I build a giant in the Premier League

Chapter 342 Pogba II! A Match-for-Match Retaliation! Recruiting! The Future Leader of Football! [Please Subscribe]

Over the past few years, the Chinese youth training program at Beswater has become increasingly strong.

With one Brent training center and 10 satellite training centers, the talent pool covers London and surrounding cities.

With such a vast pool of talent to choose from, the level of youth training at Baswater Chinese is also getting higher and higher.

This not only left Premier League teams feeling hopeless, but also made it difficult for the entire European football scene to match.

But another route soon emerged.

That's poaching.

This is somewhat similar to how top clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal were eyeing Barcelona's La Masia club to poach players back in the day.

Nowadays, many top European clubs are eyeing the youth academy of Chinese players at Basworth Field and trying to poach their players.

As soon as a younger player emerges, they are immediately targeted by them.

After that, they resorted to any means necessary.

Whether they reasoned with them, appealed to their emotions, or tempted them with benefits, in short, they tried every means to poach people from the Chinese at Bethwater.

The Chinese at Besworth don't really have a good solution to this.

Or rather, there's no need to deliberately stop it.

Just like Patrick Roberts.

The 18-year-old player has officially submitted a transfer application.

He hopes the club will allow him to transfer away.

He wants to go to Manchester City and play under Guardiola.

This young player has also attracted interest from numerous top clubs, including Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool.

The Chinese technical team at Baswater also had high hopes for this young player, so they had previously suggested that Yang Cheng promote him to the first team, which Yang Cheng did, and gave him many opportunities.

But everyone has different ideas.

Just like Solank, he chose to stay.

Patrick Roberts wanted to go to another team and take on a new challenge.

The Chinese at Besworth really had no good solutions to this decision.

That's all the players in the first team.

Given the current status of Chinese players in European football, even if Hazard leaves, can Yang Cheng confidently let Patrick Roberts take on a heavier responsibility?
Whether for the sake of maintaining stability or for long-term interests, Yang Cheng is inclined to sign Salah.

In this way, Gareth Bale, Walcott, Salah, and Sterling, four excellent wingers, can fully handle multiple competitions throughout the season.

Even if injuries occur, they won't have too much of an impact.

But if Salah were replaced by Patrick Roberts, there would definitely be hidden dangers.

Of course, the best option would be for all four wingers and Patrick Roberts to stay with the team.

At 18 years old, unless he's a genius, he can't get more playing time at a top club like Basworth Chinese.

There have long been rumors that Patrick Roberts is no less skilled than Sterling.

But Yang Cheng and the club themselves are well aware that he is far inferior to Sterling.

However, the players themselves don't see it that way.

Therefore, after two years of pursuit by Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal, Patrick Roberts chose to submit a written transfer request, especially after seeing the club sell Hazard and sign Salah.

He wants to go to Manchester City!

Clearly, he has already reached an agreement with Manchester City in private.

Manchester City also showed their sincerity, willing to pay a transfer fee of £2000 million for Patrick Roberts.

They genuinely believe that Patrick Roberts can become the next Sterling.

what is this concept?

This transfer immediately sparked heated discussions among British media and fans.

He's second only to Wayne Rooney back in the day!
In 2004, Rooney transferred from Everton to Manchester United for £3070 million.

This has always been the Premier League transfer fee record for players under 18, and it has not been broken to this day.

Patrick Roberts is the second most valuable player after Wayne Rooney!
Of course, if Yang Cheng had chosen to sell Harry Kane or Sterling back then, the transfer fee would definitely have been more than that, and might even have exceeded that of Rooney.

But now, Patrick Roberts is being praised by the entire British media and fans.

Everyone thought he would become the next Sterling.

Signing a near-Sterling for £2000 million is an absolute steal!
Even after Patrick Roberts' transfer to Manchester City, many Premier League giants have not stopped poaching him.

They stared at the Chinese youth training camp at Bethwater like hungry wolves, their eyes gleaming with desire.

The next target is Nketiah.

This 16-year-old has not yet signed a professional contract with the Chinese team at Besworth, but he has already made a name for himself in the youth team and has been selected for the England national team.

With Ghanaian heritage, Nketiah is very fast and has a smart positioning. He has scored many goals in the youth team and is the most watched rising star in the national team, naturally attracting the attention of many top clubs.

But for the Chinese at Bethwater, his situation was actually quite awkward.

There was a local center, Harry Kane, who was only 22 years old and whose name was written into the team song by Yang Cheng.

He scored 31 Premier League goals last season, truly making a name for himself!
Needless to say, Giroud is another story.

After the two star centers, there is also a hard-working 17-year-old Solanke.

It's worth noting that Solanke's goal tally for both the youth team and the national team is record-breaking.

In this situation, Nketia saw absolutely no hope of a breakthrough.

Therefore, even though he was not old enough and had not signed a professional contract, many wealthy clubs came knocking on his door.

Whatever promises are made here, that's the kind of treatment they'll receive there...

The final result was that Liverpool brought this young talent to the north with even more lucrative terms.

They left the Chinese at Bethwaite with only a paltry sum of compensation for their youth training.

Of course, if Nketiah transfers in the future, the Chinese players at Baswater will be able to get a considerable amount of money.

But this poaching behavior escalated to the point that Yang Cheng couldn't stand it anymore.

"We must punish them, otherwise they'll really think we're pushovers!"

Yang Cheng acted decisively and immediately filed a lawsuit against Liverpool with the English Football Association.

But everyone knows the FA's nature; they will definitely prioritize reconciliation.

It would be beneath Yang Cheng to handle such a trivial matter; that would be beneath his dignity!

Therefore, Yang Cheng instructed Dan Ashworth and Mike Riggs to take action immediately.

They poached Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is also 16 years old and has not yet signed a professional contract, from Liverpool's youth academy.

What is this called?
This is called reciprocal retaliation!
You take one from me, and I'll give you one back.

Whatever compensation you give me, I'll give you back the same amount.

Fair enough, right?

To be honest, Liverpool really couldn't say anything!
But given Yang Cheng's approach, he either doesn't do it at all, or if he does, he certainly won't stop at just this step.

As a result, the Chinese in Baswater made their moves one after another.

They signed 15-year-old Phil Foden and 13-year-old Cole Palmer from Manchester City's youth academy.

Moreover, the Chinese from Besworth have also set their sights on established young talents from other youth academies of clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur, showing an ambition to sweep up all the established young talents.

Who is the Chinese person in Baswater?

The dominant team with five consecutive Premier League titles and four consecutive Champions League titles!

A top club that players all over the world dream of joining.

Teams like these can poach players almost instantly if they put in the effort and make some promises.

This immediately startled the entire English football world.

Major football clubs have filed complaints and protests.

The English Football Association really couldn't sit still any longer.

Immediately summon the Chinese representatives from Besworth, as well as the football managers from Premier League teams such as Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea, to London for a meeting at the Royal Lancaster Hotel.

The general idea is: Don't go too far!

Is it really meaningful for them to keep digging at each other like this, making a mess of things?

This matter ends here!

Let bygones be bygones, but from now on, we must unite against external threats and stop poaching talent from within England.

Everyone signed a no-poaching agreement!
If you want to dig, that's fine, but it will require official intervention and proper negotiations!

Dan Ashworth, the Chinese representative at Bethwater, was the first to sign.

Regardless of what the other teams think, they have no choice but to sign.

Manchester City was the most aggrieved and immediately asked, "How do you account for the fact that the Chinese poached two of the most promising youth academy talents, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, from Nasswater?"
FA chairman Greg Dyke chimed in, "I've already said, what's past is past, and you're still trying to poach Patrick Roberts."

“We paid them, £2000 million, but they…they didn’t pay!”

Greg Decker was also taken aback.

How can this debt be clearly calculated?

"You two should resolve this privately."

Manchester City almost broke down in tears on the spot!

It's all Liverpool's fault!

Breaking the rules!

Liverpool, on the other hand, chuckled to themselves: Manchester City are idiots, spending £2000 million to poach Patrick Roberts and even giving away Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.

No, I need to write down these two boys' names; they might come in handy later.

Unlike us, although we lost a defender, we acquired a more valuable striker.

That was a really smart deal!
I can't help but want to give myself a thumbs up!

The Chinese attitude towards Besworth is very clear.

Dan Ashworth received instructions from Yang Cheng: the money can be given, but the person will never be returned!

Players who have entered my gates, do you still want to go back?
Absolutely gorgeous!

The final outcome of the negotiations was that the Chinese from Besworth paid Manchester City a sum of compensation for their youth training.

Not much, only a few hundred thousand pounds in total.

Because both of these players are very young.

Upon receiving the news, Yang Cheng immediately waved his hand.

After joining the team, Arnold immediately began training with the first team.

At the same time, Declan Rice and Reece James were promoted from the youth team to the first team.

……

After dealing with matters in London, Yang Cheng, accompanied by Xia Qing, Adam Crozier, and others, flew directly to São Paulo, Brazil.

In just six months, the efficiency of Yang Cheng's team was evident.

In the city center, after Allianz Park was reclaimed, a complete renovation began, expanding its commercial space.

Although a considerable amount of money has been invested, it will greatly boost future income.

Mauricio Garriott told Yang Cheng that many interested partners have already inquired.

He was full of confidence in the revenue target he had set.

The first team training ground near Allianz Park Stadium is also under renovation.

Not only do we need to build a brand new training building, but we also need to renovate all the hardware facilities and introduce various advanced instruments and equipment.

In short, Palmeiras aims to fully compete with the Chinese at Beswater.

Meanwhile, the transformation of youth training facilities has also been put on the agenda north of the Tiete Ecological Park.

The land purchase, approval, and planning processes have all been completed.

We're just waiting for the design company to produce the architectural drawings, and for the bidding process to select a construction company.

The entire Palmeiras area has been completely transformed.

In just six months, Yang Cheng's team made the entire Brazilian football scene, and even the entire South American football world, feel what Chinese speed is all about!

On the pitch, Palmeiras' performance has also improved significantly.

This Brazilian team is determined to uphold Yang Cheng's previous promise and will never delay paying salaries and bonuses.

However, the entire team is mainly composed of young players.

After arriving in Brazil with his Dutch coaching staff, Ten Hag will definitely need some time to adapt.

But the benefits are also obvious.

He not only managed the first team, but also carried out a comprehensive overhaul of Palmeiras' youth training system, bringing in many high-level youth coaches from Europe.

This gave Ten Hag a distinct sense of exhilaration, a feeling he could never have experienced in Europe before, of having absolute power.

According to Brazil's schedule, the state leagues will be played first, followed by the national league.

The São Paulo state championship has already been completed.

The tournament consists of 20 teams that play 15 rounds, with the top 8 teams advancing to the championship play-offs.

The bottom four teams were relegated.

Palmeiras actually played terribly at the start of the tournament.

Despite Palmeiras' poor performance in the Brazilian Serie A last season, they would definitely be a strong team in São Paulo.

However, they were hit with a three-game losing streak right from the start, putting them at the bottom of the standings.

If it were that they faced two relatively strong teams in the first three rounds, Ponte Preta and Corinthians, and lost 0-1 at home in both matches, it would be somewhat understandable.

But what about your 0-2 away loss to Red Bull Bragantino's reserve team?

Red Bull Bragantino is a team in the Brazilian Serie B. They fielded their second team, and you still lost 0-2?

Isn't this incredibly embarrassing?
Perhaps those of you who provide our food and clothing have some doubts.

Wait a minute, why would a Brazilian Serie B team use their reserve team to play in the state league? And what's with Red Bull?

To clarify, although Red Bull Bragantino is now called Red Bull, it is only a title sponsor and has not been acquired.

Currently, Palmeiras is the only Brazilian club in the league that has been acquired by foreign capital.

In Yang Cheng's previous life, Red Bull did not acquire Bragantino until 2020.

Therefore, it is currently just a naming rights sponsorship, without any shares.

Why use the second team to play?
Because their first team also plays in the state league.

The most outrageous thing is that after all 15 rounds of matches, Bragantino's first team was ranked 19th and relegated.

What about the second team?
They finished sixth and qualified for the championship playoffs.

In the fourth round, Bragantino's first team lost 2-3 to the reserve team at home.

Such bizarre things can only be seen in the chaotic Brazilian league.

As for Ten Hag, after three consecutive losses at the start of the season, especially the loss to Bragantino II, he did indeed face a crisis of confidence.

Many people think that this European coach is not good enough.

They were unfamiliar with the Brazilian football environment, the Brazilian players, and their opponents.

They couldn't even speak the language and had to rely on a translator.

Isn't this just plain ridiculous?

At the time, many people suggested that we should change the coach as soon as possible, since it was still not too late.

However, Yang Cheng and his team have one advantage: they don't just look at results or judge things solely by outcomes.

After analysis, the technical team concluded that the team's performance was improving with each game.

The players' feedback has been very positive.

These young players are like blank slates, with a strong ability to adapt to new tactics.

Therefore, Palmeiras' management withstood the pressure and supported Ten Hag to continue coaching.

从第4轮主场3比0击败里奥克拉罗开始，包括第9轮客场2比1逆转桑托斯，第12轮主场3比0大破圣保罗。

Palmeiras secured their ninth consecutive victory.

From a three-game losing streak to a nine-game winning streak, Ten Hag's team has been on a rollercoaster ride.

In the end, Ten Hag's team finished with 10 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses in 15 games, earning 31 points and ranking 4th in the state league, thus qualifying for the championship playoffs.

After entering the playoffs, Ten Hag's team still performed well.

They first defeated Botafogo 1-0, then drew 2-2 with Corinthians away in the semi-finals, and defeated their opponents in the penalty shootout to advance to the final.

In the two-legged final, Palmeiras first defeated Santos 1-0 at home, and then drew 2-2 with Santos away.

They ultimately defeated Santos 3-2 on aggregate to win the São Paulo State League championship!

Although the process was a bit thrilling, at least it's a championship trophy.

Ten Hag's journey was initially arduous but ultimately rewarding. He gained recognition and began to establish himself at Palmeiras, earning the approval of everyone, and at the very least, his coaching ability was quite good.

Most importantly, Palmeiras' matches are really entertaining to watch.

After finishing the São Paulo State League, they immediately moved on to the Brazilian Serie A.

Ten Hag's team has achieved an impressive record of 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss in the first 8 rounds, scoring 19 points and currently ranking first in the Brazilian Serie A standings.

其中就包括主场2比2战平米内罗竞技、客场2比0击败了同城球队科林蒂安，和主场2比1击败了弗卢米嫩塞等精彩的胜利。

However, in the 8th round, Ten Hag's team lost 0-1 to Gremio away from home.

The goal for Grêmio was scored by Uruguayan striker Bryan Rodriguez, who is on loan from Real Betis in La Liga this season.

When Yang Cheng arrived in São Paulo, he was just in time to watch the 9th round of the city derby.

Palmeiras will host São Paulo, who boast Pato, Fabiano and Ganso.

Judging from the various signs before the match, many people were still quite optimistic about São Paulo.

They have a strong enough presence and are quite powerful.

Palmeiras has more young players.

Even those who favor Palmeiras generally believe that the two teams are evenly matched.

But no one expected that São Paulo's defense would only last 30 minutes at Allianz Park.

For the first 30 minutes, Palmeiras adopted a high-pressure tactic, exerting strong pressure on São Paulo in the midfield and attacking third.

In the 32nd minute, Jesus broke through Sao Paulo's goal.

Just before the end of the first half, center-back Bremer scored again from a corner kick, breaking through São Paulo's goal.

After the break in the second half, Gerson scored first, followed by Richarlison adding another goal.

After just 72 minutes, Palmeiras utterly crushed São Paulo like a whirlwind.

Pato had a lackluster performance throughout the match and was substituted by his teammate Ribeiro in the 75th minute.

After that, no one was able to score again.

Palmeiras ultimately thrashed São Paulo 4-0 at home!
After the match, Yang Cheng went into Palmeiras' locker room to meet with the young players.

Yang Cheng gave them very high praise for their outstanding performance.

"I even doubted that I was watching a match from a top European league!"

When speaking to the players, Yang Cheng fully affirmed Ten Hag's coaching and the team's tactical style, which is completely different from other Brazilian teams.

It is more cohesive and more aggressive, while retaining the skillful and fluid teamwork of Brazilians.

"I believe that all of you here will definitely go to the top leagues in Europe in the future."

Yang Cheng's words were accepted by everyone present.

Playing football in Brazil involves many matches and heavy workloads, but the salary and benefits are terrible.

Palmeiras is relatively good; at least they don't delay paying salaries and bonuses. With other teams, they play matches but don't pay, making it difficult to support a family.

"Palmeiras is providing you with such a window, a stepping stone!"

Yang Cheng smiled as he spoke about Gerson, one of the goalscorers.

“Recently, many people have been asking me about you, including Barcelona and Juventus. Luis Enrique and the Barcelona team are very optimistic about you, and it seems they have been in contact with you before?”

Yang Cheng asked him directly, and the young 18-year-old midfielder nodded without hesitation.

This isn't really a secret.

"To be honest, both Juventus and Barcelona have offered very high prices."

Yang Cheng spoke casually, as if chatting with a friend, about a serious transfer that could determine a player's entire future.

“If our club sells you and takes that money, we can buy any midfielder we want in Brazil, and not just one, we estimate we can buy several.”

Juventus offered €1800 million.

Barcelona offered a transfer fee of 2000 million euros.

why?
Because Gerson performed exceptionally well in the São Paulo State League.

With the help of Palmeiras as a platform, coupled with the club's promotional efforts, and especially with Gerson as the captain of the Brazilian U20 national team, his market value skyrocketed.

The media described Gerson as being very similar to Pogba.

This one point alone is enough to make Gerson extremely famous.

“But you know, I told our club officials that I advised them to refuse.”

Yang Cheng's words surprised everyone in the locker room.

“I don’t want to stop you from playing in Europe, nor do I want to force you to stay and continue playing for Palmeiras. I can say this very frankly: if we accept their offer, we can buy a lot of people with that money.”

"But why shouldn't I agree?"

Yang Cheng took out an analysis report from the technical team and handed it directly to Gersson.

"Take a look, this is your assessment report. You played well in Brazil, but if you go to Europe, your physical strength is too poor, and you simply cannot adapt."

"You can ask those players who have played in European leagues, such as Pato and Fabiano in the next locker room, and ask them how intense the competition is in the top European leagues."

"If your physical strength is not good, no matter how good your technique or how outstanding your awareness is, it's all in vain, and you simply cannot adapt."

"At your current age, you can't adapt to the pace and intensity of top European leagues. If you go, you'll likely only play a few games, then perform poorly, and then sit on the bench from now on."

"Maybe a year, or even six months, you'll be loaned back, but by then, your confidence and ambition will be completely different from what they are now, and you'll become a failure!"

Yang Cheng's words were his most genuine opinion, which is why he spoke with such certainty.

The players aren't stupid; they can tell the difference between perfunctory responses and genuine sincerity.

At the very least, Yang Cheng had no reason to lie to them.

Given the way other Brazilian teams operate, they would be eager for the players to leave as soon as they get this money.

"One of the most important reasons I decided to buy Palmeiras is that I don't want to see so many talented young Brazilians going to Europe every year, only to fail to make it big for various reasons."

"So at Palmeiras, you'll have to work harder than at other clubs. You'll need to be fluent in English and several other foreign languages, and you'll need to follow some of the most basic rules of top European league clubs."

"You need to go to those dreaded gyms and work on your physical training, just like professional footballers in Europe."

"We have to attend two or three tactical classes every week that seem boring and have no practical use."

"But please believe me, once you get to Europe, you will find that all of this is to help you establish yourself in the top European leagues!"

Yang Cheng's words were unanimously affirmed by all the players present.

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the locker room.

Afterwards, Yang Cheng also specially gave Gersson a USB flash drive as a gift.

“They all say you look a lot like Paul Pogba.”

Yang Cheng smiled at Gerson, "Paul is the Chinese player I brought to Baswater, and he's also a player I nurtured. Even now, he still maintains close contact with me."

"If you're 18, then look at Paul Pogba at 18, and you'll see where the difference lies."

After saying that, Yang Cheng patted Gersson on the shoulder encouragingly.

Afterwards, he met with Jesus, Neres, Richarlison, and others one by one.

These are all talented young people, and they all performed quite well.

He did not give away USB drives to other people.

But once Palmeiras' training facility is renovated and fully integrated with teams like Beswater, Nice, Atalanta, Twente, and Malaga, Palmeiras' technical team will be able to access these videos and materials at any time.

By then, Palmeiras' young players will know the gap between themselves and others.

These aren't match footage, but rather very detailed data on training and player physical attributes.

Yang Cheng's speech at Palmeiras sparked a strong reaction within the Brazilian team.

From players to coaching staff to employees, almost everyone gave very positive feedback.

Especially the young players in the team.

They were indeed eager to make money, but firstly, Palmeiras offered decent salaries and benefits, and never delayed payments.

Secondly, Yang Cheng is right.

Rushing to Europe to play football, not adapting, and suffering a crushing defeat could ruin one's life.

Is this really what they want?

Instead of doing that, wouldn't it be better to prepare for a year or two in Palmeiras, and wait until you are more mature and stronger before moving on to Europe?
You won't earn less money, will you?

To paraphrase Ten Hag, Yang Cheng's words were more effective than any amount of talking he could get from the coaching staff.

At least these young players no longer resist the gym or tactical lessons.

Yang Cheng spoke highly of Ten Hach's coaching performance and encouraged him to continue his efforts.

"Once you bring this Palmeiras out, I promise I'll grant your wish!"

Given Yang Cheng's current status and position, as long as Ten Hag achieves good results, recommending him to coach in one of Europe's top five leagues would be an easy task.

Although Ten Hach knew perfectly well that it was all just empty promises, he still enjoyed it immensely.

They even worked with more enthusiasm.

……

Upon returning to Europe from Brazil, Yang Cheng's first stop was Malaga, Spain.

After taking over the entire plan of Middle Eastern tycoon Al Thani, the Yang Group began launching real estate projects in the cities of Malaga and Marbella.

Yang Cheng also made a special trip to Marbella this time.

After the expansion, the yacht marina will be transformed into a high-end tourism and consumer commercial complex.

The Yang Group has a very high opinion of this project and high expectations for it.

Although the benefits of such projects may not be immediately apparent, once they are successfully managed, the long-term income can be substantial.

This plot of land in Malaga is also a commercial project themed around tourism and vacation, but construction has not yet started.

On the contrary, the land to the north of the site has been acquired, and the training base in Malaga has begun construction.

In particular, Malaga, under Pellegrini's leadership, returned to La Liga after a year's absence.

Although he only spent one season in the Spanish Second Division, for the local fans in Malaga, it really felt like they had walked through the gates of hell, and their mindset was completely different from before.

Looking back at the past season, although the team mainly consisted of young players, players such as center forward Santa Cruz, local winger Juanmi, Venezuelan midfielder Juanpi, and former Real Madrid player Miguel Torres all performed well.

But after helping Malaga return to La Liga, the 34-year-old Santa Cruz has completed his mission.

After negotiations with the club, he ultimately left Malaga as a free agent.

As the team's top scorer, Juanmi, a 22-year-old local talent, scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists in the Spanish Second Division last season, earning widespread recognition for his performance.

Premier League side Southampton have signed the homegrown winger for a transfer fee of €1000 million.

Both Malaga and Pellegrini actually wanted to keep Juanmi.

His performance was indeed quite good.

Unfortunately, Southampton offered higher salaries and a broader stage, so Juanmi chose to go to the Premier League.

As the midfield linchpin last season, Juanpi has attracted the attention of many La Liga teams.

Especially Real Betis, a newly promoted La Liga team also located in Andalusia.

Speaking of Real Betis, they're a terrible team.

In the summer of 2014, Real Betis and Malaga were both relegated from La Liga.

At the time, Real Betis even took advantage of Malaga's bankruptcy to poach players from Malaga.

Even with players like Portillo being poached, the €100 million transfer fee is still owed.

They want to sign Juanpi again.

Venezuelan players aren't valued highly, at only 300 million euros.

But unfortunately, Real Betis has no integrity.

Since returning to La Liga, Real Betis have been very active.

Signing Joaquín and Juan Vargas from Fiorentina, and Van der Vaart and Westermann from Hamburg...

Real Betis itself isn't particularly wealthy, so many players are signed on free transfers.

The annual salary is not low.

This undoubtedly increases the operational pressure on Real Betis.

In this situation, Yang Cheng sent Malaga's general manager, Alfonso Diaz, to negotiate with Real Betis.

Want Juanpi?
Sure, they'll give us 400 million euros right away!
No money?

No problem, we can trade players for it.

And so, Ceballos arrived in Malaga for 400 million euros.

In last season's Segunda División, Ceballos made 33 appearances, contributing 5 goals and 5 assists.

Juanpi made 29 appearances, contributing 6 goals and 5 assists, and his overall performance was better than Ceballos'.

However, Ceballos is a local player and is only 18 years old.

Juanpi is 21 years old.

Although Venezuela's midfield is more mature, Pellegrini admires Ceballos more.

After selling two key players, Juanmi and Juanpi, and also letting go of center forward Santa Cruz, Malaga, which was promoted to La Liga, has begun to recruit new players.

However, this team still adheres to a thrifty strategy and does not make big signings like Real Betis, which is also a newly promoted team. Instead, it focuses on low cost.

With the arrival of Brazilian center-back Gabriel, Malaga's defense is currently largely sound.

But there are big problems in the midfield and attacking third.

After signing Ceballos, Malaga, on Yang Cheng's advice, signed Luis Alberto from Liverpool for a transfer fee of 200 million euros.

This Spanish midfielder performed exceptionally well for Sevilla and Barcelona II, but has struggled to get playing time since transferring to Liverpool.

He was loaned back to La Liga last season, but his performance was also poor.

His current market value has fallen from a peak of 800 million euros to 250 million euros.

Therefore, Malaga easily signed Luis Alberto for 200 million euros.

In Yang Cheng's previous life, this player was originally loaned back to Deportivo La Coruña in the 15/16 season, where his form improved, and he later transferred to Lazio in Serie A, where he reached the peak of his career.

His ability is not in question; he just doesn't fit into the Premier League.

At 22 years old, he still has many more possibilities ahead of him.

In terms of attack, after Santa Cruz left the team, Malaga still has Lautaro Martinez, but the Argentine striker, who will not turn 18 until August, will certainly not meet the team's requirements for playing in La Liga.

Therefore, the team signed local striker Gerard Moreno from Villarreal for 300 million euros.

This homegrown striker has never been a regular starter for Villarreal, but he was very effective in La Liga and the Europa League last season.

His shooting accuracy is over 50%, and in the Europa League, it even reached 58%.

They scored a goal on average every three shots, which was an outstanding performance.

Moreover, he only had one year left on his contract with Villarreal, so Malaga signed him for 3 million euros.

In addition, Malaga signed 18-year-old Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur from Argentine club Boca Juniors for €200 million.

Signed 20-year-old Belgian winger Trossard from Genk for €50.

In addition, Malaga also signed Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech from Dutch Eredivisie side Twente.

However, the specific transfer fee for this subsequent transfer was not disclosed to the public.

Ziyech had an outstanding season in the Eredivisie, making 31 appearances and contributing 11 goals and 16 assists.

Currently, the transfer market valuation exceeds ten million.

In addition, after a year of hard work, especially after seeing Malaga return to La Liga, Pedri from the Canary Islands finally agreed to join Malaga's youth academy.

Unfortunately, when Yang Cheng arrived in Malaga, Pedri had not yet reported for duty, so they were unable to meet.

However, during his meeting with Pellegrini, the Chilean engineer expressed great satisfaction with the team's current transfer activity, especially the players they had signed.

He believes that with the team's current level, staying in the league shouldn't be too much of a problem.

This is also Yang Cheng's requirement for Malaga in the new season.

They can't possibly climb out of the Segunda División with great difficulty only to be relegated back. Wouldn't that be like a jerk?

……

With things settled in Malaga, Yang Cheng set off for Nice, France.

Compared to Malaga, Nice's problem is actually simpler.

Having operated for many years, it has a well-developed talent pool.

The only problem is that the defense is relatively weak.

With Koulibaly gone, the only center-backs left are José Fonte and Umtiti.

Konaté, Upamecano, and Saliba are all in the youth team, but they are all very young.

The oldest, Upamecano, is only 16 years old. Is he even capable of playing?

Therefore, Yang Cheng had previously arranged for Nice to sign 20-year-old Akanji from Winterthur, Switzerland, for 70 euros.

In this way, although Nice suffered heavy losses this summer, their player lineup is still quite good.

With two more years of proper training, he'll be a hero again!
……

In contrast to Nice, Atalanta's biggest problem in Serie A is neither in the defense nor in the midfield.

Although Argentine midfielder Biglia transferred to Real Madrid, the team still has plenty of talent, with young academy protégé Franck Kessie promoted to the first team.

Furthermore, Atalanta signed 15-year-old local talent Sandro Tonali from Brescia's youth team.

Tonali joined Brescia from Piacenza on a free transfer in the summer of 12.

Now they've moved to Atlanta.

The defense also signed 17-year-old left-back Dimarco from Inter Milan for 100 million euros.

In addition, there is another protégé that Yang Cheng values ​​highly in the youth training camp, namely 16-year-old center-back Bastoni.

He has now been promoted to the first team.

It can be said that Atlanta's overall strength is still very impressive.

The only problem is the center position.

Luca Toni is getting older. Although he is still going strong, his form declined significantly in the second half of last season.

They went on a scoring drought for a period of time.

In this situation, relying solely on Milik is actually not enough.

With Felipe Anderson, Perotti, and Kingsley Koeman on the wings, plus the versatile De Paul, the team's overall strength is more than sufficient and can create a constant stream of opportunities for the center forward.

The key point is that if Luca Toni really can't make it, we'll definitely need to bring in reinforcements for the center position.

Tony himself was aware of the problem, so his plan was to retire in 2016.

In this situation, Yang Cheng recommended Immobile, who was struggling at Dortmund, to Gasperini.

This Italian center forward, or rather, he should be called a striker, not a center forward.

Anyone who has seen Immobile play probably has a rather average impression of him.

He's physically good, but not very strong; don't expect him to take on the entire defense single-handedly.

The speed is not slow, but it's not fast either.

The ground beneath my feet wasn't rough, but it wasn't fine either.

He's good at ball protection and getting past defenders, but neither is particularly outstanding.

He's the kind of player who's very ordinary, with no particularly outstanding advantages or memorable qualities.

In fact, this is also true of Immobile's career.

From Juventus to Torino to Dortmund, the only surprise was the season he exploded in Torino.

He won the Serie A top scorer title with 22 goals.

However, after his high-priced transfer to Borussia Dortmund, he struggled again.

Everyone thought Immobile was past his prime.

His market value has also fallen from a peak of 2000 million euros to the current 1000 million euros.

But Yang Cheng actually had the chance to talk to Immobile once in his previous life.

As many people perceive him, Immobile is a player who appears unremarkable and actually has no special talents.

Therefore, he lacks self-confidence and is relatively introverted in private.

This led to his high-priced move to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. At the time, Dortmund was in dire straits, and almost everyone was struggling, including head coach Klopp.

On the other hand, having transferred for a high price, everyone had high hopes for him.

But being a newcomer, unable to speak the language, and without any friends around, he was completely bewildered.

His experience at Dortmund was a huge blow to him.

Therefore, in Yang Cheng's previous life, he was later loaned to Seville and Turin, but he was unable to regain his form.

Until he joined Lazio.

To say something that many people might not understand, the difference between a loan and a transfer is completely different for a player's mindset.

After transferring back to Serie A, Immobile joined Lazio, a team known for its ground-based attacking play, passing combinations, and flexible movement in the attacking third. Immobile's otherwise unremarkable all-around abilities have become an advantage.

Therefore, he experienced a major breakthrough.

At Yang Cheng's strong recommendation, Gasperini met with Immobile in person.

After that, many things naturally fell into place.

Atalanta have signed the Italian striker back from Borussia Dortmund for a transfer fee of €1000 million.

This is also the most significant deal Yang Cheng has signed since taking over Atlanta.

When Yang Cheng traveled from Malaga to Nice and then to Bergamo, he personally met with Gasperini and Immobile.

Yang Cheng gave Immobile a lot of encouragement.

He said he was very optimistic about Immobile's performance after returning to Serie A, which allowed him to focus on playing football and gradually regain his confidence.

Immobile also promised that he would do his best.

Yang Cheng also had a discussion with Gasperini about how to use Immobile.

After dealing with matters in Italy, Yang Cheng and his group set off for the Netherlands.

Twente was the last stop on his trip.

It's also the most important stop!
After years of turmoil, this Dutch Eredivisie team is enjoying its first summer in over a decade without financial worries.

Although the team's star player Ziyech was sold to La Liga's Malaga.

However, Yang Cheng also signed several high-profile signings for this Dutch Eredivisie team.

And there's another future leader in world football!

(End of this chapter)