Team Spirit

Chapter 154 (1.1 words, please vote!) Transfer spree, reckless Bao Zheng, violinist
So Southgate mustered up the courage to make the craziest decision of his life.

He approached Alfred: "Teacher, I want to transfer! I want to play for Dartford! I want to learn from you!"

Alfred was delighted upon hearing this.

Despite his seemingly unassuming appearance, Gareth Southgate is currently playing for Middlesbrough in the English Premier League and has even managed to earn a spot on the national team.

Despite being nearing the end of his career, he could still be a substitute in League One.

They are slightly better than Teng and Ha in the previous season.

Alfred asked eagerly, "Is your contract expiring?"

Southgate shook his head: "No. There are still three years left, but I can take the initiative to lower the price and get the transfer fee down to under four million pounds!"

"As for salary, I can accept a significant pay cut, as long as it matches the current top salary for Green Gunners."

???

Alfred immediately lost interest.

Matching the top salary?

who do you think You Are?

The last player to receive a top salary was Madeira, who came for free and left with 15 million pounds.

What about you?

They want top salaries and a four million pound transfer fee. Do they really think we Green Gunners are easy targets?
Ten Hach and Alf both came for free!

Alfred succinctly replied, "Forget it, you're not worth it."

"In a year or two, try to terminate your contract with the team and then join us for free. I'll reserve a spot for you then."

"As for salary, I estimate you'll only get the base salary for veterans, but I can help you apply for a teaching assistant position."

"Work two jobs and study, and American life awaits you."

Southgate: ? ? ?
Southgate was extremely disappointed, but he couldn't just drop everything and go with the gun right now.

There are relatively few money-making leagues at this stage, and there isn't much of a premium involved.

For veterans over 30 to stay with the team, they will inevitably have to take a pay cut, and they might not even get a million euros. Keep in mind that these veterans often still have a certain level of fame.

The Turkish Super League, a lucrative league, can offer them salaries of two to three million euros, which is close to or even exceeds what they earned at their original clubs.

But this will also bring them a bad reputation.

Overall, it's not particularly attractive.

With Saudi Arabia potentially gaining a foothold in the football world, the allure of star players seeing their salaries double or even triple in the Saudi league is immense. Players should ideally head to Saudi Arabia early, earn enough in two years to cover their entire career's salary, and then return to European leagues to pursue their football dreams.

On the contrary, they can earn a reputation for "treating money as dirt".

Vega: This is the importance of the scientific approach!
Southgate wouldn't be able to get a very big contract in the Turkish Super League, so he nodded and said, "Then, teacher, I'll try my best to sort out these mundane matters this year, and I'll definitely report to the team next year!"

Alfred nodded perfunctorily: "We'll talk about it later. The awards ceremony is about to start. Let's go over there."

The first award presented was the "Fair Play Award".

The winning team is Japan.

At the Japan-Korea World Cup, the South Korean team received more money and won honors.

Japan, the second biggest spender, can only manage to touch a medal at the Confederations Cup.

This is the difference between first and second place.

Bronze Boot Award: Japanese player Shunsuke Nakamura.

Silver Boot Award: England player Michael Owen.

The Golden Boot award was jointly won by Lu Kai and Henry.

If possible, Henry would refuse to share the stage with Lu Kai.

Even now, he still hasn't gotten over it.

It hurts so much!
Too many unexpected things happened in the past two months, but Henry also learned a valuable lesson.

He vowed that he would thoroughly understand the rules of all kinds of competitions from now on!
His future success as an excellent head coach is a direct result of his experiences during this period.

The bronze ball award was won by Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o, who beat Adriano and Ronaldinho.

The main issue is that the latter two votes were split.

The cheetah and the fisherman profited.

The Silver Ball award undoubtedly belongs to Henry.

Henry feels nauseous at the sight of silver now.

Lu Kai remains the winner of the Golden Ball award, which is also the best player award in the tournament.

Although no award is given for the tournament's top assist provider, Lu Kai still deserves the title.

He won three major individual awards, which was a great honor.

However, Lu Kai was very modest when he gave his acceptance speech: "First of all, I want to say that although this is my fourth championship trophy this season and the eighteenth championship trophy in my career, all of this is based on a strong team."

"My teammates are very strong, both at the club level and in the England national team, especially the England national team, which has some of the best players in the world."

"I am able to achieve this only by standing on the shoulders of giants."

"So although this trophy is in my hands, the honor of being the best player should belong to every member of the England team!"

"Hopefully we can do better in future competitions!"

Wow!
The players in the audience applauded.

Amid Gerrard and Lampard's joy, a hint of doubt flashed through their minds.

They weren't afraid of Lu Kai's hotheadedness, rebelliousness, or hotheadedness.

They were afraid that Lu Kai was too cautious.

At least for the next national team match, they don't want to play as defensive midfielders anymore.

They firmly believe that they can perform the same or even better in Lu Kai's position, after all, they are stronger than Lu Kai in terms of individual player ability.

Everyone is aware of this.

As for why Lu Kai performed so well, he himself said it was because his teammates were strong.

Macroeconomic control measures plus occasional outbursts of my own.

Am I, Lampard, incapable of macroeconomic control?
Has Gerrard never had a solo breakout performance?

Every outstanding professional in competitive sports, regardless of their skill level or stage of development, must firmly believe in the invincible conviction that "they are the best."

Without exception.

In addition, Lu Kai also mentioned Henry in his speech: "In fact, the two trophies I recently won also belong to Henry."

Henry was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Lu Kai to mention him.

Is it to desecrate the corpse, or...?

Lu Kai: "Henry was definitely one of the best players in the world over the past year. Whether at the club level or in the national cup, he performed at an absolute core level."

"The change in the competition format was a disaster for him, and such a disaster struck him twice in a short period of time."

"From this perspective, fate is really unfair."

"As players, we can only try our best to adapt to it."

"But I firmly believe that the darkest hour is before dawn, and Henry's sky is about to brighten. In the new season, he and the Gunners are invincible!"

"Luther...selu!"

Lu Kai paid tribute to Henry.

Here, "gunner" is a double entendre, referring to both Arsenal and Dartford.

Given Lu Kai's short-term advantage, his willingness to share the term "gunner" was undoubtedly a gesture of respect to Henry.

Henry's eyes shone.

My mood doesn't seem so bitter anymore.

After all, the Confederations Cup is just a rehearsal; these days, nobody even wants to play in the Copa America.

On the contrary, next year's European Championship is something that France and Henry must fight for!
Beckham then raised the trophy as captain of the national team, and the players cheered.
"we are the champion!"

……

Sky Sports: "England breaks the curse, finds the secret to victory! Alfred + Lu Kai = lifting the trophy!"

BBC: "Alfred is one of the best managers in England's history! Lu Kai deserves a perfect score of 10 for his first major tournament in England!"

The Times: "Lu Kai's performance proves the value of the Special Talents Act; both the Premier League and the England national team need real talent to help them!"

Bild: "Lu Kai's success with the England team signals the complete failure of Germany's strategy of using homegrown players!"

France Football: "Given the success of its black-based strategy, the French national team could consider naturalizing Asian players, especially those of Chinese descent, if they wish to further improve their strength! They have the genes for talent!"

Yonhap News Agency: "We are studying a plan to invite Lu Kai to join the roast duck team. Lu Kai, who has one in 256 Korean blood, could theoretically obtain the valuable Korean citizenship... As for why Lu Kai has Korean blood, we had scholars write a paper on it a year ago. See Chapter 118 for details."

Sports Weekly: "The European Central Team won the Confederations Cup, and Lu (the coach) really delivered on his promise! Our Three Lions team should also strive to win the Asian Cup next year, and also win the championship on home soil!"

Mundo Deportivo: "England's victory in a tournament hosted by England was all scripted and rigged! Lu Kai failed to sing the British national anthem before the match and should be disqualified!"

After the match, while celebrating his victory, some people seized upon the fact that Lu Kai did not sing the British national anthem, hoping to make a big fuss about it.

The British didn't care at all.

After all, the UK has several teams, including England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. England sings "God Save the King," Northern Ireland sometimes sings "Londonderry Ballad," Wales sings "Land of Our Fathers," and Scotland sings "Flower of Scotland."

Even within the England team, there are many players with dual citizenship who either do not sing the national anthem or do not want to sing it.

This is not a problem.

Not everyone is as good as the people of Zhongguo at remembering history and respecting the hardships, humiliations, and awakenings embodied in the national anthem.

On the contrary, due to Lu Kai's outstanding contributions in the game, some fans even suggested that if Lu Kai appears in the next world competition, should the "March of the Volunteers" be played to inspire him?
Although this suggestion is bold and doesn't seem likely to receive much support.

But when The Sun actually did the statistics, they were surprised to find that more than 90% of British fans believed that if the England team could achieve a good result in the European Championship, that is, reach the final, then regardless of the outcome, everyone felt that they could play "Get Up" for Lu Kai after the game!
Some die-hard Green Gun fans have even started familiarizing themselves with the song in advance.

Just like many foreign friends who practiced "Down with Imperialism" diligently afterward, they sang it with great enthusiasm.

As soon as the Confederations Cup ended, a series of earth-shattering news stories began to emerge.

Beckham transferred to Real Madrid for 37.5 million euros.

Barcelona did indeed keep their promise to the fans by bringing Beckham to Camp Nou, although he was there as a Real Madrid player for the away game.

Isn't this a case of getting what you want?
Barcelona, ​​devastated by the loss of Benitez, retaliated fiercely with twofold revenge!
First and foremost is Ronaldinho.

For 32.3 million euros, Barcelona snatched away Manchester United's intended new core player.

In fact, Manchester United and Ronaldinho are only missing some details, and the signing could be completed within 48 hours.

However, Barcelona vice-president Zhu Xi Rosell promptly contacted Ronaldinho and offered terms even better than those from Manchester United.

During this period, Barcelona had a very strong Brazilian element, making it difficult for Ronaldinho to refuse the club.

During the Confederations Cup, Ronaldinho and Brazilian midfielder Kleberson agreed to join Manchester United together in the summer.

Kleberson immediately rejected Leeds United and joined Manchester United for £6.5 million.

But Ronaldinho turned around and went to La Liga, which can be considered a rather dramatic way of canceling his plans.

If we're talking about something even more outrageous, it has to be Aguero going to Barcelona for Messi, only for Messi to be kicked out and go to the Eiffel Tower that very summer.

Ronaldinho is Barcelona's first act of revenge.

The second form of retaliation was... when Manchester United learned that Ronaldinho had been snatched away, although they were furious, the players' department had to immediately start operating at full capacity.

Ronaldinho's technical characteristics are completely different from Beckham's. The reason he was used to replace Beckham was that Manchester United was preparing for a complete transformation, and the tactical promises given to Ronaldinho were actually higher than those given to Beckham.

But since Ronaldinho can't come, it wouldn't be bad to not change the approach and instead bring in a new Beckham within the existing framework.

And England happens to have a "new Beckham".

It's not Lu Kai.

It's Nicky Shore, the green-armed left winger!

Xiao Li's footwork was flawless, and his stability was even higher than Lu Kai's.

It's just that with the boss around, Xiao Li can't get good free kicks.

Even so, he has scored directly from free kicks on several occasions in the league.

His playing style is exactly the same as Beckham's.

Even though he's a left-wing player, why don't you just move Giggs to the right?

Anyway, Giggs is getting old and needs to find his successor.

If you can adapt to the right wing, great; if not, a newcomer can take your place.

Giggs: Should I leave?
Manchester United have offered five million pounds.

A key player for the Brazilian national team, at the peak of his career, possessing both talent and immediate impact, still only costs 650.

For Shory, a fringe England international who came through the back door and has never played in top-level competitions, five million pounds is quite a sum.

Manchester United, at least, doesn't think there will be any problems.

After all, the name Manchester United itself carries significant appeal.

However, Barcelona is trying to poach him again!
Six million pounds!
On one hand, they just want to annoy Manchester United.

On the other hand, if they didn't bring Beckham, they'll bring a new Beckham; that'll be a way to appease the fans.

After all, at this stage, Ronaldinho's reputation was far inferior to Beckham's, and a one-for-one exchange would ultimately leave fans dissatisfied; a two-for-one exchange was necessary.

Manchester United immediately raised their offer to seven million pounds!
Determined to win!

After all, Sherry can also play left-back. Even if he doesn't become the "new Beckham," he'll at least be the "new Irwin"!
This wave is not a loss!

Before Barcelona could react, Chelsea suddenly jumped in with a bid of nine million pounds!
Manchester United were stunned.

This is clearly over budget.

Has Chelsea gone mad?

Chelsea also has its own explanation for this.

On the one hand, owner Abramovich gave him the task of participating in any Dartford player transfers, a win-win situation.

On the other hand, who told you old Premier League players not to sell players to our Soviet Union?
They want to buy a youth academy product, but he hasn't played many games, and his goals, performance, and assists in lower-level leagues are no good. Yet they charge three to five million pounds for him, treating Abramovich like a Japanese.

Who can bear this?
Abramovich wouldn't mind spending twice as much money to buy the players he wants.

But you can't double the amount for a single pile of shit, can you?

Moreover, this group of veteran Premier League players has formed a tacit understanding: double the price per person, no matter which club you ask for.

And they only sell garbage.

Anyone with real skills wouldn't sell for double the price.

The meaning is clear: you're still in the Champions League zone this year, but next year we'll go to League One and look for Chelsea!
That's exactly what I'm after!
Abu was wronged and took the opportunity to retaliate against Lu Kai, which was very satisfying!
Compared to the mediocre players from other teams, Dartford's Sherry, despite being overpriced, is at least worth half.

In comparison, I, Lu Liangxin, am a model businessman!

Just when Chelsea thought they had it in the bag, Barcelona got impatient.

Ten million pounds!

He's practically half a Ronaldinho now!

What else can Dartford say?
Lu Kai called Xiao Li that very night, urging him to hurry up and buy train tickets to Spain.

Shore: There's no train from England to Spain, it's separated by a huge sea!

Lu Kai smiled slightly and said, "Even if it's just building a railway, I'll get you to Camp Nou today!"
And so, The Voice of Green Guns announced the deal with great reluctance: "Congratulations to Mr. Shawri, number 16 of Green Guns, on his successful application to Barcelona! We wish you all the best for the future!"

Dartford's official website even featured a large poster of Shore across the entire site, a treatment comparable to that given to Madeira.

The banner read: "With red and blue on our bodies, how can we not be green!"

This deal caused a sensation throughout England.

Given Xiao Li's background, it's remarkable that he can command such a high price without any extraordinary talent.

Barcelona is really getting better!
Having good free kicks and crosses falls under the category of "good footwork," not particularly valuable talents. Technical players are generally good in these areas; it's not a matter of how much better you are.

Xiao Li's recent surge in wealth was absolutely a stroke of luck, a perfect storm of circumstances.

This is also the first time this century that Barcelona has brought in a player from an English competition.

The last time was in 1999, when they brought in Overmars and Petit, both of which were rather unsuccessful, especially the latter.

This time, Xiao Li received decent treatment.

Because he genuinely went there as the "new Beckham".

You Real Madrid have Beckham, I have Shawry.

They accomplished in ten million pounds what Real Madrid could only do in twenty-five million pounds.

You dare say she's not pretty?

Therefore, this is a deal that satisfies everyone.

At least for now, everyone is satisfied.

Dartford subsequently lost several players.

After raking in a £17 million fortune with Damian Duff at Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers are now poised to make a killing at Dartford.

When Duff left, his coach was heartbroken and said bluntly, "Don't compare other players with players like Duff and Madeira. It's unfair to the other players."

"Players like Duff and Madeira are almost extinct; we no longer have players like them around us."

"But from another perspective, football may not need geniuses like Duff and Madeira, because having them is simply too much of a luxury!"

Neither Blackburn nor Dartford are eligible to hold their shares!

One word!

pain!
The pain is like being slapped in the face with money!

After all, Blackburn Rovers once snatched the Premier League title from Manchester United with big-money football!

Isn't Chelsea today just like they were back then?

He had just criticized money-driven football, and the next moment, Blackburn became the person he hated most.

The £6 million acquisition of Akinfenwa left Dartford with no room for negotiation.

Be firm!
Akinfenwa was certainly interested; Blackburn Rovers are, by all accounts, a Premier League powerhouse. They finished sixth in the Premier League last season and also qualified for European competition.

He was a substitute player for Dartford, but going there would give him a chance to compete for a starting position and a significant pay rise... There was no reason for him to refuse.

Lu Kai also strongly supports Akinfenwa going out to make her way in the world.

And so, England's strongest player, the battering ram, the stone-like player, and the center-back with a rib-ripping edge—transferred away.

In fact, Green Gun's use of Akinfenwa can be said to have maximized his strengths and minimized his weaknesses.

He played in some important matches, but overall he didn't appear many times.

At best, their squad is worth 1.5 million pounds; they'd be in serious trouble playing in the Premier League.

But with so many dazzling options, and the team's good performance unleashing a youth storm, everything is sold at the same price, making it extremely difficult for anyone to find a truly exceptional gem among them.

Every youth storm brings forth a wave of promising talents whose authenticity is hard to discern.

They are all on the same team, and their overall honors are the same.

The data are often similar, and even the core data is not the most outstanding.

Only after separating and leaving the original system can an individual's true abilities and adaptability be demonstrated.

Therefore, any team with a "twin stars," "trident," or "four young masters" is at least half-fulfilled.

There is also water.

Akinfenwa was clearly the player destined to flop in this Green Guns miracle.

There's a reason why Blackburn quickly went from a European team to a relegation-threatened team in the next two or three years.

Akinfenwa will likely also contribute to this.

Soon after, Williams also announced his departure from the team.

Manchester United and Newcastle United are both very optimistic about him. One is first in the Premier League and the other is third. Williams has transformed into the "new Ferdinand"!
Once a tall player gets going, it's very difficult for them to lose.

Although Williams is a bit thin, gaining weight shouldn't be difficult.

This player is a high-potential asset, and teams from all over the world are eager to acquire him.

From three million pounds to five million pounds, round after round. In this era, with very few exceptions, most defenders couldn't fetch a high price.

Dartford only breathed a sigh of relief after Chelsea felt they were being too slow and raised their standard to eight million pounds.

Because Williams himself wanted to leave, those teams were hesitant to offer a high price, hoping to negotiate a lower price with the player himself.

Who wouldn't want to watch this?

As it turned out, Abramovich's impatient nature disrupted the plans of the seasoned Premier League veterans.

Those bosses were so angry they had a toothache.

Newcastle also realized that things were not going well, and Chelsea probably really wanted Williams.

No more hesitation!
Ten million pounds!
Newcastle made a firm decision.

At the same time, they also secured Williams, who personally called Lu Kai to express his desire to join the Magpies.

Williams is quite composed; he didn't fall for the tricks or cause trouble for the team.

Now Lu Kai will definitely give him face.

As long as the players cooperate, Green Gun will definitely send them to where they want to go.

make a deal!

And so, Newcastle got their destined captain.

Mike Williams was born to be a part of Newcastle. Due to translation issues, he was also known as Mike Williamson. He joined Newcastle in 2009, played for the club for six years, and won the Newcastle Player of the Season award.

Compared to Blackburn and Barcelona, ​​Newcastle made a good deal.

This is a qualified center-back who can be used for at least ten years.

As time went by, the selection of high-quality items on Dartford's shelves gradually dwindled.

Nobody wants Barton, even though he's now a national team player.

But his character is terrible.

This is still an era of social media, where a player's reputation has a significant impact on transfers, especially in domestic leagues.

Nowhere but Dartford would want Barton.

Moreover, Dartford made it clear from the start that they had offered Barton a top salary and did not welcome anyone else trying to poach him.

If someone is really that tactless, then Dartford can unilaterally shut them out, and the opposing team won't be able to get any players here.

Dartford are doing well now, so everyone has to give them some respect.

Because of this, when Portsmouth, a newly promoted Premier League team, made a £3 million bid for Ashley Young, the staff member at the time (Jiang Mengyun) directly quoted Lu Kai verbatim and sent it over: "Add a zero and then talk!"

The implication is that Yang holds a significant place in Lu Kai's heart, worth as much as thirty million pounds!
Portsmouth were also amused and exasperated. Thirty million pounds?
They directly condemned Dartford's insatiable greed through the media: "If Ashley Young's net worth reaches 30 million pounds in his lifetime, it's like Mars colliding with Earth! A prostitute becoming a prime minister! A trampoline athlete becoming Zhu Xi! An Indian becoming a prime minister! A real estate developer becoming a CEO!"

Portsmouth's anger was palpable.

This time, everyone is very supportive of them.

Dartford is making too much money; everyone's envious.

Furthermore, Ashley Young is indeed not worth even five million pounds.

Green Gun is obsessed with money!
Since Jiang Mengyun handles most of the external affairs, fans from other teams jokingly mock Ashley Young, calling Jiang Mengyun his "mother".

This left Ashley Young momentarily at a loss for what to call Lu Kai.

dad?
Is it too far?

There's nothing we can do about it. It's not that Ashley Young is trying to curry favor; it's mainly Lu Kai's actions that have ruined Ashley Young's reputation.

Who would dare to buy his product after this?
Asking around reveals tens of millions of pounds; it's practically robbery.

Is this some kind of Kawhi Leonard tactic?

They deliberately inflated my status, making me seem highbrow and out of touch with reality.

This is a case of praising someone to death!
Although he could understand Lu Kai's despicable actions, when his siblings and childhood friends exaggeratedly called him "Mr. Thirty Million Pounds" with envy, he was still amazed.

Ashley Young has unilaterally forgiven Lu Kai.

That sound was even more captivating than when he himself was in Kailu.

He even received friend requests from young models who sent him photos that were quite revealing.

But Ashley Young never replied, always keeping the team's teachings in mind and refusing to engage in gambling.

Because these photos are enough.

……

In mid-July, another major deal took place in Dartford.

Beckford, the team's key striker who had a brilliant performance in the Confederations Cup final, has left the team.

Leeds United want to sign him to strengthen their attack.

The asking price was once as high as six million pounds.

This price is not easy for Leeds United, who have been facing financial problems in recent years, but they have to accept reality after falling from a title contender to a relegation-threatened team.

If they don't strengthen their squad soon, they'll be relegated.

We have to give it our all.

Unfortunately... Abramovich also watched that game!

£12 million, Abramovich is not giving Leeds United a last chance.

Even though Chelsea's attacking line is too bloated, if Abramovich has his eye on a player, he'll just buy him, regardless of whether he can use him or not.

It's really bad. Just sell it sooner rather than later. Losing more than 80% is not a problem.

What rich people lack is time.

It's normal to spend more money to test the quality of a dozen or so players in a season.

In this kind of "one radish, one hole" situation, the larger the quantity, the more expensive it is!

But compared to Chelsea's big spending, the White Rose is worthless.

Even their Leeds United Young Guard is constantly disintegrating.

During this period, Dartford also adjusted the players' salaries.

Although the increases were not large, the proactive adjustments each time gave the players a good impression.

In addition, due to the team's high bonuses, European competition qualification, promotion season and other reasons, the remaining players are willing to stay with the team.

On the one hand, there are indeed feelings between them.

On the other hand, no one wanted to miss the final moments of Green Gun's miraculous promotion to the Super League.

Ultimately... no top clubs invited these players.

If you were a year or three years ago, facing offers from more than two or three Premier League teams, not a single person in the team could refuse!
But now... sorry, my brothers have all joined Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona, ​​or at the very least, Chelsea, the club with deep pockets.

The key point is that some people have even emerged from this experience and become superstars and national team players.

How can you expect me to be content with just driving one Mazda?

This year, with Green Gunners' promotion to the Premier League, not only will the number of offers double next year, but they will all be from top clubs!

With a golden cup inscribed on his name, he was riding high on success, young and impetuous, yet still loyal to his friends!
This is the best age!
Of course, simply being nice to the players isn't enough.

Many people are inherently more afraid of authority than of morality.

Maintaining relationships and managing a team also requires skill.

For example, Dartford prohibits players from communicating with each other regarding salaries.

If leaked, the consequences range from a fine to a ban from the competition.

Furthermore, the salary was not paid on a regular monthly basis.

Instead, they implemented a alternating week system for the players.

Sometimes it's sent out in a week, sometimes it's sent out in two weeks.

The official explanation was that the players needed the money urgently, and paying them monthly was inconvenient.

But in reality, the numerical values ​​of large and small cycles are used to numb the players, making them gradually unaware of how much salary they are actually receiving.

This can reduce the players' sensitivity to their salaries.

Of course, the amount that should be paid out must not be less.

As a result, Lu Kai even had to pay the finance department an extra sum of money due to the frequent salary calculations.

But compared to the players' thirst for higher salaries, this money is well worth it.

So far this transfer window, Dartford have sold six players, the cheapest being £3 million, and four players in the eight-figure range, for a total of £56 million.

Five players were brought in (plus Sterling), with a total expenditure of £2.2 million.

Last year, everyone thought Dartford had broken up the team and made £20 million.

And guess what... they're demolishing it again this year, and it's even more expensive!

Of course, Dartford quickly indicated that the team would continue to make signings.

To avoid trouble from the FA.

Earning money in the Premier League and spending it in League One shouldn't be taken home easily!
Sure enough, Green Gunners immediately made a record-breaking high-priced signing.

They've brought in Joelion Lescott, a key center-back for Premier League relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers, for three million pounds!

Born in 1982, he is 1.91 meters tall and has excellent athletic ability, making him a true air king.

He often scores four or five headers in a single season, so he can be considered a striker defender.

Because of a scar the size of a bowl on his forehead, he is also known as "Rough Bao Zheng" by some fans.

The word "reckless" also reflects his playing style.

They were incredibly brave in steals, tackles, and headers.

He is a "physically enhanced version of Williams".

Since 07, England's defense has had many problems due to various non-match reasons.

Lescott once benefited, becoming England's "third-best centre-back" after Ferdinand and Terry!
His most famous achievement was scoring an own goal in the final round of the title race in 2012, which plunged Manchester City fans into despair.

Then came Aguero's game-winning goal at 93 minutes and 20 seconds to secure the championship.

He may not have been the hero of Manchester City's first Premier League title, but without him, the legendary status of the championship would have been greatly diminished.

Even the most talented screenwriter couldn't come up with a script like this!

People often say that Lescott is a big sieve and has no brains.

But he doesn't play football; he plays art!

By the way, the only weakness this player seems to have right now is... his passing ability is almost zero.

Aside from that, it's not a big problem to think of him as Ferdinand.

Ironically, the last thing Dartford needs to worry about in the new season is ball distribution.

This season is extremely important for Dartford; they cannot afford to lose.

The team's core players are all veterans, and they have developed a strong rapport.

Therefore, the team's formation, tactics, and style of play are not important at all... Most players can just be used as expendable materials.

Run, run, run like crazy!
The core players naturally know how to cooperate and what opportunities to seize.

This is why Lu Kai dared to let them go.

Because the newly signed players will integrate into the team at a speed that even they themselves cannot believe.

As long as he's willing to run!
In this tactic, the opponent is always the one under intense pressure.

Dartford will be hit on the counter-attack, but they are unlikely to be forced into high press.

Lescott is also very happy with Dartford's offer, a move that seems like a relegation from the Premier League to League One.

But he doubts that Wolves will last long and will also be relegated.

Dartford are currently on the list of teams most likely to be promoted to the Premier League this season.

It's not foolish to jump from a sinking ship to a luxurious little boat.

On the contrary, this small team is the focus of much attention, and if they succeed in gaining promotion, Lescott will join a top club. He has no intention of staying here.

Even though Lu Kai very sincerely promised him a starting position this season without any trial!
This trust is heavy, but Lescott's own future is even heavier.

I'm sorry, Lu.

……

Pond Convenience Store.

“No, I don’t think Vidic is any worse than Lescott in any way, right?” Ten Hag was somewhat dissatisfied with Lescott’s position.

He himself is a center-back, so he has a lot to say on this matter.

Could it be that Lu Kai... also looks down on Eastern Europeans?

Lu Kai did not explain much to Teng Hah.

Vidic has just arrived in England, and he can accept a substitute role.

As a Premier League regular, Lescott would not accept being a substitute in League One.

This is one of them.

In addition, Vidic has some minor technical skills that can still salvage the situation, including passing the ball. However, during technical adjustment phases, a player's form can fluctuate, and he is not suitable for continuous combat.

Lescott's kicking technique is beyond saving.

Finally, the high price and high salary paid to bring in Lescott meant that they never intended for him to stay long.

He came here to shield Vidic and Kompany from harm.

With the team successfully promoted to the top league, he is the fox spirit heading to a powerhouse club.

Vidic and Kompany were the true defensive stalwarts, back then... the Green Gunners' backcourt was a picture of beauty!

"By the way, has the deal with Italy been settled? Have the players been brought over yet?" Lu Kai has been relentlessly exploiting Ten Hag's labor lately.

Teng Gongzi's family has everything planned for this summer: first a hunting trip to Africa, then shopping all the way to New York, and finally a honeymoon in Santorini, Greece, with his brother.

As a result, Lu Kai sent him to Italy.

Tengzi made me angry.

But Lu Kai had a legitimate reason: "Even if you can't become a good coach in the future, you can at least become a good agent!"

"You wouldn't want to see your brother and the others making a fortune while you're stuck with a monthly salary of only three thousand, would you?"

Considering Terford's phenomenal success in the transfer market over the past two seasons, Ten Hag succumbed.

This time, the trip to Italy was to negotiate the transfer of a once-promising but now-flopped talent. Lu Gou (a nickname for a Chinese nationalist) loves to take advantage of these kinds of bargains.

His name is Alberto Gilardino.

Nicknames: Peach, Violinist.

He debuted with Serie A team Piacenza. Three years ago, at the age of seventeen, Gilardino made his Serie A debut, playing against a super club like AC Milan.

He scored his first Serie A goal two months later.

At that time, Lu Kai was still playing in the ninth-tier league!
When Lu Kai took £150 to London to sign players, Gilardino's value had already reached five million euros.

Last year, he joined Serie A powerhouse Parma for a transfer fee of 12 million euros.

The momentum is excellent.

However... he encountered Adriano and Mutu.

Damn Parma, they're playing dirty tricks! After signing him for a high price, they also signed the future king and that viper.

Parma's twin stars quickly became famous in Serie A, but their names didn't contain the character for "peach"!

This summer, Adriano sold half of his ownership for 24 million euros.

Parma made a whopping 35 million euros in one year from Adriano.

Mutu's value hasn't decreased, which is actually a win for Parma, because they bought him at a high price. And if Mutu performs as well as he did this season next season, his value will likely increase even further.

As for Gilardino, he has long been relegated to the junkyard by the team.

The loss he suffered is nothing to the team anymore.

This is how the "rich" scratch lottery tickets.

Three high-priced lottery tickets, one of which could break even, Parma won two!

What made Gilardino even more desperate was that Adriano, who had been sold to Inter Milan, was actually loaned back by Inter Milan.

This means that Gilardino will continue to live in Adriano's shadow next season and will not get playing time.

This ambitious and talented young man is going crazy!

Just then, a recently retired bald center-back approached him and told him, "Come play with me in League One."

Gilardino punched the idiot who was mocking him, bruising his eye.

It turned out that the team was Dartford.

Gilardino has heard of him.

This team has a chance to compete in European competitions, just like Parma!
Although the salary is not as high as that of Serie A, it is still one of the highest salaries in the team.

Moreover, it is said that this club has very close and special relationships with Manchester United and Arsenal.

There are also channels for supplying players to top clubs like Liverpool and Barcelona.

If he really can't make it in Serie A, using Dartford as a springboard to conquer the Premier League wouldn't be a bad idea.

Finally, after Ten Hag told Gilardino that Luca had personally eliminated Adriano in the Confederations Cup, Gilardino agreed to the transfer.

Dartford had already secured his club's services.

Parma is happy that he's willing to leave.

They were also worried that Gilardino would disrupt the locker room atmosphere and ruin the perfect match between Adriano and Mutu.

Moreover, they also recovered some of their initial investment.

Five million pounds!

Dartford's record for the highest signing in club history has been broken by Peach.

It's hard to say whether this has anything to do with his nickname.

Parma thinks Dartford are fools with too much money.

Given Gilardino's situation, his value has already fallen to around three million pounds within Serie A.

As a result, Dartford rushed to give five million pounds, as if they were scrambling for something.

They insisted on completing the transaction as soon as possible.

Are they scrambling to be born into the same family?
But just seventeen hours later, Parma found out what Dartford was fighting for!

Chelsea have made an offer for Parma striker Mutu.

Mutu, valued at eight million pounds, was offered a flat price of sixteen million pounds by Chelsea.

This means... if Parma were to genuinely recommend him, Gilardino might be able to negotiate a price close to ten million pounds?
This is too early!

And the more serious problem is... Parma must earn Mutu's money.

But Gilardino also left, and Parma, who originally had a relatively deep attacking line, suddenly only had Adriano left.

If Inter Milan recall Adriano during the winter transfer window and stop the loan, Parma will be finished!

Their fate was in Inter Milan's hands... just because they handed Gilardino over to Dartford at a loss?
"It's done, but when the deal for Mutu was transferred to Chelsea, Parma wasn't as happy as I expected." Ten Hag was puzzled. Parma clearly made a profit, so why did it seem like they lost money?
Little did they know that earning less was even more painful than losing money!

For Dartford, Gilardino is definitely a player who can immediately contribute to the Premier League.

Moreover, they could only buy him before the Mutu deal, and Parma would definitely not let him go after Mutu left.

In fact, Gilardino, who will remain in Parma, will have a super breakout season, scoring 23 goals in Serie A, just one behind Shevchenko, and winning the Serie A Silver Boot and Serie A Best Young Player awards.

His net worth has soared to over 20 million euros, just like an electrocardiogram, jumping back and forth wildly.

This was truly a buy-in at the bottom for Dartford.

This is also the best striker the team has ever used, and the most effective attacking midfielder so far – considering that Ribery currently plays more as a winger in the team, which is more of a midfielder than a striker.

(End of this chapter)