Starting With Real Madrid

Gao Shen and his coaching staff were without doubt the most experienced team when it came to Champions League finals.

They knew better than anyone what should and should not be done before such a game.

Even their pre-final preparations followed a complete set of procedures, with everything progressing in an orderly manner.

For example, on the eve of the final, after finishing their training session at the stadium, they returned to the hotel for dinner. The players' relatives and families also arrived in London.

That evening, Gao Shen gave the players a three-hour break to reunite with their loved ones.

The purpose was simple, to help the players relax and adjust their state of mind.

But Gao Shen himself could not stay idle.

Valdano brought him news that Džeko and his agent, Irfan Rezepagic, hoped to meet him in London.

This was one of Real Madrid's potential striker signings for the summer.

As Wenger had already learned, Higuaín had made it clear he wanted to leave Real Madrid. With only Benzema and Morata left as strikers, it was imperative to bring in another top-level forward.

Morata could not yet lead the line on his own, so Gao Shen's first choice was Lewandowski.

The Dortmund striker was very strong, but unfortunately, he was also being chased by Bayern and was unwilling to join Real Madrid to compete with Benzema.

Another option was Mandžukić.

The Bayern striker had hinted that if Lewandowski joined Bayern, he would consider leaving.

But there was another issue. Dortmund were unwilling to let Lewandowski leave this season.

Since Bayern could not get Lewandowski, they naturally would not allow Mandžukić to leave either.

And even if Mandžukić did want to transfer, would he agree to join Real Madrid only to fight Benzema for minutes?

That too was uncertain.

Llorente had already gone to Juventus, Lewandowski would either stay at Dortmund or move to Bayern, and Mandžukić's future was unclear. From the current situation, Real Madrid's striker recruitment looked troublesome.

That was why Gao Shen turned to Džeko, who was unsettled at Tottenham.

After joining Spurs, the Bosnian striker had started well, but with the arrival of Adebayor and others, competition up front had become fierce. Džeko lost form and exposed his shortcomings.

In the Bundesliga, he looked like a classic number nine, but he did not always play like one.

In the Premier League, despite working to adapt, the flaws in his game were still visible.

Yet for Real Madrid, Džeko was still a reasonable option.

He had both strength and technique. Years of Premier League football had improved his physicality and his heading ability had also advanced.

With Benzema firmly established as the main striker, Džeko could provide depth while competing with Morata.

Another option for Real Madrid was Negredo.

But signing him would cost no less than 25 million euros.

More importantly, Negredo wanted a guarantee of playing time from Gao Shen.

By comparison, Džeko's price tag of around 15 to 20 million euros was much more acceptable.

And coincidentally, the Champions League final was in London.

So Džeko and his agent hoped to arrange a meeting there.

"You go meet him, see what's real, then I'll disappear," Gao Shen decided after some thought.

Mainly because he truly had no time.

Džeko was busy with the Premier League, Gao Shen with the Champions League final. Even if they met, what could they really discuss?

Besides, after the final, Real Madrid would return to Madrid the next morning to prepare for La Liga.

There was no time to sit down for long negotiations.

"Also, keep an eye out. Džeko's agent team is not simple. Look deeper into them," Gao Shen reminded.

The European football agency scene was complicated.

Some agencies specialized in certain positions, others in players from specific regions.

Džeko's representatives specialized in players from the former Yugoslavia, and they had previously clashed with Wolfsburg over a transfer.

Moreover, Džeko was not represented by just one agency.

This often created the biggest headaches.

Too many people, too many voices, and hard to satisfy everyone. Many coaches had clashed with agents for this very reason.

But Real Madrid had plenty of experience in this field. They knew how to handle such situations.

…

At Gao Shen's insistence, Real Madrid booked a manor-style hotel in northwest London.

This was the same hotel Manchester City stayed at whenever they traveled south to play in the capital, so Gao Shen knew the place well.

Players, staff, guests invited by the club, and the players' families were all accommodated there.

After handling official matters, Gao Shen took time to visit his wife, children, and parents.

It was frustrating that his son, Xiao Gaoming, was not close to him at all.

Every time Gao Shen held him, the child would start fussing and crying within minutes.

It left Gao Shen feeling depressed.

Seeing that he needed peace and focus before the decisive match, his mother took the child away to play, giving him a break.

Gao Shen slumped onto the sofa. Su Qing came up behind him, her soft hands pressing gently on his shoulders.

Even after becoming a mother, she had not devoted all her energy solely to the child. She continued her career while still caring for Gao Shen attentively, never letting him feel neglected.

"Hey, your massage is pretty good. Did you learn from a master?" Gao Shen tilted his head and joked.

Su Qing shot him a glare and pressed harder.

But when she heard him sigh, she softened.

"Call Fernando later."

"What's up?"

"Wenger has money to spend now."

"So?"

"He wants Higuaín, but I don't think it's realistic."

As he spoke, Gao Shen laughed.

There were countless jokes about Arsenal, including the one about Higuaín getting lost in Arsenal's medical room.

In his previous life, the rumors linking Higuaín to Arsenal were endless. Some even said he had already undergone a medical, only for him to suddenly turn and join Napoli in Serie A.

In fact, Napoli were currently very interested in Higuaín.

Serie A sides badly needed a striker like him.

But there were also reports that Sarri wanted Icardi instead.

Compared to Higuaín, Icardi was cheaper and younger.

Interestingly, Wenger also had his eyes on Icardi.

This reflected the current state of European football. Just look at Real Madrid, the situation was similar.

The closer a club was to the top, the narrower the pool of available players became.

Take Real Madrid's striker search, for example. There were only two or three viable targets, and none were available.

Why was that?

The answer was simple. Van Persie and Suárez were at Manchester City, Ibrahimović and Cavani at PSG.

In the past, before City and PSG rose, all four would have been within Real Madrid's reach. Now, they were locked away in rich clubs.

Barcelona were trying to poach Thiago Silva from PSG, but who knew when PSG would strike back?

There were very few top stars, and four of them were already in the hands of wealthy clubs. Monaco had also secured Falcao from Atlético Madrid.

This was why not only proven scorers like Higuaín were in high demand, but even young strikers like Icardi, with just one strong season, were being chased by top clubs.

Big fish ate small fish, small fish ate shrimp.

The shortage of talent would trickle down the entire pyramid.

And in a market economy, when supply was low and demand was high, prices naturally soared.

Take centre-backs as another example.

In Gao Shen's previous life, Chelsea had David Luiz and Gary Cahill. Now, both were at Manchester City.

So what did Chelsea have left?

Mourinho only had an aging Terry, Alex, and Ivanović. He was almost going mad. Even though he promoted youngsters like Zouma and Kalas, it was nowhere near enough.

So now, quality central defenders were extremely scarce in Europe.

Even Real Madrid's Albiol was drawing outside attention.

This situation would only continue to intensify.

Especially with the Premier League's financial power. This was just the beginning.

In the 2013/14 season, a new Premier League broadcasting deal would come into effect. Each club's revenue would almost double. By the next season, when the new money came in and with the 2014 World Cup on the horizon, the transfer market would go even crazier.

People with foresight had already seen this coming.

But many clubs had no choice.

Take Wenger for instance.

After years of saving, Arsenal's debts had eased. But Gao Shen did not believe Wenger could really spend big on transfers.

Even in his previous life, Wenger never signed Higuaín, only Özil, for over £40 million, and even that was in installments.

But Arsenal had now missed out on the Champions League for two or three years. Without that revenue, even if Wenger tightened his belt, how much could he really afford to spend?

And besides, would Higuaín really join a club not playing Champions League football?

Gao Shen's meaning was clear. Leeds United would not act rashly.

In the transfer market, a player's value was never fixed. It rose and fell with circumstances.

Today's price could be completely different tomorrow.

Timing was everything.

"I'll pass on the message," Su Qing agreed. She handled the broader picture and finances, while Lucas and Borrell dealt with football matters.

"Lucas called today to confirm the date for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new training base. They all hope you can attend. It will be a historic day for Leeds United."

Gao Shen nodded. "Tell them I'll definitely go. I've worked for this for two or three years. Now that it's finally happening, how could I miss it?"

Indeed, he had poured enormous effort into it.

Now it was finally bearing fruit.

Not only was this the groundbreaking for Leeds United's new training base, it was also the day they would sign a strategic partnership with AXA Insurance, worth £15 million annually.

For Leeds United, this was a massive deal.

Of course, Gao Shen had to be there.

(To be continued.)