I build a giant in the Premier League

Chapter 353 The Strongest Assistant Coach! A Super Dud! Yang Cheng: I'll Make It Hard for You to Fail at Staying in the League! [Please Subscribe]

It's kind of funny, but finding an assistant is actually harder than finding a head coach.

Assistant coaches like Brian Kidd can find jobs anytime soon if they leave Baswater.

A whole bunch of top football clubs are waiting to poach him.

Experienced, capable, meticulous in work, and most importantly, not domineering as an assistant coach, with a good personality.

Such talent is so rare that even if you searched the entire European football scene with a lantern, you would hardly find many like it.

Modern professional football emphasizes division of labor and cooperation.

This applies to players on the field, and it also applies to coaches on the sidelines.

Imagine if you hired an assistant coach who would argue and bicker with you all the time; who would be able to concentrate on their work?
Therefore, under normal circumstances, head coaches will choose to use their own core players.

Julian Nagelsmann also has his own team.

Video analyst Benjamin Glück and team leader Timo Harden.

The three of them all share one thing in common: they are young.

Nagelsmann is 28 years old, Timo Harden is 26, and Glück is slightly older at 29.

All three of them came to work at the Hoffenheim youth academy very early on. They were of similar age and shared similar interests, so they got together and became close friends. Later, Nagelsmann joined them in the U17 and U19 programs.

Now, if anyone wants to coach independently, it will definitely be with the three musketeers working together.

Yang Cheng had no objection to this.

Based on his past experience, Glück later became one of the best video analysts in Germany, following Nagelsmann all the way to Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and the German national team.

Timo Harden is the team leader, mainly responsible for team management, team building, and tactical planning. He is also an important member of the head coach's assistant team.

In Yang Cheng's previous life, he followed Nagelsmann all the way to RB Leipzig, but instead of going to Bayern Munich, he went directly to Eintracht Frankfurt, where he later became the sporting director. His abilities were quite outstanding.

Overall, both of them are indeed very good.

Of course, the most important thing is having the opportunity to exercise.

The current chief analyst at Frankfurt is Marcel Daum, who is only 29 years old.

The chief analyst and the video analyst are two different positions.

Typically, a data analytics team will have many different roles, including data analyst, video analyst, and so on.

Video analysts are mostly editing videos, somewhat like content creators on video streaming platforms.

Marcel Daum is already a well-known figure in German football and will gradually grow into one of the best analysts in Germany in the coming years.

When Xabi Alonso coached Bayer Leverkusen, he was Leverkusen's assistant coach, offering advice and contributing significantly to Leverkusen's championship victory.

Putting aside these honors, Marcel Daum was also one of the earliest coaches in Germany to work as an analyst.

He was only 21 years old that year.

Many people will surely be wondering, isn't this too outrageous?

Becoming an analyst at 21?

Upon graduating from university?

You don't even need to find someone to teach you; you can just start doing it right away?

That's right.

Because the head coach of Cologne at the time was his father, Christopher Daum.

He's the guy from the early 2000s who was reported by Hoeneß for drug use and ultimately failed to become the head coach of the German national team.

Although Daum was forced to leave German football due to his drug scandal and subsequently coached in countries such as Turkey and Austria, he returned to Germany in 06 to coach Cologne.

As one of Germany's most renowned coaches, Daum's influence and connections in German football are extraordinary.

In January 2008, Marcel Daum joined Cologne as a match analyst.

After that, he followed his father all the way from Cologne to Fenerbahce to Frankfurt.

Daum's appointment as manager of Eintracht Frankfurt in 2011 was a mid-season rescue; he took over in March and was sacked in May, after the team failed to avoid relegation.

After that, Daum the Elder left the team, but Daum the Younger stayed and followed the team all the way back to the Bundesliga.

Now, Marcel Daum has also become the chief analyst at Frankfurt.

In fact, it's pretty much the same in all industries, including the field of football.

Even data analysis is a job that can be mastered through practice.

Cases similar to Old Daum mentoring Young Daum are actually quite common. For example, Ancelotti has always been mentoring his son and son-in-law.
In any case, there is no conflict between Marcel Daum serving as the chief analyst and Nagelsmann bringing in video analyst Glück.

However, this would create a very serious problem for the entire coaching team.

too young!

They were all young people under 30.

Apart from Marcel Daum, none of the others had any experience coaching in the Bundesliga.

Can you rest assured?
Yang Cheng did not actually doubt Nagelsmann's abilities.

Whether someone has real skills or not can be determined by talking to Yang Cheng, Dan Ashworth, Mike Riggs, and others.

Nagelsmann is capable.

This coaching opportunity at Eintracht Frankfurt is a very important opportunity in his life.

He has faith in Glück and Timo Harden, and those two are no problem either.

The key issue is that they genuinely lack experience.

Yang Cheng couldn't help but keep thinking about Teng Hahe's phone call.

The next stage is crucial for Frankfurt; they absolutely cannot afford to lose.

To leverage the energy and innovative ideas of young people while avoiding pitfalls due to a lack of experience, the best approach is to assign them a capable and experienced assistant coach.

The key is that this person must also get along with the head coach.

The first person that came to Yang Cheng's mind was Herman Grand.

This 61-year-old German man played football in Bochum his entire life. After retiring in the 80s, he first played in Bochum, then went to Bayern Munich to coach the youth team. From 91 to 95 and from 01 to 09, he was the head coach of Bayern Munich's reserve team.

During those middle years, he went out to coach independently, but without success.

Starting in 09, he assisted renowned coaches such as Van Gaal, Heynckes, and Ancelotti.

Yang Cheng knows this assistant coach, who is jokingly referred to as "the Tiger" within Bayern Munich, but the key is that he can't poach him.

He's not young anymore, and he's been with Bayern for so many years, so I guess he doesn't plan to leave.

Bayern Munich certainly doesn't want him to leave.

This is similar to how AC Milan previously used Tassotti as the assistant coach for the first team.

Tassotti remains constant, but head coaches come and go.

When a new head coach takes office, having someone with such experience who is familiar with everything inside Bayern makes things much easier.

Yang Cheng's current assessment of Brian Kidd is roughly the same.

These kinds of people are impossible to poach.

However, Yang Cheng immediately thought of another person.

Peter Herman, 63 years old.

If Grand belongs to Bayern Munich, then Peter Herrmann belongs to Bayer Leverkusen.

Peter Herrmann has worked at Bayer Leverkusen since the 80s, and became the first team's assistant coach in 96. In those 12 years, he has seen at least seven or eight head coaches come and go.

He experienced the three-time champions period of Bayer Leverkusen, and also the low points.

In addition to being the head coach of the first team, he also serves as the head coach of the reserve team.

He worked as an assistant to Dieter Hecking at Nuremberg for one season in 08/09, and was poached by Jupp Heynckes to return to Bayer Leverkusen in 09. In 11, he followed Heynckes to Bayern Munich.

Yes, during Jupp Heynckes' tenure as Bayern Munich's head coach, he assembled two of the best assistant coaches in the Bundesliga at the time.

Herman Grand and Peter Herman.

Where is he now that Ancelotti has replaced Heynckes as Bayern's head coach?
……

"What do you think of Peter Herman?" Yang Cheng suddenly asked.

Dan Ashworth and Mike Rigg, who were sitting opposite him, were both taken aback.

But both of them immediately realized what was happening.

If they could poach Peter Herman to be Nagelsmann's assistant coach, that would be perfect.

This guy is known for his good temper and can work with anyone. Most importantly, his abilities are undeniable; he's definitely top-notch in Germany.

They are also very experienced.

It's amazing!

“Yang, Peter Herman can do it!” Dan Ashworth exclaimed in admiration.

Otherwise, Yang Cheng would be the boss.

Before they had even figured things out, he had already come up with a suitable candidate.

And he's this kind of person.

Yang Cheng then looked at Nagelsmann.

In European clubs, the head coach doesn't actually have much control over this matter.

Everyone works together and performs their respective duties.

But Yang Cheng was able to reveal this information to Nagelsmann beforehand out of respect for him.

This made Nagelsmann both happy and very grateful.

They recruited Peter Herman to be his assistant, or rather, they helped him and brought him into the business.

This was a huge boost to his entire coaching career.

This veteran's reputation is well-known in German football.

His abilities and character are both widely recognized.

So Nagelsmann was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly.

"Where does Peter Herman work?" Yang Cheng asked, looking at Mike Rig.

Mike Rigg had already been checking, "Fortuna Düsseldorf in the 2. Bundesliga."

"In the German second division?"

"Correct."

"Why did you end up in the German second division?"

Mike Rigg did a quick check and immediately gave a wry smile, "About the same as us."

"What do you mean?" Dan Ashworth asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Didn’t Fortuna Düsseldorf get relegated from the Bundesliga in 2013? In the following two seasons, they finished 6th and 10th in the 2. Bundesliga respectively, which was not ideal. So this season, they hired the young Frank Kramer to coach them.”

Frank Kramer is 43 years old, which is quite young for a head coach.

Oh, by the way, he came from Hoffenheim, coached the reserve team, and also took over for the first team.

"However, Frank Kramer's tenure at Düsseldorf was a failure. The team had a record of 3 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses in 15 rounds, ranking 17th in the 11. Bundesliga, and he was sacked in late November."

"After Frank Kramer was sacked, Peter Herrmann took over the first team for four games, completing the first half of the season. Currently, Düsseldorf is still looking for a new head coach."

It is clear that Peter Hermann's contract is with Fortuna Düsseldorf and is not tied to the head coach.

This is a bit troublesome.

Yang Cheng picked up his phone from the table, searched through his contacts, and quickly found Peter Herman's number. He got up, left the office, and went to the balcony to make the call.

They've actually known each other for quite a while, but they don't keep in touch much unless there's something going on.

"Hello, Peter, it's me, Yang Cheng."

“Hey Yang, I’m so glad you called me.” Peter Herman sounded genuinely happy.

Yang Cheng exchanged a few greetings and then got straight to the point.

Peter Herrmann was naturally aware of the situation in Frankfurt, and when Yang Cheng told him that he planned to hire Nagelsmann as head coach, the veteran of German football was almost stunned.

"Isn't this too risky?" Peter Herman was incredulous.

But this is something Yang Cheng is capable of doing.

“If you talk to this young man, you’ll find that he really has a lot of ideas. I think I should give him a chance to prove himself.”

Peter Herman also agreed with this.

It's hard to say whether Yang Cheng's decision was right or wrong.

But young people, without a chance to get ahead, can only keep enduring hardship.

If you keep pushing through it, you might just wear away all that drive and enthusiasm.

Just like him now.

Düsseldorf asked him if he would like to be the head coach.

Peter Herman refused.

Why?

Tired!

At his age, he simply can't do any more work.

“Peter, you know why I called you. We’re old friends, so I won’t beat around the bush. If you’re willing to come to Frankfurt, I’ll offer you a long-term contract. You can sign for as long as you want.”

"I'll pay your penalty for breach of contract with Düsseldorf."

Even if you were trying to poach him, let alone as an old friend, Yang Cheng's promise is incredibly generous.

"The termination fee is around 100 million euros. I'll talk to Düsseldorf, and I can leave right after Christmas."

Peter Herman was also very agreeable.

The most important thing is Yang Cheng himself, and his football league.

As Peter Herman gets older, he hopes to avoid unnecessary trouble as much as possible.

Just like Hermann Grande, staying in a team, going to get off work and coming home every day, nine to five, comfortable!
"Then it's settled. I'll have Mike Rig contact you later."

“Alright, it’s a pleasure working with you, Yang!” Peter Herman said with a smile.

"Thank you, Peter. Keep a close eye on Nagelsmann for me. He's a really good kid!"

"Don't worry, I will do my best to cooperate with him."

"Thank you."

"You're too kind. I'll treat you to dinner later."

"Row."

After hanging up Peter Herman's call, Yang Cheng let out a heavy sigh.

In European football, having many acquaintances is one of the advantages.

People who want to contact Peter Herman often have to go through several layers of connections.

Yang Cheng didn't need to do that; he simply made a phone call and talked face-to-face.

……

Yang Cheng is really busy.

The time he can spare for Frankfurt is actually very limited.

Upon returning to the UK from Japan, a series of Christmas activities immediately followed.

This is a very, very important thing.

Whether as the Chinese owner of Beswater or the head coach, Yang Cheng has to participate.

There's also the annual Christmas dinner.

Afterwards, Yang Cheng was invited to attend UEFA's pre-Christmas party in Nyon, Switzerland.

Ceferin reiterated that UEFA fully supports David Gill's candidacy for FIFA president.

This is undoubtedly a final mobilization in preparation for the February election.

Therefore, Yang Cheng will definitely have to go.

Afterwards, they went to FIFA headquarters in Zurich to participate in FIFA activities.

Many UEFA officials are also FIFA officials, so their schedules overlap.

It wasn't until December 24th that Yang Cheng finally found the time again.

Instead of flying directly back to London from Zurich, he went to Frankfurt.

Wolfgang Stubbs personally picked him up at the airport, and the two talked a lot on the way.

The acquisition procedures have now been completed.

Yang Cheng was very generous to this great contributor, not only giving him a seat on the committee and making him a fan representative, but also appointing him as an advisor to the club.

On the one hand, it is to leverage his connections in Frankfurt to support future business development.

On the other hand, it is also a way of repaying him.

Stubbs, on the other hand, hoped to leverage this relationship to further expand his network and channels.

To be honest, if Frankfurt were still in that half-dead state, many things simply wouldn't be possible.

Sure enough, on the way, Yang Cheng discussed a big business deal with him.

The driver was in the front seat, while the two men were in the back discussing the purchase of the Commerzbank Arena from the city government.

This is a considerable sum of money, and Yang Cheng isn't stupid; he certainly wouldn't pay for it out of his own pocket. He would borrow it directly from a bank and repay it in Frankfurt later.

Frankfurt can't pay up?
What are you afraid of?
Yang Cheng is here to cover for you!
Also, we need to expand the business after we buy it.

The basketball court and the indoor hockey stadium are going to be built.

The training base is about to begin planning the purchase of land and its construction.

All of these require money and must be processed through a bank.

Stubin was very familiar with this business, and he quickly calculated everything for Yang Cheng over there.

The specifics of how to proceed will be handled by Xia Qing's people. Yang Cheng is not a professional and will not participate.

Actually, the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt is just east of Frankfurt Airport, about a ten-minute drive away.

When Yang Cheng arrived at the stadium, he found that not only were Frankenbach, Dan Ashworth, Mike Rigg, Marcel Daum and others present, but Nagelsmann and Peter Hermann were also there.

Clearly, they all knew he was coming and came here specifically to wait for him.

In fact, the more you learn about Frankfurt, the easier it becomes to discover that the club's problems are deeply rooted.

Digging deeper, the findings are even somewhat shocking.

On the surface, Frankfurt's poor performance this season stems from a wave of injuries.

But what if we delve deeper?

Just like Peru's center-back Zambrano.

At 26, she was in her prime.

He was once a key player in Frankfurt's defense, but has been repeatedly injured since last season.

The most serious injury was a sprained lateral ligament in the knee, which kept me out of bed for 108 days.

He suffered six injuries during the 2014/15 season, missing a total of 146 days, spread throughout the entire season.

This season has been even more outrageous.

I've been injured four times since September: a rib fracture in September, fatigue and rest in October, the flu in November, and a muscle strain in December.

This is truly outrageous.

Moreover, he is not an exception.

Another player, Stefan Reinac, 26, can play as a center-back and defensive midfielder. He joined from Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer in the summer of 15.

Fans familiar with Tony Cross will certainly know him; this guy is Tony Cross's close friend.

After Tony Cross joined the Chinese team at Baswater, he spoke up for Tony Cross quite a bit, making him arguably TK's best mouth double in Germany, and his skills are indeed remarkable.

But there are too many injuries.

Moreover, they are all very troublesome injuries.

He's currently resting due to inflammation of the patellar tendon.

Yang Cheng had a strong impression of Reinhard, mainly because the guy had retired in 2016 due to persistent injuries after groin surgery.

But he's smart.

After retiring, he started his own data analytics company, specializing in studying the passing quality of midfielders.

In the past, statistics on midfield passing were largely based on metrics such as success rate, assists, and key passes, but it was very difficult to measure the quality of passes, and there was no set standard.

But Reynolds' company is quite interesting; they created a data model to analyze the quality of passes by midfielders.

For example, how many times did they bypass the opponent's interception, deliver accurate passes, and launch attacks?

Later, many clubs bought their data.

Yang Cheng also bought it when he was coaching.

But not anymore. He's familiar with this system, so he let the Chinese at Bethwater handle it themselves.

As for what Renatz and the others plan to do in their future ventures, Yang Cheng had no idea.

In short, this guy is indeed very capable, but he has many injuries.

If it were only one or two cases like this, it could be considered a coincidence, or simply bad luck.

But if many players in the first team are like this, then it proves that there must be some problem.

The 20-year-old prodigy Marco Stendella is considered a product of Eintracht Frankfurt's own youth academy, having joined the team at the age of 14.

He is arguably the most quintessential national team midfielder, having progressed steadily from the U17 level to the U21 level.

Despite his short stature, he possesses exquisite footwork, excelling in both passing and dribbling, and made a name for himself in the Bundesliga last season.

Almost everyone agrees that this kid is a genius!

He joined the first team at the age of 16 in the summer of 2012. Right after joining, he injured his shoulder during preseason training and was sidelined for 80 days, which delayed his debut.

That season he started twice, came off the bench three times, and contributed one assist.

This is a Bundesliga assist, which is a good start.

As a result, in the 13/14 season, during a preseason friendly match, he came on as a substitute for 8 minutes and tore his cruciate ligament, which almost ruined most of the season. He performed terribly throughout the entire season.

Stendra's upward momentum has been curbed.

However, he regained his form in the 14/15 season and performed exceptionally well, earning praise from the entire German football community. Nevertheless, he continued to suffer from injuries.

He suffered five injuries throughout the season.

The worst time was when he missed 10 games.

What about this season?

On August 13, just as the league started, he suffered a hamstring injury and missed two games.

In late November, I suffered an adductor muscle injury, which lasted for more than a week.

This is a talent that the entire German football world is eagerly anticipating and has high hopes for!
If this had happened 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago, Yang Cheng would have found it understandable.

But now, in 2015, every club is cherishing its own youth academy talents like treasures.

Who can I talk to to reason with you?
27-year-old Brazilian center-back Anderson previously played for Fortuna Düsseldorf and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

In 2011, they were first loaned to Frankfurt, and then bought out a year later.

Since 2012, he has been plagued by injuries. First, he suffered from abdominal muscle strain and had to take two months off. In 14, he tore his ligaments and had to take six months off.

In May 2015, he underwent knee surgery and has not yet returned to competition.

In Yang Cheng's previous life, Anderson was recovering from injury until April 2017 when he terminated his contract with the club and announced his retirement.

Marco Russ, a 30-year-old local center-back, has played for Eintracht Frankfurt before and after the season he was sold to Wolfsburg in 11/12.

He's also injury-prone, getting injured two or three times almost every season, and even torn his meniscus twice in the 10/11 season.

He suffered two muscle tears during the 2013/14 season.

Meniscus injury, adductor strain, ankle injury... (14/15 season)

What about this season?

He suffered muscle strains and hamstring injuries, and only began resuming training in early December.

But you could say it's a coincidence or not, the only thing that happened was that he went to Wolfsburg in the 11/12 season, played 24 Bundesliga games, and nothing happened to him.

The situation in Frankfurt is actually very, very complicated.

Yang Cheng and his team weren't detectives, so they had no way of finding out what was going on.

The question is, the injuries are uncontrollable.

But with so many players and so many injuries, and for several years in a row, it's all out of control?

Are there any problems within the club itself?

Will other teams experience as many widespread injuries as Eintracht Frankfurt, over several consecutive years?

In Yang Cheng's previous life, Stendella tore his cruciate ligament again in 2016, missing almost the entire season once more.

In the end, this German genius met his demise!

Of course, the two cruciate ligament tears occurred in different locations.

The first time was on the right leg, and the second time was on the left leg.

No team can avoid injuries; they can only try to minimize them.

But situations like Frankfurt's are truly rare.

At least in Yang Cheng's view, there is only one reasonable explanation.

The training level and conditions are too poor, and the medical facilities and rehabilitation therapy are inadequate.

Ultimately, the problem lies in the club's severe underinvestment in this area.

"We must get this done as soon as possible!"

Yang Cheng turned to Dan Ashworth and said, “After Christmas, there’s about a month left until the start of the second half of the season. You need to arrange for people to prepare all the turf, fields, and training facilities, including locker rooms, medical rooms, rehabilitation rooms, etc., for the stadium, the first team training ground, and the youth team training ground.

"Check everything thoroughly, and make sure every single detail is done strictly according to our standards."

"Replace what needs replacing, demolish what needs demolishing. If all else fails, tear down the entire stadium, the training ground, and even the Stubbs building, and I'll rebuild it!"

By the end, Yang Cheng was truly enraged!

What kind of team is that?
It's already 2015, can't we invest a little more?
Buy one less player, even a slightly worse one, and you won't even need a million euros. You can invest a few hundred thousand euros a year, and that will be enough!
Ironically, there are some people in this world, such as the management of certain teams.

For example, Manchester United is willing to spend one or two hundred million to sign Ronaldo and Pogba, but they are unwilling to spend one or two million to revitalize Carrington.

Are these people just clueless about football?

No.

It's because these people in Carrington have no voice.

Whenever teams cut their budgets, they're often the ones targeted.

Even someone like Wolfgang Stubin knew the team's problems were serious, but he really didn't realize they were this serious.

Of course, Frankfurt is indeed very poor.

But I don't know where the money went.

“Is a month enough time?” Peter Herman asked.

Dan Ashworth glanced at Yang Cheng and nodded solemnly, "If it's in London, absolutely no problem. In Germany, I'll try my best, but winter training camp..."

“Let’s go to Malaga. The training base there is up and running. We can take a vacation and bring the players and their families over.”

Yang Cheng also knew that now was not the time to lose his temper.

But as a head coach, he genuinely finds the current situation in Frankfurt absurd.

They're not even the most outrageous in the entire European football world.

Nagelsmann and Peter Herman exchanged a glance and both nodded.

This is a good reason; it provides some benefits to the players while also preventing training from being disrupted.

"Then let's start discussing winter training."

……

According to Nagelsmann and Peter Hermann, there are actually quite a few people in Frankfurt who can use it.

There are just too many injuries.

For example, Argentine center-back David Abraham.

This center-back is actually quite good.

Japanese international Makoto Hasebe is capable of playing as a right-back and midfielder, so he can be retained.

Frankenbach believes that the Japanese international can help the team develop the Japanese market.

25-year-old U.S. international Tim Chandler can play the entire right flank and make a significant impact.

Left-back Oczipka is quite capable and has an excellent cross, so he will definitely stay.

In Yang Cheng's previous life, Stefan Reynac underwent groin surgery in January 2016, but his injury never improved, and he retired after the season ended.

Yang Cheng's idea this time is to arrange for the world's best experts to study the case before performing surgery, to see if they can salvage his career.

This player is indeed a talented individual, with a sharp mind, and he's also a close friend of Tony Cross.

He was only 27 years old on January 1st.

Needless to say, Stendra definitely needs to be treated properly.

If a player like this recovers and regains his form, he can become a domestic national team player!
Marco Russ is a product of their own youth academy, so they should keep him.

There's also Serbian youngster Gacinovic.

At only 20 years old, Gacinovic is still a substitute this season, but he is a very capable player. In Yang Cheng's previous life, he was one of the key players in Frankfurt's run to the Europa League final, where he performed exceptionally well and demonstrated considerable skill.

However, not all players chose to stay with the team.

The club has been in turmoil lately, especially with the possibility of relegation, so many players are considering leaving.

There are basically no valuable players in the midfield and defense. The player they want to leave is Peruvian center-back Zambrano.

Didn't he just recover from his injury and return to the court?
I currently want to join Rubin Kazan in the Russian Premier League.

Rubin Kazan is now flush with cash and willing to pay a transfer fee of 500 million euros for him.

There's also Swiss international Seferovic.

The center forward was signed by Eintracht Frankfurt from Real Sociedad in La Liga for €320 million in the summer of 2014.

Last season, he made 32 appearances in the Bundesliga, scoring 10 goals and providing 8 assists, a respectable performance.

So far this season, he has made 14 appearances, scoring 3 goals and providing 5 assists.

He is currently attracting the attention of many teams.

After all, there aren't many centers who can provide assists these days.

According to Frankenbach, Seferovic's agent had already started contacting teams everywhere.

If it were up to Yang Cheng, he really would like to keep Seferovic.

In his previous life, this guy performed exceptionally well after transferring to Benfica in 2017, reaching a peak market value of 2000 million euros.

Unfortunately, the player is now determined to leave.

It is expected that the transfer fee of around 1000 million euros will be recovered.

With Seferovic gone, scoring in the attacking third will become a major problem.

The other one is Dutch center forward Luke Castaignos.

This player transferred from Twente in the Dutch Eredivisie in 2015 for a transfer fee of 250 million euros.

But after arriving, he was plagued by injuries.

If they sell now, the estimated income would be 250 million euros.

After all, he scored four goals in his limited playing time.

The most anxious one is Czech striker Václav Kadlec.

The 23-year-old striker has already made contact with a team, Midtjylland in Denmark.

The latter paid a transfer fee of 210 million euros for him.

The deal has been agreed upon, but it cannot be completed because the transfer market has not yet opened.

Frankfurt spent 13 million euros to buy him in 320.

There's also local player Aigner on the right wing.

The player joined Eintracht Frankfurt from 1860 Munich on a free transfer in 2012.

Now, Munich 1860 is willing to buy it back for 300 million euros.

Munich 1860 is fighting to avoid relegation in the 2. Bundesliga this season, and the situation is not very optimistic. Hopefully, this homegrown youth player can be quickly brought in to help.

There was originally another player who wanted to leave.

That's their own youth academy player, 19-year-old striker Waldschmidt.

In Yang Cheng's previous life, this player also transferred to Hamburg in 2016, where he won the European Under-21 Championship top scorer award and became famous overnight. He then transferred to Freiburg, where he achieved great success and was selected for the national team.

Now that Yang Cheng has taken over, he will definitely keep players like this.

A left-footed player, fast, with good footwork, and capable of playing in all attacking positions—such a versatile player, especially one from our own youth academy, definitely deserves to stay.

Based on the current situation, these transfers have basically been finalized.

Frankfurt expects to receive more than 2 million euros in revenue.

But all of them are installment payments.

Previously, Yang Cheng's approach to transfers was to be meticulous, buying low and selling high.

But things are different now.

Frankfurt's most important task right now is to regroup and try to avoid relegation in the second half of the season.

The team's biggest problem right now is injuries.

Apart from goalkeeper Hradecky, the other three lines basically need strengthening.

Therefore, Yang Cheng has gone all out this time.

The first player he wanted to sign was none other than Naby Keita, the midfielder for Red Bull Salzburg in Austria!

Many fans' biggest impression of this Guinean player is probably that he's a flop.

Moreover, it's a super counterfeit product.

Liverpool spent a fortune to sign him, but a few years later, he was worthless and left Liverpool on a free transfer.

But in Yang Cheng's view, the most crucial question is: why would Liverpool and Klopp be willing to pay such a high price, even a year in advance, to sign this player?
It's worth noting that Liverpool snatched Naby Keita from giants like Barcelona.

Are all people stupid?
Do not!
Naby Keita grabbed a lot of firsts in the 16/17 Bundesliga season.

He averages 8.5 ball recoveries per game, ranking first among Bundesliga midfielders.

With 8 goals scored, he ranks first among Bundesliga midfielders.

With 8 assists, he ranks first among Bundesliga midfielders.

He averages 2.7 dribbles per game, ranking first among Bundesliga midfielders.

He ranks first among Bundesliga midfielders in terms of ability to create chances.

With a passing accuracy of 82%, he ranks first in the RB Leipzig team and 11th among Bundesliga midfielders.

But after arriving at Liverpool, the player's passing accuracy suddenly soared to 89%.

This shows that he was dragged down by the overall level of RB Leipzig.

That season, Naby Keita was simply an incredible all-around player.

He is not tall, only 1.71 meters, but he has excellent footwork, is very fast, is very agile, and can run exceptionally well.

He can steal the ball, pass it, assist, and dribble past defenders; most importantly, he's incredibly fast...

He's like Kanté with Pogba's skills and mindset!
Putting everything else aside, just based on this point alone, how much is he worth?

Klopp and Liverpool are not stupid.

As soon as they saw Nabi Keita emerge, they immediately rushed over with checks and signed him a year ahead of everyone else.

As for what happened to him after he joined Liverpool, that's another story.

Naby Kante transferred from East in France to Red Bull Salzburg in 2014 for €150 million.

Last season, he made 30 appearances, scoring 5 goals and providing 2 assists.

His performance this season has improved even further. So far, he has made 18 appearances, scored 8 goals, and provided 6 assists.

Currently, this Guinean international's market value is 750 million euros.

Yang Cheng told Dan Ashworth and Mike Riggs to talk freely.

According to Yang Cheng's budget, it should be possible to complete the project within 1500 million euros.

This is considered a very high price in the Austrian league.

But Yang Cheng felt it was well worth it!

Most importantly, Naby Keita can provide the midfield strength that Eintracht Frankfurt desperately needs right now.

1500 million euros?
Upon hearing Yang Cheng's words, Stubin and Frankenbach, who were standing nearby, became restless.

Frankfurt hasn't seen such a big transfer deal in many, many years.

They sold several players, but spent 1500 million euros to bring in Naby Keita?

"Quality is more important than quantity in an army. A good midfielder can transform an entire team!"

Yang Cheng immediately made the decision: let's discuss it this way!
Having only Naby Keita in midfield is definitely not enough.

Yang Cheng had previously stated that he wanted to sign a deep-lying midfielder for Nagelsmann.

This time he gave specific candidates.

Lobotka, a Slovakian midfielder who plays for North Jitsland in the Danish league.

The player transferred to North Jutland for €500,000 at the end of August 2015.

After joining the team, he played in every single one of North Jutland's matches.

However, North Jutland is not a strong team in the Danish league, so his performance can only be considered average.

Yang Cheng knows Lobotka very well because the player later played at an outstanding level for Celta Vigo and Napoli in La Liga.

It can be said that, apart from being a little short, he is almost perfect as a defensive midfielder.

Keep in mind that in the 17/18 La Liga season, he averaged 7.6 ball recoveries per game, making him a true ball-winning machine, okay.

The key is that his passing is as steady as a rock!
Moreover, they claim they never make forward runs.

Therefore, no goal will be scored.

But this guy's passing, ball distribution, dribbling, playmaking, long passes...

He can do anything!

Yang Cheng really couldn't bear to see a player like this continue to bury his talent in the Danish league!

It cost 50 euros just six months ago, but now the transfer market values ​​it at 60 euros.

Therefore, Yang Cheng said that he would try to sign the contract within 100 million euros.

There are countless players in Europe. It's impossible for anyone, whether it's Nagelsmann or Peter Herrmann, to know all of them or their characteristics.

Some players I've heard of, but I'm not familiar with.

If Nabi Keita was someone I'd heard of, then Lobotka was someone I'd never even heard of.

Are these two players really as strong as Yang Cheng claims?
seeing is believing.

Yang Cheng immediately had Dan Ashworth set up his laptop, connect it to the database, and show them the match videos and technical analysis of the two players.

Everyone at the scene was stunned!
On the one hand, after watching the game footage, they really realized that these two players were incredibly strong.

It's definitely one of those hidden gems!
Nagelsmann couldn't help but get excited.

He could imagine that if these two players were on his Eintracht Frankfurt team, the team would definitely take off in the second half of the season.

Keep in mind that they are all still quite young.

Lobotka was born on November 25, 1994, and is only 21 years old now.

Nabi Keita was born in February 1995 and is only 20 years old now.

Players in this age group have begun to develop their technical skills and have basically demonstrated their abilities, but have not yet reached their peak.

Based on their performance against Red Bull Salzburg and North Jutland, they are definitely worth looking forward to.

Nagelsmann and Peter Herman exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

They were shocked by the extent of the Chinese scouting network in Baswater.

What's most incredible, and what shocked them the most, is that Yang Cheng actually managed to find two players like these for them.

They have immediate combat capabilities, but are also very young, and their future is full of potential.

This is absolutely outrageous!

If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, who would believe such a thing?
If such a transfer goes through, it will absolutely shock the whole world.

Goodness, looking across European football, who else besides Yang Cheng could do that?
The two of them were increasingly shocked as they thought about it.

The more shocked they were, the more excited they became about the upcoming Frankfurt event.

Yang Cheng and his Besworth team: The Chinese are an absolute treasure trove.

God knows how many more treasures will be unearthed from this vault in the future?
How many more surprises and unexpected events can it bring to the world?
"Don't be surprised yet, Julian."

Yang Cheng could tell that Nagelsmann was eager and ready to try.

With these two midfielders positioned, any coach with a discerning eye can see their abilities.

"This is just the beginning. I have many more surprises in store for you."

“There’s more?” Nagelsmann asked, somewhat surprised.

Based on the few players he knows so far, from Füllkrug to Naby Keita to Lobotka.

If he can actually sign these three players, he will have a very good chance of leading the team to avoid relegation.

Because their strength is obvious.

The addition of two midfielders, in particular, will definitely transform Frankfurt and elevate their strength to a new level.

Yang Cheng smiled at Nagelsmann.

"You know I'm a Virgo, and I don't like surprises, so I'll prepare a powerful lineup for you that will make it difficult for you to even avoid relegation!"

Yang Cheng's confident demeanor stunned both Nagelsmann and Peter Herman.

Is there really such a good thing in the world?
(End of this chapter)