was just one of the 24 executive committee members.

Those present were all top officials from FIFA and UEFA.

Surrender before the battle even begins?

Infantino glanced at Villar, speechless.

He always thought that the Spaniard was brainless.

I never imagined it could be this mindless.

They can't even see the current situation clearly; they're too short-sighted.

"Now, FIFA's reform momentum has picked up, and the framework has been drawn up. Has it been approved by the president, secretary general, and vice presidents?"

Infantino's question left Vilar speechless.

Blatter, Valcke, and Platini all looked displeased.

They weren't even qualified to be observers; they were even less qualified than Yang Cheng.

"We've all been sidelined!"

Infantino stated a fact that everyone present knew but was unwilling to admit.

“Even if we’re sidelined, what can they do as long as we don’t back down?” Bilal said with even more confidence.

This Spaniard seemed to have a "I'm not afraid of anything" attitude.

Platini then spoke up, "The reason we won't back down is to negotiate a deal, at least to get a dignified exit, such as FIFA stepping in to protect us and let us leave unscathed."

"At the very least, we shouldn't dwell on our past problems."

None of them revealed the truth about this, as it would be somewhat embarrassing to talk about it.

Unexpectedly, Bilal failed to see through it.

My God, what kind of brain do they have?
"So what now? No more exchanges?" Bilal still didn't understand.

"What can we exchange?" Valcke's tone was also less friendly. "Yang Cheng is now auditing the finances. Do you know how many bad debts are involved? They only need to grab a handful and hand them over to the Swiss prosecutor's office, and we're all finished."

Valcke let out another long sigh as he finished speaking.

After glancing at Blatt, he continued, still somewhat indignant, "Yang Cheng now controls the supervisory board and has auditing authority. If he were to audit the finances, do you know what that means?"

"This means that he could easily find fault with almost any of FIFA's representatives, and he could investigate or take action against whomever he wanted!"

Although everyone present was aware of this, they still felt a chill run down their spines when Valck said it himself.

On the surface, after the reform, the chairman of the supervisory board is an independent outsider who is only responsible for supervising compliance.

However, the internal corruption within FIFA was simply too outrageous and too serious at the time.

Putting aside everything else, over the years, the travel expenses and fees reimbursed by those representatives, executive committee members, and representatives of football associations from various countries have really been without any problems.

Valcke knew better than anyone that there was a lot of shady stuff going on here.

Some executive committee members and representatives appear to be very upright and righteous, speaking and acting impartially and without bias, but what is their reality?

He made a fortune through these reimbursements.

Because nobody cares about such a small amount of money.

FIFA has not audited its finances for decades, so there is no risk whatsoever.

In fact, to some extent, Blatter has always relied on this to win over everyone.

it's good now.

Yang Cheng had all the leverage over them.

Once an audit is conducted, all the problems are exposed.

At that time, Yang Cheng only needs to present evidence and file impeachments, and each one will be more accurate than the last.

Specifically, the same applies to Blatter, Valcke, Platini, Infantino, and Villar.

No one is clean!
"Surrender!"

Valck knew best just how ruthless Yang Cheng's move was.

"If we surrender and beg for mercy now, we might get a lighter sentence. At the very least, we'll have to submit less evidence, and our guilt will be lessened."

This statement silenced the other four people.

They knew they had lost, but they never expected to lose so decisively.

This is far too cruel for them.

Not long ago, they were all renowned and high-spirited leaders of FIFA.

Now, they have all become prisoners.

And the one who held the power of life and death over them was none other than Yang Cheng, whom they had previously looked down upon.

But the situation no longer allowed them to hesitate or delay.

Once Yang Cheng obtains concrete evidence, it will be too late for them to surrender.

……

Yang Cheng has been incredibly busy lately.

He almost completely put aside his own family affairs and devoted himself wholeheartedly to FIFA matters.

Countless meetings, both large and small, have been held.

Even in the evening, after returning to the Barlac Hotel, many people would still come to visit.

Some things can be postponed, while others cannot; you have to meet them.

Yang Cheng took some time to travel to Basel and met with Mark Pearce.

Their first meeting and conversation were very pleasant.

Before this meeting, Yang Cheng had specifically reviewed several reports and recommendations that Mark Pearce and the IGC team had submitted to FIFA.

It also includes a set of indicators proposed by experts from the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration to assess the transparency of governance in international sports organizations, ultimately providing as many as 59 recommendations.

However, FIFA ultimately adopted only 7 of them.

Yang Cheng felt that many of the 59 suggestions were indeed overly idealistic, but there were still many merits to them.

Examples include restrictions on the age and term of office of officials, disclosure of employee salaries, regular asset reviews of officials, and financial disclosure procedures for FIFA and its member organizations.

These are all very good.

Unfortunately, none of them were implemented at the time.

This time, when Yang Cheng met Mark Pies, he still hoped that Pies could join the Supervisory Board as an expert, mainly responsible for supervising and assisting FIFA and its member organizations in process reforms.

Mark Pease was, of course, very happy to agree.

Despite being fired once, he remains very proactive.

The reason is actually very simple.

Many international organizations in Switzerland have a very urgent need for organizational restructuring.

If Mark Pies can help FIFA complete the reforms first, the subsequent business will make him a fortune.

After securing Mark Pace, Yang Cheng set his sights on sponsors.

Currently, FIFA's top sponsors are Adidas, Coca-Cola, Visa, and Hyundai-Kia.

Hyundai-Kia has the least experience, and South Korea's Chung Mong-joon is currently embroiled in scandal.

To be honest, this guy is really outrageous.

You tell me, in 2002, what you Koreans did, who with eyes could see it?

You guys benefited, so be it. After all, South Korean football has indeed made great strides in recent years, right?
But Chung Mong-joon did something quite different. In 2014, in order to run for mayor of Seoul, he proudly said in public that he had helped South Korea win the case against the referee in 2002.

Are you fucking running for mayor?
Are you sure you're not self-destructing?

Back when Blatter was chairman, Chung Mong-joon had already been handed over to the Ethics Committee for review.

Yang Cheng never expected to rescue him.

VISA has been cooperating with FIFA since 2007, and its seniority is not as long as that of Adidas and Coca-Cola.

But this American credit card company was the first among all the sponsors to stand up and criticize FIFA.

A seat on the supervisory board should be reserved for him.

Yang Cheng called Dee Hawke, the chairman of VISA, who said that he was too old, already over eighty, and not suitable to take on this responsibility, so he recommended CEO Charlie Schaff instead.

As for Adidas, the company has numerous connections with various football organizations, clubs, and players, so it is not suitable for him to join the supervisory board.

Needless to say, Nike isn't even a FIFA sponsor.

If Adidas can't get in, then Nike has even less chance.

Coca-Cola's situation is basically the same as Adidas's.

Therefore, the sponsor is a representative of VISA.

We also need to select a player.

As Mark Pease said, this sends a positive signal of putting people first.

Pelé, the King of Football, is the best choice.

Maradona's image is still somewhat problematic.

As for Beckenbauer, to be honest, the German football emperor himself has many problems now. Not only was his bid for the 2006 World Cup a clean affair, but also the subsequent World Cups.

He was so eager to take over FIFA that he became too deeply involved.

Pelé's global image and fame are undeniable.

As for media professionals, the first person Yang Cheng thought of was Marie Odile Amaury.

Many people's impression of this French lady comes from the Tour de France cycling race. She ranks first among the most influential figures in the world of cycling and is also the controller of the Tour de France.

In reality, she also controls the Amaury Group, whose media outlets include the authoritative L'Équipe and France Football magazine.

Yang Cheng knew Mary Odile Amory, but they weren't close. Xia Qing, on the other hand, was very familiar with her.

So Yang Cheng had Xia Qing talk to her about it, and she said she would seriously consider it.

After all, joining the FIFA Supervisory Board at this moment is not only an affirmation of one's own reputation and status, but also an endorsement of FIFA's credibility.

At their level, to put it bluntly, they don't need to pay much attention to FIFA.

But precisely because of this, their inclusion on the supervisory board is even more convincing.

In addition, there is another reformist from within FIFA, Sunil Gulati, one of the FIFA Executive Committee members and president of the U.S. Soccer Federation.

He is the staunch reformist that David Gill refers to.

Don't mistake Sunil Gullati for a football official; on the contrary, he is an economist at Columbia Business School who has led the U.S. Soccer Federation to remarkable growth over the past few years—a typical technically-minded individual.

Oh, by the way, he's also of Indian descent.

This is actually quite necessary, because all sorts of complex factors need to be taken into account.

For example, Lydia Skylar, a representative of women's football, comes from Africa.

She is a leading figure in promoting women's football in Africa and around the world. She was an internal auditor, served as president of the Burundi Football Federation in 2004, later worked for the Confederation of African Football, and was also a member of the organizing committee for the 08 Olympic Games.

She joined the International Olympic Committee in 09 and is now the Chair of the Women's Sports Commission.

Yang Cheng, Marie Odile Amori, Charlie Schaaf, Sunil Gullati, Lydia Skira, and Pelé, the King of Football, are all from various industries and are leaders in their respective fields.

The remaining three are all professionals.

Mark Pease goes without saying.

The remaining two are also very impressive individuals.

One is Michael Hershman, president and CEO of Fairfax Group.

Michael Hershman worked in intelligence and investigation in Europe as early as the 60s, when he was an agent of the U.S. Military Intelligence Agency, working on counterterrorism.

After retiring from the military, he joined the New York Attorney General's office, where he worked on anti-government corruption and financial fraud.

His breakthrough role was in the Watergate scandal in the United States, where he served as the lead investigator.

He later joined the Federal Election Commission, serving as chief investigator and security director, responsible for auditing and investigating all presidential candidates and campaign committees.

He is an internationally recognized expert on transparency, accountability, governance, and security.

Guillermo Jorge is an Argentinian law professor who runs a law firm specializing in the prevention and enforcement of anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws and regulations, as well as asset recovery remedies.

Since 2003, he has served as an independent consultant on financial crime, anti-money laundering, and anti-corruption for numerous international organizations, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and Latin American governments.

He is a globally recognized expert in anti-corruption, compliance, and anti-money laundering.

Mark Pies, Michael Hershman, and Guillermo Jorge, although each has entered the supervisory board individually, will actually lead their respective teams to FIFA.

Their task is to oversee and assist the FIFA Council and Committees in carrying out comprehensive reforms within FIFA and its continental federations and associations.

Charlie Schaff has helped VISA complete its data transformation with tremendous success over the past few years.

This time, he will also provide FIFA with his valuable experience to help the aging international organization complete its reform and transformation.

The entire list was compiled under the leadership of Yang Cheng, with suggestions from FIFA executives such as David Gill.

Therefore, the nine-man roster was quickly submitted to the FIFA Congress for review.

Ultimately, the list was unanimously approved by the delegates.

From this moment forward, FIFA’s first Supervisory Board will officially begin to play its role!
It was at this time that Yang Cheng received a message from David Gill.

Blatter and Platini surrendered!
The five of them decided to resign voluntarily in exchange for leniency from FIFA.

After discussing it with David Gill, Yang Cheng decided to accept their surrender.

The main reason is that there is a lot of internal reform going on at FIFA, which is causing a lot of anxiety.

But this is ultimately not a long-term solution.

Relentless pursuit will only make reforms more difficult to achieve.

Of course, for Blatter, Platini, and others, there is no reason to surrender and lose half the battle.

Even if they surrender now, the evidence that should be handed over to the Swiss prosecutor's office will still be handed over.

After all, this is a case that has garnered worldwide attention. To raise it high and then let it go lightly is not Yang Cheng's style, nor is it a good thing for FIFA's reforms.

Within FIFA, Yang Cheng's intention was to impose a lifetime ban, effectively ending his career in football.

As for how the Swiss prosecutor's office will rule, Yang Cheng doesn't care; they can figure it out themselves.

For Yang Cheng, not taking further action to kick someone when they're down was already the greatest act of mercy.

Besides, it will be easier for him to explain to the fans later.

After all, FIFA's ruling was already the maximum allowed, and Yang Cheng and FIFA had no way to interfere with the Swiss prosecutor's office's decision.

……

"I have been deeply reflecting on my term as president."

"I love FIFA very much, and I only want to do what is in the best interests of FIFA and football."

"But my efforts were thwarted."

In front of numerous media outlets, Blatter explained his actions in a slightly choked voice.

He affirmed FIFA's current reforms.

But he said it was something he had always wanted to do but had never been able to.

He also agreed that FIFA's corruption had reached a point where it needed to be thoroughly reformed.

"Yes, I have been emphasizing that we should evolve, not reform."

"But as it turns out, I was wrong. We need a sweeping reform."

"I am delighted to see the tremendous changes that have taken place at FIFA recently."

"They changed the bylaws, changed the management structure, and will next impose age and term limits on officials."

"This is a good thing. I've always wanted to do this, but there's been too much resistance."

Blatter stated that the establishment of the supervisory board was a very bold change that has been recognized by media and fans worldwide, and is something he is happy to see.

“I used to work hard for these changes, but as everyone knows, I didn’t succeed.”

"Therefore, I have to choose to step down and end my term as FIFA president ahead of schedule."

Blatt said it was a very difficult decision, but he believed it was the right one.

"I discussed it with them and gave my suggestion: the regular FIFA Congress in Mexico City in May 2016 is too far away, and we should hold one temporarily in the middle of the year."

"Candidates interested in becoming FIFA president have about six months to prepare, and FIFA can take the opportunity to evaluate all the candidates."

“I heard that the supervisory board will, for the first time, propose to conduct integrity investigations on all candidates and establish integrity files for officials. I think this is a very good change.”

"I sincerely wish them success!"

Blatter stated that he has not yet spoken with Supervisory Board Chairman Yang Cheng, but that after his resignation, Yang Cheng will be responsible for overseeing the election of his successor.

"He has earned the trust of FIFA members and the world's media and fans, which is of paramount importance to FIFA at present. I believe he is capable of fulfilling his duties."

"This is also what prompted me to make this decision today."

Finally, Blatter stated that his era had ended, but football continued.

He hopes that football will always be won by the winners!
Following Blatter, Valcke, Platini, Infantino, and Villar, among others, successively announced their resignations.

The investigations of these five individuals by the Swiss prosecutor's office have damaged FIFA's reputation, leading to widespread calls for their resignations.

But they kept putting it off until today, and finally decided to resign.

The news immediately sparked widespread discussion among media and fans around the world.

This is FIFA's radical reform.

Especially Yang Cheng.

He kept updating the FIFA Supervisory Board's progress on Twitter and other online platforms.

In particular, the resumes and backgrounds of the nine members of the supervisory board have shown everyone the changes within FIFA.

Putting aside everything else, looking at the whole world, it would be difficult to assemble another board of supervisors with such outstanding strength and background, which gives everyone confidence in this reform.

At the same time, FIFA's Ethics Committee also made a series of rare rulings.

Although Blatter, Platini, Valcke, Infantino, and Villar all resigned voluntarily, they still received the punishment they deserved.

German Chief Justice Hans Joachim Ekert announced lifetime bans for the five individuals.

And it will be implemented immediately.

The charges against South Korean official Chung Mong-joon began in January 2015, and this time a verdict was handed down: a 10-year ban.

This is longer than Yang Cheng's previous life.

There's nothing we can do; this South Korean just happened to run into the crosshairs of the current anti-corruption campaign.

After everything had settled down, Yang Cheng convened the first meeting of the nine-member supervisory board in Switzerland.

The main discussion revolved around the division of labor and cooperation among the participants.

After all, players like Yang Cheng, Marie Odile Amori, and Charlie Schaaf are not full-time employees of FIFA.

The supervisory board is like an independent director; its only responsibility is to supervise.

Although the entire operating mechanism and architecture are not yet in place, for Yang Cheng and others, all that remains is to spend time gradually promoting and building them.

Therefore, after the nine-person meeting and the division of labor, Yang Cheng and the others left Zurich.

……

Yang Cheng has been busy with FIFA matters for some time now.

They neglected their own affairs.

For this spirit alone, FIFA should really award him a special president's award!

However, there is one more thing that must be mentioned here.

Because Blatter resigned and was banned for life, the awards that were originally presented by the president at the 2015 FIFA Awards Ceremony will be presented by Yang Cheng this time.

This gave him a real taste of being the FIFA president. Yang Cheng then called Gareth Bale, telling him to put in even more effort in the coming period.

"I'd love to present you with the award then!" Yang Cheng was genuinely looking forward to it.

Gareth Bell solemnly agreed over the phone.

As soon as Yang Cheng returned to London, before he could even get started on many things, Florentino flew over.

The two dined together at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, located at the north gate of Hyde Park in London.

Florentino, however, inquired about FIFA matters with concern.

It also subtly mentioned the board of supervisors.

Yang Cheng explained that the board of supervisors only has nine members, and there is a severe shortage of manpower.

In fact, Florentino was well aware that with Yang Cheng and Besworth, both Chinese players, in the game, Real Madrid had virtually no chance, so he wasn't too concerned about it.

However, Yang Cheng gave him another surprise.

"UEFA's Executive Committee will also undergo reforms. Club representatives will be selected from the European Club Association to join the Executive Committee. The initial plan is to select three people."

Florentino's eyes lit up.

He can't compete with Yang Cheng for a seat on FIFA's supervisory board, but Real Madrid is certainly qualified to take a seat on UEFA's executive committee, right?

Since we've mentioned UEFA, we can't avoid discussing the election issue following Platini's resignation.

Currently, both FIFA and UEFA are leaderless and need to hold elections.

Currently, it seems that UEFA will make the first choice, while FIFA will not be able to do so until February of next year at the earliest.

By then, the reform of FIFA should have already taken shape.

"Judging from the current situation, it is unlikely that a major country will be elected this time; it is more likely that someone from a smaller country will be elected."

Yang Cheng reminded him.

The current corruption problem is so serious that people in countries such as Spain, Germany, France, and Italy are more or less involved, which puts major countries at a natural disadvantage when participating in elections.

More importantly, smaller countries have more votes.

Britain is now fully committed to supporting David Gill's bid for FIFA presidency, so it is unlikely to participate in the UEFA presidency election.

After all, if a Briton were elected UEFA president, David Gill would not be able to become FIFA president.

But in any case, the power of both FIFA and UEFA is subject to constraints.

The fact that three club representatives were appointed to the UEFA Executive Committee is the best proof of this.

Furthermore, UEFA is also subject to the supervision and audit of FIFA's Supervisory Board.

After hearing Yang Cheng's words, Florentino roughly knew what he should do.

Of course, he was also well aware that if he and Real Madrid could get Yang Cheng's support, it would be much easier for them to get into the UEFA Executive Committee.

"By the way, what did you want to see me about?" Yang Cheng asked the Real Madrid president with a smile.

bother you for something.

He absolutely did not believe that Florentino would come to him for dinner for no reason.

As expected, Florentino didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

Real Madrid wants to buy Hazard!

"Why?" Yang Cheng was very surprised.

“Because you certainly won’t sell Gareth Bell,” Florentino said matter-of-factly.

Yang Cheng laughed angrily, "No, I mean, you already have Ronaldo and Di Maria, why do you still need to buy Hazard?"

Florentino was speechless when he heard the question.

"It's all that damn Manchester United's fault!"

This left Yang Cheng, who had been somewhat detached from football recently, completely bewildered.

It wasn't until Florentino explained it that I understood a little.

Isn't Real Madrid's Casillas already old?
Although they signed Navas from Nice in Ligue 1, the Costa Rican international was not a big name.

Given Florentino Pérez's personality, the most suitable goalkeeper for Real Madrid would definitely be De Gea, the Spanish national team goalkeeper.

Therefore, Real Madrid has been in talks with Manchester United about De Gea's transfer for the past two years.

Manchester United are ruthless.

They had previously made a bold statement, saying they would trade Ramos for De Gea.

Real Madrid definitely won't stand for that.

Who is Ramos?

Florentino Pérez signed a homegrown player, and after Casillas left, he naturally became Real Madrid's first choice for captain.

Sell ​​to Manchester United?

Are you out of your mind?
That's why they say Manchester United has learned its lesson.

Ramos isn't for sale, is that right?
Let's go with Cristiano Ronaldo!

Florentino almost stormed into London and killed Sanders.

But Ronaldo has also considered returning to Manchester United.

Moreover, the Portuguese man is already 30 years old.

From the perspective of someone who came after him, Yang Cheng certainly knew that the president could continue playing for many more years.

But in the present day, who knows?

It's a consensus that players start to decline after age 30.

This summer, Cristiano Ronaldo was first linked with Paris Saint-Germain, and then with Manchester United.

The Portuguese no longer have a tax advantage in Spain.

But after Messi and others went to the Premier League, their annual salaries increased so much. In addition, the Premier League is becoming more and more popular. Ronaldo must have thought about returning to Manchester United.

Through this back and forth, Real Madrid and Manchester United got together.

But Florentino is no pushover either. He first stabilized Manchester United while tentatively trying to poach Hazard from the Chinese at Baswater.

The Belgians' attitude was also quite ambiguous.

On the one hand, he played quite well for the Chinese player at Beswathe, but he was still inferior to Gareth Bale.

In addition, Walcott also posed a threat to him from time to time.

If he goes to Real Madrid and fills the void left by Ronaldo's departure, then he will undoubtedly be Real Madrid's star player.

Are the Chinese staying in Bethwater as Gareth Bell's second-in-command?
Or should he go to Real Madrid and become their star player?

This shouldn't be a difficult choice.

But the Chinese at Beswater disagreed.

Adam Crozier refused to sell Hazard.

Moreover, Yang Cheng did not say that no one could take Hazard away.

So, Florentino came knocking on his door.

Yang Cheng never expected that it would turn into a triangular deal.

"I need to discuss this with the technical team, so I can't give you an answer right now," Yang Cheng said frankly.

Florentino certainly understands.

"Then I'll wait for your call!"

……

After having dinner with Florentino, Yang Cheng didn't take a car but walked directly east along the north side of Hyde Park, and soon arrived at Grosvenor Place in the Soho district.

The most prominent office building here belongs to Yang Cheng.

Xia Qing went straight to the top-floor office; she had already notified the receptionist.

As soon as Yang Cheng arrived, he immediately went to the conference room for a meeting.

The first thing Yang Cheng asked about was Hazard's transfer.

"The players seem quite interested," Adam Crozier said.

Yang Cheng knew what was going on; it was pretty much what he had guessed.

"What did Flick and Brian Kidd say?"

“Of course, they’re not really keen,” Adam Klose chuckled. “But they all said that if the player really wants to leave, they’ll still have to ask for your opinion and it will be up to you.”

Yang Cheng nodded.

Actually, if Hazard transfers, it won't have a significant impact on the Chinese players at Baswater.

Gareth Bell, Walcott, and Sterling have all become combat-ready.

Currently, players like Sancho in the youth team are still too young.

But Felipe Anderson of Atlanta, and Mane and Salah of Nice are already very mature.

Therefore, Yang Cheng is not afraid of Hazard leaving.

How much did Manchester United pay for De Gea?

"£4000 million plus Navas."

"Holy crap, Florentino would actually agree to that?"

To everyone's surprise, Adam Crozier burst out laughing as soon as Yang Cheng said that.

"Real Madrid is even more ruthless; they're asking for £1.5 million for the 30-year-old Ronaldo."

Yang Cheng burst out laughing on the spot.

Indeed, this is a world of ruthless people!

"How much did he report to Hazard?"

£1 million.

Yang Cheng immediately started cursing, "Tell him to get out of here!"

That was a really good deal!

So, they're trying to trade a 30-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo for a top-class goalkeeper and a top-class winger?
Florentino's plan is quite shrewd.

"Real Madrid has been very active this summer, signing two Brazilian full-backs, Danilo and Alex Sandro, from Porto in one go, and now they are also eyeing Atalanta's Biglia and Nice's Kovacic."

Yang Cheng was somewhat puzzled. "Is Real Madrid that rich now?"

"It is said that the revenue exceeded 6 million euros last season."

Yang Cheng nodded.

The highest earners are still the Chinese at Baswater, and by a wide margin.

Real Madrid is in second place.

The Chinese in Baswater are now brimming with talent.

But as Yang Cheng had previously stated, the main lineup is actually not a big problem.

The real fear is that other teams might use this "Tian Ji horse racing" strategy to poach players.

"Then you should talk to Real Madrid. If a 30-year-old Ronaldo can be sold for £1.5 million, then a 24-year-old Hazard can't possibly be cheaper than Ronaldo. What do you think?"

Adam Crozier nodded on the spot.

……

During Yang Cheng's time in Switzerland, overseeing FIFA affairs, many things happened in European football.

For example, former Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp took charge of Liverpool.

Unlucky Ronald Koeman lost to Klopp in the race for the Liverpool managerial position.

The boxer, just like Yang Cheng in his previous life, took over Anfield Stadium.

However, thanks to his outstanding performance at Nice, Ronald Koeman successfully "defeated" Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino and became the manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

This is completely different from Yang Cheng's previous life.

From Nice in the Champions League semi-finals to managing Tottenham Hotspur, who were unable to play in the Champions League, Ronald Koeman admitted that he was convinced by Tottenham's ambitious goals.

He hopes to lead Tottenham to better results in the Premier League.

Ideally, we should make it into the top four!

After Ronald Koeman took over, the first player he poached was Nice winger Sadio Mane.

As a result, Mane also faced competition from Liverpool and Chelsea.

This African player performed exceptionally well in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League last season.

Liverpool hope that Mane's arrival will boost the team's attacking prowess.

Especially when he's paired with Suarez.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Klopp's chosen wingers are Mane and Salah.

In the battle for Mane's signature, the player's value has been soaring.

Nice, in particular, is stubbornly sticking to its price target.

After Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea withdrew from the race, Liverpool raised their offer to £6000 million, which finally convinced Nice.

At the same time that Nice announced Mane's £6000 million transfer to Liverpool, the Chinese at Basworth Land also announced the signing of Salah from Nice.

The specific transfer fee was not disclosed.

However, media reports suggest that Salah's transfer fee will be even higher than Mane's.

After missing out on Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, Tottenham Hotspur announced the signing of South Korean player Son Heung-min from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen for £3000 million.

This was at least some consolation for Ronald Koeman.

After missing out on Mane, Chelsea signed Pedro from Barcelona for £2500 million.

While signing Pedro, Mourinho's team also set their sights on Nice's center-back Koulibaly.

This Senegalese-French dual national center-back performed exceptionally well in last season's Champions League.

Mourinho really likes this young center-back who is physically strong, has excellent positional awareness, and is also very good at passing the ball.

However, Chelsea suffered repeated setbacks in their negotiations with Nice.

Especially after Liverpool and Bayern Munich joined the race to sign Koulibaly, the center-back's value immediately skyrocketed.

Ultimately, after a fierce competition among three of Europe's top clubs, Koulibaly joined Liverpool in the English Premier League from Nice for a record-breaking £5000 million.

For the past few years, the Red Army has suffered greatly from its defensive line.

Besides Koulibaly, Klopp also hopes to sign one of his former favorites from Dortmund, either Hummels or Subotic, to rebuild Liverpool's defense.

On the attacking front, Firmino transferred from Hoffenheim to Liverpool for a hefty £3000 million.

However, at the same time, Balotelli was loaned to AC Milan.

Players such as Borini and Lambert have also left the team one after another.

Klopp is determined to overhaul Liverpool.

With the arrival of players like Mane, Koulibaly, and Firmino, everyone believes that Liverpool will be completely transformed for the new season.

In addition, Liverpool signed defender Clyne from Southampton for a transfer fee of £1500 million.

In addition to selling Clyne, Southampton also sold French midfielder Schneiderlin to Manchester United for a transfer fee of £3000 million.

However, Southampton has been slow to make any moves in terms of player recruitment.

In the City of London, news gradually spread that Saints was looking for international buyers.

The Liebherr family, behind Southampton, intends to sell its stake in the company.

Everyone knows that this is actually a very obvious signal that they are about to leave the stage.

For Southampton, who have performed well in recent years, it doesn't matter what their final ranking is, as long as they can avoid relegation in the Premier League.

The Liebherr family is no longer willing to invest any more time and energy in Southampton.

In fact, as early as 2014, there were rumors that Southampton would be sold and that the city had been looking for an international buyer.

With the club lacking ambition and the team continuously selling key players, Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino finally chose to leave in despair.

Yang Cheng's arrival led to Southampton's development being far inferior to that of his previous life, and Pochettino's coaching performance was also affected, preventing him from coaching Tottenham Hotspur as Yang Cheng had in his previous life.

His decision to leave Southampton was precisely because he received an offer from Ligue 1.

Nice has invited Pochettino to coach in Ligue 1.

Choosing between leading Southampton to safety from relegation and leading Nice to the Champions League is a decision Pochettino should find easy to make.

Moreover, Yang Cheng even called him personally.

The Argentinian has chosen to coach Nice.

But on the same day he chose to coach Nice, the Ligue 1 team announced that it had sold its young striker Martial to Manchester United for a transfer fee of £60 million, plus add-ons that could bring the price up to a record £70 million.

Meanwhile, Chelsea signed French midfielder N'Golo Kanté for a record £5000 million.

Real Madrid announced the signing of Kovacic from Nice for a record £5000 million.

The media and fans around the world were completely shocked.

6000万英镑的马内、6000万英镑的马夏尔、5000万英镑的坎特、5000万英镑的科瓦契奇、再加上一个5000万英镑的库利巴利。

Five players were sold for a total of £270 million.

Everyone was completely shocked!

On the one hand, the transfer fees of players in European football are rising steadily and getting higher and higher.

The purchasing power, especially from Premier League teams, is simply astonishing.

On the other hand, isn't this Nice shady shop just too outrageous?
The company earned £2.7 million in one summer.

This doesn't even include Salah.

Totally crazy!

But the entire French Ligue 1 is also clearly aware that the teams that reached the Champions League semi-finals last season have been completely taken over by Premier League teams overnight.

Even Paris Saint-Germain, a fellow countryman, didn't have a chance to get a share of the pie.

All the players have been poached by the four major leagues.

And what about Nice?

French Ligue 1 teams haven't made many moves.

With the departure of the attacking trio of Mane, Salah, and Martial, the team still has Choupo-Moting, Thauvin, and Ousmane Dembélé, while also promoting young player Mbappé from the youth team.

Nice then signed young player Marcus Thuram from Ligue 2 side Sochaux.

Signed 16-year-old Muani from youth academy club Torsi.

Cerro Guirassy, ​​a 19-year-old center forward with dual French and Guinean citizenship, was signed from Ligue 2 side Laval for a transfer fee of €500,000.

At the same time, Nice also poached 12-year-old Camavinga from Rennes' youth academy.

They signed 15-year-old Joan Améni from the Bordeaux youth academy.

After suffering a major setback, Nice has returned to its focus on developing young players.

It was at this moment that The Sun suddenly broke a bombshell.

A stunning triangular deal involving Chinese players from Basworth, Manchester United, and Real Madrid has been completed, shocking the world of football.

Manchester United have announced the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Keylor Navas from Real Madrid for £1 million plus a transfer fee of David de Gea.

This deal caused a major upheaval among media and fans worldwide.

Spanish media, in particular, are filled with lamentations.

With Messi's departure, Ronaldo has now returned to the Premier League.

The 30-year-old Portuguese player is undoubtedly still in his prime and in excellent condition.

The new Premier League season will undoubtedly be even more star-studded, especially the Manchester derby between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, which will be a very attractive derby match.

After parting ways with Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid announced the signing of Eden Hazard from the Chinese side of Baswater for £1.5 million.

This once again shocked the world.

It was only at this moment that everyone suddenly realized why the Chinese from Beswain had signed Salah from Nice.

It turns out it was to let Hazard go.

These two record-breaking transfer fees have completely ignited the summer transfer market!

At the same time, other teams, including Manchester City, have also set their sights on poaching the Chinese from Besworth.

(End of this chapter)