Team Spirit

Chapter 155 (1.2 words, requesting monthly votes) Luca arrives, signing players for the newly promoted English First Division team, ranked eighth globally.

"I hope... he's alright."

Vardy turned to ask Amorin.

Ashley Young has been staring at her phone for ages, alternating between crying and laughing, her shoulders shaking constantly…

The problem is that you're looking at pictures of beautiful women, which is one thing.

But it was a man!

Amorim, however, was lost in his own thoughts.

He recently created a fake account with a beautiful woman and sent Ashley Young a lot of hot pictures online, thinking of flirting with Ashley Young, bringing him to a hotel, and then having his club teammates catch him on the spot to give him a surprise.

Even during the summer, the team is cracking down on illegal sex work.

There is a reward for reporting.

As a result, Ashley Young didn't contact any of the beautiful women.

“It seems I misunderstood him; his character is so upright.” Amorin then walked over.

Vardy followed him.

Sterling followed Vardy.

"Young, don't worry about it. He's not going to kick you out of your position." Amorim knew why Ashley Young was in a bad mood.

Because Dartford has made another signing.

The team has made significant investments in player recruitment this year.

Gilardino's arrival already threatened Ashley Young's self-proclaimed title of "King of Looks."

In fact, Gilardino wasn't exactly handsome in his youth; at best, he was rather good-looking.

But Ashley Young was still worried.

It wasn't until Amorin told him, "Gilardino's hairline is receding, he's going to go bald soon, a sure U-shaped head."

Ashley Young finally breathed a sigh of relief.

This time, Peter Crouch has joined the team.

Born in 1981, still relatively young.

Its most notable feature is its height, which is a full 202cm.

He is a product of Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur's youth academy, and his market value has skyrocketed in the past two years, from £80,000 to £1.5 million, £5 million, and £7.5 million.

They are the only ones whose growth rate can rival that of Dartford players.

However, he had a disastrous season at Aston Villa last year, failing to score in 18 games and his market value plummeted.

Everyone thought he was overrated; he was too thin and couldn't handle the Premier League.

But Dartford bought it at a high price of three million pounds.

This price is enough to buy a qualified Premier League starting center forward.

Buying Crouch is just foolish and wasteful.

Many media outlets are now criticizing Dartford for getting arrogant and wasting money.

They're just jealous of Dartford's high earnings this summer.

Unexpectedly, Crouch's height also provoked Ashley Young within the team.

"Aren't you 183cm tall? Why are you still bothered by your height?" Amorin asked.

Ashley Young sighed: "I thought I'd be the tallest player on the front line, but so far this year, none of the players they've signed are shorter than me!"

"what does it mean?"

"Oh, before I wasn't tall, and neither was anyone else. Now that I'm tall, everyone else is taller than me, so am I still short?"

Amorin comforted him, "Take it easy, aren't the three of us shorter than you?"

Ashley Young scoffed, "Compare me to you three shorty guys? I'm the starting striker, okay! You're a U9, a newly promoted first team player, and a substitute. How can I compare?"

Amorin clenched his fists.

Just then, Lu Kai came over: "Ashley, come to my office. Your position will need to be adjusted a bit for the new season. Have you ever played left-back before?"

Ashley Young was dumbfounded.

Amorim and Vardy quickly covered their mouths and chuckled.

Get rid of their arrogance! They're not the shortest striker anymore, they're the shortest defender now!

With Crouch's arrival, Dartford's attacking line has sufficient strength and depth, but there is a gap at full-back.

The team actually has quite a few players who can play as full-backs, but they are all center-backs positioned on the flanks.

Duff is the only one who can truly execute some tactics involving full-backs making forward runs.

The others couldn't even manage a cross from the wing.

This can be considered a consequence of Xiao Li's departure.

Therefore, Lu Kai wanted to bench Ashley Young to fill this gap and bring more variety to the team's offense.

History has proven that Ashley Young is a player who can play almost every position on the court.

Left-back, that's easy.

in the office.

Lu Kai "cracked" and "crushed" the walnuts with both hands, without intending to show any force. He then told Ashley Young, "The team has a lot of big center forwards now. You have excellent footwork and can make a name for yourself with your crosses from the wing."

"That new guy, he's over two meters tall, you see?"

Ashley Young wanted to refuse: "But my defense isn't very good."

Lu Kai: "You and Xiao Li are not that different in defense. We have a saying that a broken leg may look like it will heal in a few months, but it actually takes a long time to recover."

"If you play as a full-back, you'll get tackled and kicked less often."

"And you know our team's full-back tactics are definitely one of the highlights of our attack, not some sacrifice made for the team."

"Think about it. There are plenty of wingers worth 30 million pounds, but very few full-backs worth 30 million pounds!"

Ashley Young nodded with difficulty.

In fact, he has played as a full-back for Green Gunners many times, and Green Gunners' wingers all need to participate in defense.

It's just that before they were at least wing-backs or wingers, but now, to put it bluntly, full-backs are still a bit of a liability.

beep beep.

Lu Kai's phone rang; it was a video call.

“Hey…it’s out, see for yourself.” Ten Hah flashed across the screen.

Then came a dark-skinned face.

"Hello, are you Lu Kai?" The voice on the other end of the phone was rather strong.

Lu Kai nodded: "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Didier!"

Didier Drogba!

You may not have heard his name, but you've definitely heard his nickname—Warcraft!
Chelsea striker, African Footballer of the Year, and Chinese Super League legend.

If Crouch is one of the miracles of the rise of homegrown players in English football in the last two years, then Crouch is a prime example.

Drogba is a classic example of a late bloomer and a grassroots success story in world football in the last two years.

Born in 1978, he was sent from Côte d'Ivoire to France by his parents at a young age to live with his uncle. He frequently moved between various small clubs and was even almost forced to return to Côte d'Ivoire.

Because he lacked money in his childhood and had a strong desire for it, he chose accounting as his major in college. Only after obtaining his accounting qualification did he decide to become a professional athlete.

When Lu Kai was playing in the ninth tier of the league, Drogba was already a regular starter in Ligue 2, scoring seven goals in a single season.

The following year was plagued by injuries.

The first half of the 2001-2002 season was still mediocre, with five goals in twenty-one games.

However, after transferring to Guingamp in Ligue 1 for £100,000, he scored three goals in eleven games, helping the team avoid relegation, and he actually played better than he did in Ligue 2.

Because of Akinfenwa's high profile, some French media outlets once called him "the French and African version of Akinfenwa".

Last season, he and Malouda formed a formidable attacking duo, scoring 17 goals in 34 Ligue 1 appearances and winning the Ligue 1 Bronze Boot.

French powerhouse Marseille immediately extended an invitation to him.

Drogba's rise to prominence began from there.

Just as he was preparing to sign a contract with Marseille, a guy named Ten Hag came to his door.

His eyes were dark and swollen; he didn't look like a good person at all.

Drogba even threatened, "I have guns in my house," before driving the other man away.

Then the club called him and said that Dartford scouts wanted to talk to him.

Drogba was very reluctant. He knew Dartford, but how could they possibly compare to Marseille!

That's where Zidane's spin started!

France's number one luxury family!

Lyon: ?
Paris Saint-Germain: ? ?
Drogba is prepared to refuse whatever they say and then happily sign a contract with Marseille tomorrow.

Turns out, the other person's phone could make video calls. Are Dartford's scouts that rich?
“I have complete faith that you will have an outstanding performance in Marseille, but I want to ask you, is that really your main point?” Lu Kai’s words opened Pandora’s box. “To put it bluntly, with your abilities, playing in Ligue 1 would be a complete waste of your life.”

“Your technical skills are very well suited to the Premier League, you should come here to develop.”

"All the top players in Ligue 1 have been moving to other leagues in the last two years, especially the Premier League, which I'm sure you've noticed. And they've all achieved success in the Premier League: Cantona, Vieira, Henry, Pires..."

Because of Wenger, Arsenal held a special place in the hearts of French players during this period.

Lu Kai noticed that Drogba's eyes were shifting, clearly not as determined as before, and continued, "You're an accounting major, right? Then you must be very sensitive to transfer windows and player salaries."

"Within Ligue 1, a deal worth two or three million pounds is the maximum. A team's income and expenditure are basically balanced during the summer transfer window, with little investment."

"In the Premier League, Chelsea has already spent over £100 million on transfers! Our Dartford, a small team you might not think much of, has also spent over £10 million on transfers."

"There's no doubt that most of the world's best players will go to England in the next few years. If you come then, what advantage do you think you'll have?"

Don't assume that Drogba is stupid just because he's an African footballer.

He was, after all, a person with higher education, and he could reason with people: "So you mean I should get into the sights of Premier League giants as soon as possible."

“But I can attract their attention just as well in Marseille.”

Lu Kai shook his head: "There are more than a dozen teams in Ligue 1, and the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga also have their own clubs that produce young stars. Occasionally, some people can also emerge from their lower leagues."

"And what about the Portuguese Primeira Liga, the Dutch Eredivisie, the Russian Premier League... How much energy can they dedicate to you?"

"But at Dartford, I can't speak for other teams, but Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, I can guarantee they will be watching you all the time."

“You can ask around; I’m not exaggerating Dartford’s influence in their minds at all.”

Drogba, however, had no doubt about it.

After all, people criticize you every day, so how could they not pay attention?

Don't forget, your haters care about you even more than your fans!
Lu Kai felt the time was right: "The salary can be matched with the top salary in our team, which is actually about the same as your previous salary."

"But I can..."

Lu Kai didn't say anything.

Because it's inconvenient to communicate over the phone.

Ten Hagh pulled out another phone and wrote, "Signing fee of £300,000, to be credited to your account immediately upon signing."

Drogba's hand trembled.

This……

That's an astronomical signing fee!
Top players' signing fees over the past two years have only been around £500,000, right?
Moreover, this is a "secret that top-tier stars can't tell."

Because these days, taking a signing fee is considered "morally questionable".

Teams often agree that if a player discloses their signing bonus, the player must return it to avoid causing dissatisfaction within the team.

This is precisely why Dartford values ​​Drogba so highly.

“I…this…can I…” Drogba had already given up on resisting Lu Kai’s invitation. “I…can I think about it for another half a day?”

Ten Hach smiled.

Get it!

This is no different from simply saying "I do".

However, to Ten Hag's surprise, Lu Kai was unwilling to give Drogba even this little bit of time: "Isaac is almost three years old, isn't he? It's time to consider his schooling."

"The public schools here in the UK are good, especially near London, where there are many excellent schools. Children from a young age are different from others in terms of social class, and people around them are very friendly to them."

“I have a friend who is a member of the board of directors of a prestigious university. He can help you arrange all of this.”

Drogba's eyes practically gleamed with envy, and he immediately chimed in, "But I'm worried about the tuition..."

Lu Kai: "You don't need to pay anything for the first year. Just try it out, and we'll talk more if you're satisfied."

Ten Hach nodded.

Lu Kai was very cautious.

Although it means the club will pay for you, you can't leave any ammunition for criticism.

“What if I’m happy with the school?” Drogba’s eyes reddened.

Both playing football and studying can change one's destiny, but playing football is too tough.

He didn't want his son to suffer the same hardships he had endured, especially the cold stares and ridicule. He wanted to give his son, Isaac, the best possible learning environment!

Lu Kai laughed and said, "Until you earn a million a year, you can keep reading for free!"

Drogba immediately reached out his hand to Ten Hach.

Ten Hach was taken aback: "I don't have this student ID either."

Drogba shook his head: "The contract? I'll sign it! I'll sign it now!"

Lu Kai nodded, finally succeeding.

This is one of his two most important trades this summer.

Without Drogba, the team's immediate strength is probably not up to the level of League One.

Gilardino was actually Lu Kai's Plan B after the failed attempt to sign Drogba.

Gilardino is poised to rise to prominence this season, but what if he doesn't adapt well to England?

Drogba, on the other hand, had already risen to prominence last season and had a history of great success in the Premier League.

“Wait a minute,” Drogba suddenly said into the phone, “Um…can I ask what your offer to the team is? About me.”

Dartford must have had Guingamp's permission to contact Drogba.

I heard that Marseille had already offered £3.5 million, and Dartford probably won't go below that price. So they'll have to put pressure on the club to lower the price, right?

Lu Kai laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you leave Guingamp in style... five million pounds!"

Drogba remained stunned for a long time.

The turnover of key players in Ligue 1 is typically between one and three million pounds.

Dartford, however, offered himself five million pounds.

Considering his age of twenty-five, how much must he have been careful to dare to act so decisively and ruthlessly?

This is certainly Lu Kai's confidence, but it also reflects his expectations for Drogba!

Drogba was moved to tears.

Lu Kai also breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, players like Drogba, Gilardino, Crouch, and Lescott are unlikely to stay at Dartford for long.

They either have exceptional physical talent or come with high expectations from fans; once they rise to prominence, they will inevitably be acquired by top clubs.

You can't keep them.

Therefore, Lu Kai never played against these amazing stars during his lower-level period, let alone superstars.

Ashley Young might be gone by now if he hadn't broken his leg.

Let alone Drogba, who had just mastered demonic arts?
The only player Lu Kai managed to press well was Ribery.

Given his physical condition, adapting to the English style of play would be very difficult for him.

But rather than saying it's suppressing, it's more accurate to say it's laying the foundation and replenishing nutrients.

Once Ribery has accumulated enough experience, third place in the Ballon d'Or is definitely not his limit.

He is a player who could win the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or more than once.

Therefore, Lu Kai does not accept passersby.

But this season is too special. Promotion to the Super League is not an option, and our strength can only be more than enough, not less.

At the same time, now that Abramovich has taken over, it's impossible for him to lose money on these "high-priced" signings.

Lu Kai could even make a quick buck.

These players, who cost several million pounds, now seem like "high prices" and "gambles." Even Premier League teams don't spend that much on players, and they wouldn't dare buy four or five at once... They can't afford to lose money.

But Lu Kai has absolutely no intention of paying compensation!

These coins will only become more and more valuable in the future, appreciating even more steadily than gold.

Historically, Drogba could be sold for as much as £24 million next year. If he sells one of them, all the proceeds will be recouped, and the rest will be pure profit!
Lu Kai believes Mourinho's tastes will not change.

Drogba is his dream man!
The only thing to worry about now is that Mourinho's Champions League performance this year has been poor, and he has failed to secure a coaching offer from Chelsea.

Therefore, Lu Kai needs to interact more with Mourinho in the new season, give him more confidence, and encourage him.

This approach stabilizes Porto's strength while also drawing Abramovich's attention away from Mourinho.

Mourinho: I don't even know how to thank you.

Lu Kai: Just buy more of my people.

……

As expected, the Drogba deal sparked widespread criticism from the English media.

BBC: "Five million pounds for an aging Ligue 1 player? Is Lu Kai unsure how to spend that much money because he's never seen it before?"

Sky Sports: "The Green Gunners were cheated by Ligue 1; bronze boots outside the top four leagues are worthless!"

The Times: "Datford is like a child in the middle of the city with a gold nugget, with countless people waiting to swindle them out of their wealth. They should come to us for financial management! Allocate their assets properly, give us a portion, and give us the rest!"

Manchester Evening News: "Massage money in London? Who knows this Drogba?"

Even the Spanish media joined in the criticism.

Diario Sport: "Datford have squandered the £10 million they earned from Barcelona. It was a failed investment, and they'll lose everything!"

Mundo Deportivo: "Drogba, Gilardino, Crouch, Lescott... £16 million for just these four?"

Everyone is mocking Dartford.

The Mirror even uncovered that the person in charge of these transactions was Ten Hah: "Ten Hah is a problem! He deliberately led Green Guns into junk trades, I wonder how much kickback he's getting from these deals!"

Bild: "The FA has declared Erik ten Hag an untrustworthy person and advised its players to reduce financial dealings with him!"

Poor Ten Hah's agency was blacklisted before it was even registered.

The key point is that he didn't take a single penny from these transactions!
Alfred: Not greedy?

Lu Kai called Teng Hahe that very night to comfort him after he had been wronged.

He told Ten Hach, "People are criticizing you now, but once these deals are proven to be excellent, you'll immediately win countless praises!"

Ten Hach actually believed it.

In reality, after these deals were successful, Lu Kai would arrange press releases to attribute all the credit to Alfred.

Ten Hach: ? ? ?

Just kidding.

Lu Kai genuinely hopes that Teng Hai can earn the title of "trading expert".

This can dispel the doubts about "why Green Gun's recruitment is always successful".

Furthermore, judging from Ten Hah's appearance, if he leaves, it's most likely because he was invited away by Lu Kai's enemies, who want to use the enemy's spear against the enemy's shield.

Then they'll have made the right choice in hiring him!

Third, if Dartford's signings are always successful, others will follow suit. They'll buy whatever you buy, and they'll offer higher prices, thus hijacking your deals in various ways.

Therefore, it is necessary to let the outside world know that Dartford's transfer experts have left, and for the next period of time they will only buy junk, so there is no need to fight for them.

If they get targeted again, they'll just throw out another scapegoat expert.

Anyway, players like Alf, Jason (the youth academy director, the team's earliest lousy goalkeeper), and even George can all be thrown out.

Give them an overwhelming fortune; it's a win-win situation for everyone.

beep beep.

Lu Kai's phone rang.

It was Daniel calling: "Hey, Lu, the person you mentioned seems to have arrived. The people from Liverpool are receiving him."

"I inquired and they said I'd have to stay for two days."

"Yes, I've already found out about the hotel."

"See you tomorrow then."

Daniel's sports brand has now been acquired by Lu Kai.

The money we earn together.

Green Gun manufactures many products and sells them throughout the country.

We are still actively contacting domestic channels.

It would be best if we could break into the market; European brands have had an advantage in recent years.

If they can't break into the market, they can just be idol brands that harvest fans. The booming fan economy in China is astonishing.

Of course, Lu Kai isn't saying he's taking advantage of his fans; rather, he's aiming to gather their love and reinvest it back into the football cause. He'll leverage his superior resources and vision to provide strategic guidance for football development in mainland China.

At the very least, arrange an Asian tour with a star player who is guaranteed to play.

Or maybe we could show off some Trump-style football.

Skill level doesn't matter; what matters is authenticity and engaging content.

The next day, Lu Kai arrived in Liverpool.

In the afternoon, he finally met the person he was looking for in the hotel coffee shop.

He was also another crucial player for Dartford in the following year.

If Drogba is Chelsea's strongest punch in the future, then this man is Chelsea's strongest shield in the future!
"Hello, Michael, I'm Lu Kai." Lu Kai smiled and shook hands with the other person.

Yes.

Michael Essien.

A football player with dual citizenship in Ghana and France.

He plays as a defensive midfielder, possesses boundless stamina, is extremely strong defensively, but is also quite good offensively, with an excellent long-range shot.

Nicknamed African Buffalo.

The term "beast waist" was originally used to describe him.

Because she looks like Joey Yung, she is also called "African Joey Yung".

Compared to the rising star Drogba, the mid-career declines of Gilardino and Crouch, and the unremarkable Lescott, Essien is a hot prospect.

He plays for Bastia in Ligue 1, where, as a key defensive midfielder, he has contributed six goals to the team in addition to his defensive duties.

Many teams have their eyes on him.

Liverpool is the most sincere.

Houllier personally invited Essien to Liverpool, and he visited Liverpool's Melwood training ground yesterday.

However, Essien believes it is too early to go to the Premier League at this stage.

The demands of this location, such as physical contact, speed, and running, made him hesitate.

Furthermore, whether he even has a place in Liverpool's current squad is also a question.

He doesn't want to come to the team and sit on the bench.

The next problem, Dartford can solve for him.

“You will be an absolute starter in the team, and if you want, you can start in every game.” The first half of what Lu Kai said was similar to what Drogba said.

Starting this year, Dartford is the best transit point for joining the Premier League, bar none.

As for the matches... the FA and UEFA didn't even consider the fate of the lower-league teams.

With 46 games in a season, the schedule for League One, League Two, and League Three is too stressful.

And England has gained another League Cup.

In addition to League Two and League Three, there is also the EFL Trophy.

A team like Dartford, with such a strong track record, plays enough games each year for many teams to play for two seasons.

The team is extremely exhausted.

This season, Dartford has made significant signings, bringing in only excellent players, relying on the team's overall strength to push forward on all fronts and unleash its full potential.

Every competition has its formidable players.

The main theme is that everyone can participate!
This shot will amaze the whole world!

Therefore, every player can get sufficient playing time.

But Lu Kai was unable to persuade Essien.

Because it wasn't just Liverpool that invited him.

The team he truly favored was Lyon.

Lyon has been in contact with him for some time now.

If Marseille is considered a top powerhouse in Ligue 1...

Lyon has been the king of Ligue 1 for the past two years, with a stronger appeal than Marseille.

Moreover, although all three teams have European competitions to play in, Lyon is playing in the Champions League.

Essien is still very eager for this event.

Ultimately, Essien returned to France.

Ten Hach was overjoyed when he found out.

Look, all the deals that Ben Teng personally handled have been finalized.

As a result, your personal intervention backfired.

Now you know who the real transfer master is, right?

Do you really think those few phone calls you made were the key factor in the player's decision to join?
Don't be naive!

The offline service experience is something that the telephone network can never replace.

Watching Jiang Mengyun send the quote to Bastia, Ten Hach smiled slightly; it was all in vain.

Ding!
Ten Hagh's phone rang; it was an update from The Sun, a newspaper he follows closely.

"Oh, you watch Page 3 girls too?" Ashley Young asked, puzzled. "Don't you have a wife?"

Ten Hach coughed repeatedly.

Wait, this news...

The Sun: "Arsenal make record bid! Dartford want £6 million for Ligue 1's top interceptor!"

Lu Kai's proactive disclosure of his transfer intentions raises the question: isn't he afraid Liverpool will find out he's trying to hijack the signings?
If Liverpool were to change the terms, Essien might actually go!

But Ten Hag didn't expect that if Essien really joined Dartford, Liverpool might not stop him.

Although Houllier's attitude was sincere, Liverpool's offer was actually quite conservative.

To put it bluntly, it's still uncertain whether Essien can adapt to the Premier League.

Why did a superstar like Veron fail to find success at Manchester United?
Am I not good enough?
No.

Everyone at Manchester United says Veron is very strong.

But he just couldn't adapt.

Therefore, even if people don't doubt a player's ability, they will doubt whether he can adapt to the Premier League.

Liverpool are still not confident against Essien.

It would be even better if Essien could have a trial season at Dartford.

After all, Liverpool's appeal is definitely stronger than Dartford's. Essien is playing well here, and Liverpool will go all out to sign him next year.

If they can't play well, then they'll save money.

As for taking the risk of buying it now to snag a bargain... that's the mindset of small teams and poor people.

Big teams and elite clubs aren't afraid of spending a lot of money when buying players; they're just afraid of not buying the right ones.

If a player is good, you can buy them at a high price, use them for a few years, and then sell them again at a high price.

But if a player is a flop, and their market value is reduced to one or two-tenths, then that's a real loss.

Therefore, Liverpool did not react to this news.

On the contrary, it's the French side.

Essien's former club has raised its price; they had already agreed on a price with Lyon, but now they have to pay more.

Lyon was furious.

They were already furious when they learned that Essien had been invited to Liverpool.

However, they still have seven million pounds prepared to acquire Essien.

They have a very accurate eye. They not only look at the players' abilities and whether they can adapt to their own team, but also what the super clubs will lack in the future, so as to prepare in advance.

Makelele's departure to Chelsea has left Real Madrid with a void in their defensive midfield, which is obvious to anyone. It's just a matter of how deep that void will be.

But Real Madrid will definitely need to sign a defensive midfielder in two years.

Manchester United's Keane is getting old.

Several teams are missing players like Essien; as long as he doesn't suffer a serious injury, his market value will definitely rise.

Therefore, it's not a loss to buy it at a high price.

This is similar to Lu Kai's logic.

But the question is, what kind of team is Lyon? And what kind of team is Dartford?
Liverpool wanted me, so I was forced to raise my price.

A League One team can scare Lyon into raising their bid, so does that mean my two consecutive Ligue 1 titles are less competitive than their League Two champions?
Lyon stuck to the previously agreed-upon five million pounds, refusing to pay a single penny more.

They even left a message saying, "Come if you want, don't come if you don't!"
If a player chooses to degenerate and abandons the honor of three consecutive Ligue 1 titles to try and get promoted to the Super League, then Angers has nothing to say.

Lyon didn't have any ill intentions towards Essien, but their actions and attitudes inadvertently hurt him.

“They don’t value you at all.” Bastia, who was eager to earn an extra million pounds, kept trying to persuade Essien.

In the end, it was they who approached Dartford to discuss the transfer details.

Ten Hach was completely dumbfounded.

Does Essien have shit for brains?

Why would they leave Lyon, the king of Ligue 1, to come to our lousy pond?

And so, Essien joined Dartford as Dartford's most expensive signing in club history.

Dartford have officially announced the closure of their transfer window.

Both the sale and purchase of people met or exceeded expectations.

The transfer fee received was £56 million.

The transfer fee was £24.5 million.

Net income of £31.5 million.

Since we are still enjoying tax breaks, the amount of tax we need to pay is not much.

Including the revenue from various competitions this season, the excessive sponsorship from Lianxiang, and after deducting the construction costs for the stadium in its second year, there is still a balance of nearly 20 million pounds on the books.

They can't even afford a Ronaldo or Beckham.

But for a team like Dartford, that's already too many!

Don't be too financially healthy.

Even twenty years from now, a League One team will only earn a few million pounds a season.

The popular football team Wrexham has just reached 10 million pounds, but at the same time, its losses amount to as much as 5 million pounds.

Dartford have netted approximately £40 million this year, including player sales.

It's really terrible.

If someone were to interview Lu Kai and ask him what his secret to running a football club is, he would definitely say in a very pretentious way: "When it comes to running a football club, as long as you don't buy players, you won't run out of money."

"Because buying players is like gambling. And gamblers never get a house!"

But in reality, they made their fortune from buying and selling players!

However, this time, Dartford is not just a market speculator.

Their spending ranks third in all of England!
Chelsea naturally takes the top spot with a staggering £140 million expenditure, exceeding the combined spending of the other nineteen Premier League teams.

This window is unique.

Manchester United spent the second largest amount, 56 million euros, but at the same time they made 59 million euros from player sales, so in total they actually made a profit of nearly 3 million euros.

Among them, after missing out on a series of players such as Madeira, Ronaldinho, and Shory, Manchester United finally had no choice but to turn back to their old ways.

They bought Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sporting Lisbon is asking for a whopping £13 million, making him Manchester United's most expensive player in this transfer window.

Manchester United must be furious.

Finally, since they simply couldn't avoid buying it, the team arranged a friendly match against Sporting Lisbon so that Ferguson could personally inspect the goods.

This deal, which is likely to have problems, can only be blamed on Ferguson, not on the staff.

After inspecting the goods, Ferguson found them to be quite good and readily signed the contract.

Dartford didn't sign Ronaldo during this transfer window because Ronaldo isn't strong enough at this stage and isn't worth Dartford spending over ten million pounds to buy.

Cristiano Ronaldo's strength lies in his extremely rapid progress; he can quickly grow into the best player in any new environment.

His arrival at Dartford might make him the most eye-catching player for Dartford, but his various misplays and dribbling issues might not necessarily earn him the astronomical price he would later command.

The main issue is that Ronaldo was very difficult to train during this period.

Ironically, during this period, Ferguson had plenty of time and energy to train a world-class player, which also served as Beckham's recovery period after his injury.

They're the perfect match right now.

Lu Kai decided not to bother with the trouble.

It will take at least three years for Ronaldo to catch up.

But Green Guns are aiming for good results this year.

Moreover, it's hard to say that players of this caliber can be developed even better after their environment is changed, because they are already the best.

Lu Kai's focus is on developing players who could have gone much further but didn't for various reasons. Or players with specific areas for improvement that would greatly benefit from those improvements.

Or they could be players who can be quickly improved with slight modifications.

Cristiano Ronaldo is difficult to teach, and it's easy to teach him poorly, so it's better not to teach him at all.

Arsenal earned €1 million in the transfer window and spent €27 million, resulting in a net expenditure of €26 million. Converted to pounds, this is approximately £5 million less than Dartford's expenditure.

They mainly spent 20 million euros to bring in Reyes.

Despite the seemingly large investment, the lineup has remained largely unchanged.

On the one hand, the strongest players are already in the squad; on the other hand, isn't it also because the stadium construction has begun and the economic pressure has increased?

However, Wenger doesn't think the future is bleak; on the contrary, after seeing the players, he is full of confidence for the new season.

As for the stadium... I heard that Dartford's stadium will be ready for use after this season's matches, and will be fully completed after the next season's matches.

And we are already able to settle the debt.

How long has it been?

Just one year.

Therefore, Arsenal's stadium will not become a burden that is too big to handle.

In a year or two, you can easily sell two or three players and pay off your mortgage!

Captain's armband: Ah, right, right, right!
Liverpool spent 15 million euros.

Other teams spend as much as six or seven million euros, or none at all. Teams with outstanding young players make a profit, and if Chelsea buys them, they'll make several million euros more.

In all of Europe, Dartford ranks eighth in transfer spending alone! And even eighth globally!

Chelsea, Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Manchester United.

Paris Saint-Germain, who spent the most on transfers in Ligue 1, were less than two million pounds less than Dartford, ranking ninth.

What does it mean to be shocked?
The FA really stood up for itself this time.

Chelsea's global dominance is considered a special phenomenon, unsustainable, and unrepresentative, and their performance is also poor.

What about Dartford?

My newly promoted League One team has made such impressive signings.

Do you dare say the Premier League isn't the world's number one league?

In response, major leagues initially remained silent before issuing their statements.

English League One is the world's number one "second tier league"!
Premier League: ? ? ?
Dartford and Chelsea made headlines across the financial world in no time.

The Wall Street Journal: "Chelsea joins forces with Dartford to usher in a new era of big-money football!"

Financial Times: "Abramovich and Lu, Soviet Russia and China, the English football capital sky is exceptionally red!"

Fortune: "Bates bought Chelsea for one pound, and Lu Kai bought Arsenal Green for one pound, but Lu Kai did not become the next Bates, but instead became the next Abramovich!"

Diario Sport: "A smokescreen! Dartford are still profitable in the transfer window, while Barcelona's net expenditure of 40 million euros is the real money-wasting!"

……

If it weren't for Abramovich, the 2003 summer transfer window in football might have been the worst in history, far worse than any other year.

But even without Abramovich, the summer transfer window of 2003 would still be one of the most important transfer years of the next decade.

The landscape of European football has undergone tremendous changes this year, with far-reaching impacts.

The Premier League is ushering in a new era, with Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the protagonists of the next era, taking over Manchester United.

Chelsea launches a strong attack on Manchester United.

Arsenal's newly renovated stadium.

Dartford's aggressive signings have backfired.

The La Liga Galacticos have set sail in full force, carrying boundless glory toward their demise.

Ronaldinho, a key figure of the era, joined Barcelona, ​​and the new king of the Dream Team II was crowned.

The last rays of light shone through Serie A.

Adriano is about to be crowned king.

Kaka, the protagonist of the era, takes over San Siro.

Ligue 1 is dominated by one team.

The Bundesliga has hit a historic low.

The first edition of the revamped UEFA Champions League.

The last UEFA Cup before its restructuring!

Ragnarok, an age of great strife, who will rise and who will fall?

……

Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.

"Luca, it is with regret that I inform you that you have been released by the team due to your substandard performance. You are now free to look for a new club. I wish you all the best in the new season."

The blond boy stared at the notification text message on his phone, his vision blurred with tears.

His world was destroyed!
Just like when he was six years old and herding sheep, he saw the explosion of artillery shells.

After that, he lost one of his most important family members.

Today, football is also his most important family member.

It was also the hope that his entire family depended on for survival!

People say that before you die, a series of images from your entire life will flash through your mind.

This is real.

Luca saw the phone number he had never paid attention to before, or perhaps he had memorized it the moment the other person gave him the number.

After a long silence.

"Hello, who are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for Lu Kai. I don't know if this number is correct. If it isn't, please don't hang up. I really don't know what to do. My life is terrible. Now the team doesn't want me anymore, and I can't help my family with anything. They've always worked so hard to let me play football..."

Without a pause or response, the blond boy had no idea how long he had been talking.

His voice, choked with tears, was impossible for the other person to hear clearly, but he just couldn't help wanting to speak.

On the other end of the phone, the person was clearly having a hard time listening, as if trying to figure something out.

"I'm sorry to bother you! I've wasted so much of your time." Luca prepared to hang up.

But the person on the other end seemed to have finally figured it out, and suddenly spoke up: "Modric?"

Luca trembled. Could it be... really him?
“Yes, I am Luka Modric, a former Dinamo Zagreb player. Are you Lu Kai? You once told me that if I wanted to play in England, I should contact you…”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

This is probably a silent rejection.

Modric, however, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Yes, times have changed.

That team is a renowned club, ranking eighth in Europe in terms of transfer spending. Why should I expect them to send me a trial invitation?
Go home, Modric, it's time to face reality.

Use your frail body to shoulder the burden of that place called home.

Although it was very heavy, the two people who had carried it for decades were already old.

How can you remain unmoved?

"I'm sorry, I was too presumptuous, I..." Modric began to leave gracefully.

Then the other side finally spoke up:
"Hey, Ten Hach? Book me a ticket to Zagreb, Croatia... Yes, right now, the sooner the better... I knew it! Did they forget about someone this summer?"

"Luca, are you still there, Luca? Let's meet in ten hours. First, we need to check on your club's issues and get the termination agreement... Then we'll go shopping, treat your family to dinner, and celebrate our signing..."

"You need to get back to England as soon as possible. The pre-season friendlies and other matches are about to start, so you don't have much time to integrate into the team... But don't feel pressured, you can do it..."

This summer is destined to be a great summer.

Four players left their original clubs for a place with the Ballon d'Or trophy.

Those were four different places.

But it's the same trophy!
(End of this chapter)