Chapter 175 – Revenues Soaring! The Grandeur of a Football Giant! Three Transfers Incoming! The Most Expensive Signing in Club History!
Calm skies.
Another beautiful day.
When Yang Cheng woke up on the soft Simmons mattress in his villa on the west side of Holland Park, he felt thoroughly refreshed from head to toe.
He got out of bed, walked over to the window, and with a swish, drew open the curtains. Blinding sunlight poured in, and his mood instantly brightened.
The Champions League final? That was already two nights ago.
After an all-night celebration in Rome, the team didn't return to London until noon the next day.
When they landed, Heathrow Airport was flooded with fans welcoming Bayswater Chinese home.
After years of meticulous management—especially with last season's Champions League title—Bayswater Chinese's influence in the London area had grown rapidly.
And now, they had become the second club in English football history to achieve the treble, and more impressively, the first-ever team to complete a sextuple in a single season.
This achievement had surpassed Manchester United!
For the people of London, it was a moment worth celebrating with all their might.
In England, Southern fans had always been looked down on by Northerners—for one reason: they didn't win enough.
Well, now that had changed.
Bayswater Chinese had arrived.
United had a treble?
Now we do too.
Liverpool had a quintuple?
**Please—**we have a sextuple.
Oh, and by the way, just to clarify—what exactly are Liverpool's five trophies?
Do they include the Premier League? The Champions League?
(Insert Xiao Yue Yue's smug face)
We've got both.
Are we proud?
Damn right we are.
London was in an uproar.
Masses of fans poured into the streets. Many weren't even Bayswater Chinese supporters—but they cheered for them all the same.
This wasn't just a football victory—it was a symbolic triumph for Southern football.
The only regret was that the new stadium hadn't broken ground yet, so the trophy parade had to be held at Wembley.
A bit of a shame.
Even so, the treble celebrations were grand—Mayor Ken Livingstone himself attended to offer congratulations.
Messages poured in from the British royal family and 10 Downing Street.
The British media responded with massive coverage, lavishing praise on Bayswater Chinese.
Meanwhile, back in Rome, Yang Cheng met with the senior executives of the Bulgari Hotel Group—and they officially reached an agreement.
Bulgari Hotels would formally move into the Bayswater Chinese new stadium complex.
There were four six-story buildings around the stadium. The structure itself was relatively simple, with projected completion in 2010, after which Bulgari would take over for interior renovations.
The stadium project itself, however, was still on a tight schedule.
But every partner involved gave their guarantee: as long as the funding stayed on track, the construction would be completed on time, with quality and quantity guaranteed.
Everything was heading in a positive direction.
And that made Yang Cheng feel absolutely at ease.
…
After washing up, he stepped out of the bedroom and heard movement downstairs in the kitchen.
He didn't need to guess—it was clearly Xia Qing preparing breakfast.
There were housekeepers, sure, but she liked doing it herself.
Hearing his footsteps, she turned around and gave him a sweet smile. "Almost ready."
Soon, a nutritious and hearty breakfast was served on the table.
After so many years in Europe, Yang Cheng had long gotten used to milk and bread.
Still, Xia Qing always found ways to bring fresh flavor out of the simplest ingredients.
Yang Cheng flipped through the morning papers, most of which were full of glowing praise for Bayswater Chinese.
Some articles were so effusive, even he felt embarrassed.
But he had to admit—this kind of media buzz worked wonders.
Especially for Bayswater Chinese's upcoming wave of commercial expansion, it would bring tremendous benefits.
Some say a Champions League title can generate revenue for two years straight.
Worth over 100 million!
Yang Cheng knew that was a bit of an exaggeration.
That figure included increased brand valuation.
But the potential returns were indeed massive.
The more elite the club, the higher the return.
And now, Bayswater Chinese was clearly joining that elite echelon.
Yang Cheng couldn't help but wonder—how much value could the aura of being the only team to defend a Champions League title in the modern era bring?
He had a packed morning ahead.
After breakfast, Yang Cheng and Xia Qing changed clothes and went out together.
A rare occasion.
Xia Qing's office was in Bayswater, while Yang Cheng's was in Brent—worlds apart.
But today, they left together.
They walked through Holland Park, strolling slowly north.
As Bayswater Chinese grew in stature, the two of them became increasingly busy.
Sometimes, during long away stints, they wouldn't even have time to sit down for dinner together for an entire week.
But they had their routine—daily phone calls.
No matter how packed their schedules, they always found a moment to call.
Hand in hand, they walked side by side.
But the moment they reached the Bayswater Chinese office, they separated—back to business.
The club now had over 200 employees, and the operation had become sizable.
Professional decorum still mattered.
Of course, everyone in the organization knew about their relationship.
So when the elevator arrived, other staff naturally stepped aside and waited for the next one, letting the two go up first.
The building wasn't that tall, anyway.
"Oh, by the way, Lukas von Cranach called yesterday—he wants to meet you," Xia Qing suddenly remembered as they rode the elevator.
Yang Cheng hadn't forgotten him.
The founder of OneFootball, though currently only operating in Germany—and still without an iOS or Android app.
"They're probably struggling to stay afloat, while London's side is developing fast," Xia Qing said simply.
Exactly as Yang Cheng had expected.
The iOS version was thriving. Thanks to Yang Cheng and Bayswater Chinese's resources, they had secured partial broadcast rights to all English leagues.
They were already eyeing Italy, France, and La Liga next.
The app had just launched on the Apple Store and was immediately featured as a Top 1000 app—with strong traffic.
A year ago, things were still uncertain.
But now, everyone recognized it—the mobile internet age was coming.
Just look at the iPhone 3G, which had already sold over 10 million units since its launch.
The explosive sales stunned the world.
And with Apple set to release a new model in early June, it was almost guaranteed to be another hit.
The more iPhone users there were, the faster the app would spread globally.
Lukas wasn't stupid. He saw what was happening.
"This guy's got talent. We don't have the bandwidth to focus on this side of the business anyway, so I'm thinking of giving him some equity and buying out his German operations," Yang Cheng said plainly.
Xia Qing agreed.
Yang Cheng's move into mobile internet had always centered around news and social media apps, aiming to control the narrative.
Just like how Xiaomi made phones and invested heavily in content creators—same logic.
And Yang Cheng had always kept a deliberate distance from this company. Even now, few people knew he was the one behind it.
Giving Lukas von Cranach some equity and letting him continue to shine was the best outcome.
Yang Cheng, as always, was the man pulling all the strings from behind the scenes.
"I'll make the arrangements later," he said casually, then turned to look at the increasingly powerful and commanding woman beside him. Unable to resist, he reached over and gently scratched the center of her palm.
Xia Qing blushed, her face tinged pink, but kept up her composed appearance. Just as the elevator doors were about to open, she leaned in and whispered softly, "I'll deal with you when we get home."
Yang Cheng grinned and followed her out of the elevator.
…
Today's meeting was a mid-level management meeting. All heads and deputies of each department were present.
Even the staff from the Brent Training Centre had made it.
At this point, Bayswater Chinese was absolutely brimming with talent, and the not-so-large meeting room was filled to capacity.
Adam Crozier, the club's CEO, opened the meeting with a report on the club's achievements over the past season.
The footballing success needed no elaboration—everyone had seen it with their own eyes.
So he focused on the business side.
According to preliminary calculations, Bayswater Chinese earned over £90 million from broadcasting rights and prize money last season.
The final figure wasn't out yet because UEFA hadn't finished settlement, but one thing was certain: as reigning champions, Bayswater Chinese would earn €38 million from the Champions League alone.
That included around €18 million from TV broadcasting revenue.
UEFA's Champions League revenue came in two forms: match bonuses and TV rights.
All 32 group-stage teams earned €3 million just for qualifying. Wins, draws, and progression through rounds brought additional bonuses.
That was the match bonus pool.
The TV pool was allocated based on national markets. For example, in the UK, the rights sold for the Champions League brought UEFA a huge sum. After taking their cut, UEFA redistributed the rest among the Premier League clubs participating.
Hence, the English TV pool was the largest—and the four English clubs got the biggest cuts.
In this year's top 10 Champions League earners, the Premier League took four spots.
Bayswater Chinese topped the list with €38 million, roughly £30 million at a 1.25 exchange rate.
Surprisingly, Bayern Munich came second—despite only reaching the quarterfinals. That's because the Bundesliga only had three teams in the competition, and Bayern performed best.
Bayern earned nearly €35 million, just behind Bayswater Chinese.
Barcelona, with all their flair, only earned about €30 million, ranking fifth—behind even Manchester United and Arsenal.
The reason? La Liga's TV pool is much smaller.
For example, Bayswater Chinese, just for reaching the final, earned €18 million from the TV pool.
United and Arsenal, both semifinalists, each earned €15 million.
But Barcelona?
Only €8 million—because Champions League broadcasting rights in Spain were sold for far less.
The Premier League prize money rankings were already out:
Bayswater Chinese: nearly £60 millionArsenal: £56 millionManchester United: £55 million
United's earnings slightly edged out Arsenal's due to more televised matches.
Adam Crozier then moved on to domestic cup competitions. Factoring in the FA Cup, Club World Cup, and Community Shield, Bayswater Chinese earned over £95 million from broadcasting and prize money in 2008/09, with a chance to push it close to £100 million.
The entire room buzzed with excitement.
Nearly £100 million in prize and broadcast revenue alone?!
That was elite club territory.
Crozier then addressed matchday revenue.
In the second half of the season, most home games were sold out.
Total ticket revenue exceeded £95 million.
Add in £20 million from VIP suites and £20 million from retail sales, and matchday income exceeded £135 million.
The excitement in the room grew even louder.
At this point, people were practically ready to worship Yang Cheng.
That decision to rent Wembley Stadium?
Absolutely genius.
The annual rent for Wembley? Only £5 million.
But that 90,000-seat stadium had earned Bayswater Chinese £135 million in one season.
Is there a more profitable investment than this?
As the saying goes, a football club's revenue comes from three major pillars:
Matchday incomeBroadcasting revenueCommercial revenue
Bayswater Chinese had made massive gains in the first two.
But in the last two years, commercial income had plateaued at around £40 million annually.
Crozier explained—this was due to contract limitations.
Many of the club's early sponsorship deals were exclusive, and back then, Bayswater Chinese had no name, no influence. Getting any sponsor at all had been a blessing.
Take kit and shirt sponsorship, for example.
Their current kit sponsor, Puma, paid £10 million per season.
That sounds like a lot—until you compare it to Manchester United.
Since 2002, United's Nike deal paid £23 million annually.
And United were still unhappy with it.
They had just signed a new £80 million deal over four years with American insurance giant Aon—that's £20 million per year for the front-of-shirt sponsor alone.
Meanwhile, Bayswater Chinese's front-of-shirt sponsor, Prudential, was paying just £8 million per year.
And United's other sponsorships far outpaced Bayswater Chinese's as well.
Crozier revealed that the club's commercial team had been working intensely with global partners.
"In the past two years, we've completely overhauled our sponsorship system," he said. "It's been a full upgrade."
"We're confident that in the next few years, commercial revenue will grow rapidly."
This so-called "upgrade" wasn't complicated—it meant renegotiating all major contracts.
Many of those current deals would expire at the end of the 2010/11 season—so talks were underway.
And progress was good.
Crozier estimated that Bayswater Chinese would rank 3rd or 4th in Europe in total revenue for 2008/09.
Their exact place depended on how much United made.
United's commercial strength was still elite. Deloitte had previously estimated United's total revenue at over €330 million.
But they still trailed Real Madrid (€400 million) and Barcelona (€370 million).
La Liga giants had an unfair advantage—their domestic TV rights dwarfed every other league.
Bayswater Chinese might not outpace United yet—but they would definitely surpass Bayern Munich.
All of this was thanks to two things:
The team's exceptional performances, andThe decision to rent Wembley Stadium.
Both moves were spearheaded by Yang Cheng.
Everyone in the room looked at him with newfound awe.
…
Toward the end of the meeting, Yang Cheng took the floor in his capacity as Vice Chairman.
He began by thanking the leadership team, especially Adam Crozier and Xia Qing, for their tireless work over the past few years.
Yang Cheng also extended his gratitude to every department colleague present.
He then announced that despite the ongoing global economic crisis affecting many football clubs and businesses worldwide, Bayswater Chinese remained completely stable.
"We're still in a period of rapid growth!"
Not only would there be no spending cuts, but the club was also planning to increase employee salaries in 2010.
"This reflects the confidence that I and the executive team have in the club's future!"
This decision had been carefully prepared by Xia Qing ahead of time.
The depreciation of the pound and the upcoming increase in income tax for 2010 were likely to affect senior staff significantly. And although the economic climate was gloomy, Bayswater Chinese's salary structure remained highly competitive.
Introducing a pay raise at this moment—even a small one—would do wonders for morale.
Adam Crozier fully supported the move.
Yang Cheng concluded by calling on everyone to fulfill their duties.
"We have both the confidence and the determination to turn Bayswater Chinese into the best, top-tier club in European football!"
With two Champions League trophies now secured, calling Bayswater Chinese a superclub wasn't a stretch.
But they still lacked the heritage and legacy of the old giants.
That would take time.
In recent years, the club's revenue had soared—largely thanks to Adam Crozier's contributions.
But he wouldn't be included in the pay raise.
His annual salary was already £2 million, plus a year-end bonus of £1 million—making him, without question, the highest-paid executive in the Premier League.
Even among top clubs in Europe, he was among the highest earners.
At the Royal Mail, he had only earned £1 million plus stock bonuses—and was roundly criticized for it.
Now? Bayswater Chinese's compensation package was more than generous.
…
After the general meeting, Yang Cheng held a smaller session with Chris Hunter, Adam Crozier, Xia Qing, and other department heads to discuss the new stadium project.
At the moment, the project was still in the foundation-pouring phase, and the base structure of the stadium itself was proving quite complex.
Once that phase was completed, construction would move quickly—until interior decoration slowed things down again.
Of the four surrounding towers, three were already in preliminary talks: Bulgari Hotels, Peninsula Hotels, and Yang Real Estate's shopping center.
But these were just initial agreements.
With projects of this scale, follow-up negotiation and coordination were crucial—any misstep could lead to collapse.
Chris Hunter, as head of infrastructure, was under tremendous pressure.
Earlier, he and Xia Qing had studied the possibility of buying an office building in central London—both to serve as the club's new headquarters and as an investment property.
After Yang Cheng approved, they began the search.
They eventually narrowed it down to five candidates:
One was in Kensington, east of Holland Park—close to both Yang Cheng's home and Bayswater. But it was small: only four floors, 700 square meters per floor. Not much larger than the current rented office—and the price wasn't cheap.Another was near Canary Wharf, London's hottest new area. A modern ten-story tower, very spacious—but expensive and the furthest away.A third was near Fleet Street, close to where Xia Qing once worked at Goldman Sachs. Also prime real estate.A fourth was near Liverpool Street Station: seven floors, 2,300 sqm per floor. A rare full-glass façade in central London, just 500 meters from the station. But it sat in a highly congested area where five subway lines intersect.
This building was the most expensive, with an asking price of £250 million. Even with negotiations, it would likely cost over £200 million. It was also 8 kilometers from Bayswater's new stadium.
The fifth, and most promising, was in Mayfair—a historic, Grade II-listed building.
Chris Hunter had taken many photos and prepared a full PowerPoint presentation.
"It's located between Marble Arch and Bond Street stations, near Grosvenor Square. Five stories high, with over 3,000 sqm per floor. Currently semi-vacant, with the only tenant being the UK government, which houses several agencies there."
The building had been sold years earlier by the government to an asset management firm. Since then, the firm had suffered from the subprime mortgage crash, the Eurozone crisis, and the pound's devaluation—leading to heavy losses.
"They had planned to renovate the building," Chris explained.
"That's quite common in central London. After renovation, each floor could reach 4,000 sqm. The exterior would also get a modern upgrade."
"Over the years, they've been gradually clearing out tenants—consultancies, foundations, investment banks."
"I learned that when fully occupied, the UK government alone contributed 50% of rental income under a ten-year lease."
Mayfair bordered Westminster and Victoria, areas filled with UK government departments. Neighboring Soho was home to media, fashion, retail, and creative companies.
Back when Adam Crozier led the FA, he had moved the HQ to Soho—near Soho Square.
In Yang Cheng's previous life, Manchester United had also moved their HQ to Mayfair.
Crozier and United both saw London—and Mayfair and Soho in particular—as hubs for attracting top global talent.
"Currently, this building is attracting international investor attention. The seller is asking £65 million, which isn't too high."
"The issue is, renovation alone would cost at least £50 million."
Many international investors backed off for this reason.
But the building's advantage was clear: a stable tenant—the UK government—with guaranteed rental income.
In fact, this was a known business model in London.
Asset managers would buy properties like this, renovate them, lease them out, operate them for several years, and then sell to foreign investors—often with substantial profit margins.
Foreign investors, on the other hand, were happy to settle for 5% rental returns annually.
Yang Cheng didn't comment immediately. He turned to Xia Qing.
She nodded gently.
"I had someone investigate—Marble Arch, Bond Street, Oxford Circus—these are among the highest foot-traffic areas in London."
"You'll never lack tenants there."
"If they really can expand it to 4,000 sqm per floor, annual rental income could reach £10 million. The UK government alone would contribute about £4 million of that."
She paused, then concluded firmly:
"This deal is worth doing."
The biggest reason?
Bayswater Chinese had deep familiarity with Westminster.
Once acquired, the club could oversee renovations themselves—and manage the whole project smoothly.
If it were a foreign investor, they probably wouldn't have the guts to pull the trigger.
"Let's do it!" Yang Cheng decided instantly.
He trusted Xia Qing's judgment.
If she believed it was a good deal, then it was worth doing.
Xia Qing smiled with confidence. "I'll take care of the financing."
She clearly had everything planned out in advance.
Everyone in the room could feel Yang Cheng's decisiveness.
In a few years, Bayswater Chinese would not only have one of the world's most advanced stadiums in land-scarce Bayswater, but also an office building in London's most prestigious district: Mayfair.
If that's not elite superclub status, what is?
Still, Chris Hunter had been so busy juggling the stadium and office projects that the satellite training centers had been neglected.
So far, only eight centers had been completed—well below Yang Cheng's earlier expectations.
But Yang Cheng didn't press him on it.
Chris really had his hands full.
The infrastructure department was understaffed—just like many other departments at Bayswater Chinese.
As the club continued to grow rapidly, both the commercial and infrastructure departments were stretched thin.
Yang Cheng reminded Chris again to start expanding the team quickly—because once the stadium was finished, things would get even busier.
…
After the mid-level meeting, Yang Cheng sat down with Su Qing, Adam Crozier, Omar Berrada, and others to discuss the club's summer tour of the United States.
By the way—Yang Cheng's earlier proposal to turn Premier League preseason tours into official events had been rejected at the Premier League summit.
Many smaller clubs simply didn't have the need for it.
Take Burnley, for example—newly promoted this season after a hard-fought playoff win against Sheffield United.
The town of Burnley has only 88,000 people.
Even Burnley's young manager, Owen Coyle, joked:
"When Bayswater Chinese play at Wembley, there are more people in the stadium than in the entire town of Burnley."
After promotion, Burnley rushed to pencil in £60 million in next season's budget.
Why £60 million?
A relegated Premier League team earns around £30 million from broadcasting, plus £8 million in matchday income, a £15 million parachute fund, and other small revenues.
Add it all up—£60 million minimum.
Burnley's transfer budget? Only £3 million.
How could a club like that possibly consider going abroad for preseason?
This wasn't the Premier League of 2024—globalization was still developing.
To many mid- and lower-table clubs, the overseas market was just a way for big clubs to take them along for the ride.
And they would never agree to equal revenue sharing of international rights—a proposal supported by the top clubs.
And those smaller clubs? They held more voting power.
Adam Crozier suggested that Bayswater Chinese should take the lead by partnering with other top Premier League clubs, as well as Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and other giants.
Together, they would form a new company to organize and operate this new venture.
The idea? A preseason tournament.
Invite a few fixed teams and rotate others in by group.
Yang Cheng even had a name ready: the International Champions Cup.
In his view, such a lucrative opportunity should not be handed over to American promoters.
Especially since they would just screw it up in the end.
But that was a plan for the long term.
…
After finishing the meeting with Crozier and the others, Yang Cheng realized that Dan Ashworth and Mike Rigg were still waiting in the office.
It was already noon.
So Yang Cheng suggested they all head to Golden Mountain Restaurant on Queensway for lunch.
His treat.
A large group made their way over, stopping by the new stadium construction site for a quick inspection along the way.
At the restaurant, after everyone was seated, Yang Cheng called Dan Ashworth and Mike Rigg aside and handed them a list.
"These three players—I want you to sign them."
This time, Yang Cheng was determined not to show his face.
With the club now so high-profile, every move he made was under scrutiny.
He couldn't afford to make waves.
"I won't be involved in the summer transfer window. Everything's up to you. The three on the list—go handle negotiations and report back to me anytime."
Dan and Mike leaned in to check the list.
The first name: Andy Carroll, Newcastle United's young center forward.
Not a household name yet, but they'd heard of him. A promising young striker, strong in the air, decent feet, and already capped for England U19: eight appearances, four goals.
With Newcastle relegated, the club was falling apart.
Carroll hadn't yet proven himself at senior level, and his value wasn't high—but Newcastle wouldn't be easy to deal with.
Yang Cheng's valuation? Around £3 million.
The reason for signing Carroll was simple: he was a stopgap.
Harry Kane was still too young, not turning 16 until the end of July—far from ready.
And it looked unlikely that Džeko would stay.
Relying solely on Lewandowski and Lambert for the new season wasn't enough.
So they needed a third striker.
Bayswater Chinese played a lot of wide attacks—Carroll, as an aerial threat, was a good tactical fit.
The second name: Kyle Walker from Sheffield United.
Fans from 2024 would know him well—king of the slide tackle, one of England's fastest and strongest right-backs.
Described as:
"No one faster is stronger, and no one stronger is faster."
But most people underestimated Walker's technical ability.
While at Tottenham, his passing success rate consistently stayed above 80%.
After joining Manchester City in 2017, under Guardiola's possession-heavy system, that number jumped to 90%.
His ball control and passing were massively underrated.
Still, his aggressive playing style, love of hard challenges, and brash personality earned him the "rough player" label.
But the data didn't lie.
A fullback Guardiola valued couldn't possibly lack technique.
Right now, Tottenham were competing for his signature too.
Sheffield United had lost the promotion playoff to Burnley—they'd stay in the Championship next season.
So luring Walker away wasn't difficult.
Tottenham reportedly wanted both of Sheffield's right-backs: Walker and Kyle Naughton.
Walker had barely played, Naughton was the starter.
Yang Cheng's offer for Walker? Up to £3 million.
With two English players on the list—a striker and a right-back—Ashworth and Rigg could tell these were depth signings.
Cover for Džeko and Maicon.
The current core players were already in place—Lewandowski and Piszczek, two Polish internationals that Yang Cheng had personally groomed for years. Their talent and consistency were well proven.
But the last name on the transfer list came with a hefty price tag.
Javi Martínez, from Athletic Club Bilbao.
A highly regarded midfield talent who had been well-known across European football for years. At just shy of 21, Javi Martínez was already attracting serious attention from multiple top clubs, including Barcelona and Real Madrid.
And yet, no club had made a bid.
Why?
Because Athletic Club was notoriously difficult to negotiate with.
The Basque Lions only recruited players of Basque descent, which meant their talent pool was narrow—and the players they did have were highly protected.
In short, prying a player away from Athletic was always an uphill battle.
"I've heard that both Liverpool and Arsenal are interested in Javi Martínez too," Dan Ashworth reminded Yang Cheng.
This was a hot commodity.
Quality midfielders were hard to come by these days.
Just look at how coveted Yaya Touré was—no further explanation needed.
Javi Martínez, at this stage, was not yet a pure defensive midfielder or center-back, but rather a box-to-box midfielder, excellent at both attacking and defending, with strong passing ability and technical control.
It was no surprise that so many elite clubs were circling.
And the whole world knew—Bayswater Chinese's contract renewal talks with Yaya Touré had stalled. The Ivorian was likely to leave in the summer.
So, despite having Matić, Yang Cheng still wanted to bring in another defensive-minded midfielder.
Javi Martínez was a perfect fit.
"What's his current valuation?" Yang Cheng asked.
Dan looked over to Mike Rigg. The latter thought for a moment and said, "Estimated around £10 million—but word is, Athletic will only sell if the release clause is triggered."
"Release clause…" Yang Cheng let out a helpless chuckle.
That was typical of Athletic Club. If you wanted one of their players, you had to pay the clause.
Of course, release clauses in La Liga weren't just random numbers—they were often negotiable, tied to the player's salary and contract terms.
"Right now, Javi Martínez's clause is €16 million. But there are rumors Athletic want to extend his contract—and if that happens, the clause will go up."
Yang Cheng already knew that.
In real history, Javi Martínez renewed around 2010, and his release clause jumped to €40 million.
That's exactly what Bayern Munich eventually paid to sign him.
Yang Cheng did have a backup plan: Lucas Biglia, the Argentine midfielder from Anderlecht.
Excellent passing vision, strong defensive skills—but a bit short.
Yang Cheng still leaned toward Javi Martínez.
"Then let's just do it—€16 million, we'll pay it." he said decisively.
Dan Ashworth and Mike Rigg both stared at him in shock.
As if wondering—did they hear that right?
Yang Cheng noticed their expressions. "What's wrong?"
The two exchanged a look, then shook their heads.
"Speak up," Yang Cheng said.
"Yang, are you sure you want to spend €16 million on Javi Martínez?" Dan asked.
That's roughly £12.8 million.
"What's the issue?" Yang Cheng frowned.
Given Bayswater Chinese's current revenue and status, spending €16 million on a player was hardly jaw-dropping.
Mike Rigg chimed in, "You know, the most expensive signing in our club's history was Arshavin, at £6 million, which was about €9 million at the time."
Yang Cheng raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Dan smiled bitterly. "We've never made a signing over €10 million before—let alone €16 million."
It would be the most expensive transfer in club history.
That's when Yang Cheng finally understood.
These two were just… not used to it.
And he couldn't blame them.
Over the past few years, the club had run a tight ship, with Yang Cheng constantly looking for undervalued gems—low input, high output.
But now that Bayswater Chinese had grown into a top club, the bar for new signings had risen significantly.
There simply weren't that many world-class players available—and Yang Cheng didn't want to disrupt the system they'd worked so hard to build.
That meant sometimes, you had to spend big.
And besides, €16 million? For a superclub?
Not even a splash.
"You'd better get used to it," Yang Cheng chuckled. "Because deals like this will only become more common."
He had a feeling the staff probably called him stingy behind his back.
But hey—if he hadn't been frugal in the early days, Bayswater Chinese wouldn't even exist right now.
"Yang, just to be sure—isn't it a little early to pull the trigger?" Dan asked cautiously.
He was worried about one thing: what if Yaya Touré ended up staying? What would they do with Javi then?
"Relax," Yang Cheng said, smirking. "We've got Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal all watching him."
"You really think we can hold on to him?"
He wasn't buying it for a second.
"All right then—move fast on those three. And keep it quiet." Yang Cheng instructed.
Dan and Mike nodded and left.
Yang Cheng let out a quiet sigh.
He couldn't be involved in everything anymore.
The media watched his every move. Other clubs did too.
Now, he had to let his team handle things.
And as for him?
This summer, he'd stay at the Brent Training Centre, focusing on youth recruitment—keeping a low profile.
His plan was simple: sell Džeko (striker), Yaya Touré (midfield), and Maicon (defense).
Together, those three should bring in a hefty sum in transfer fees.
Sure, the squad might take a slight hit—but nothing too major.
Besides, the team was maturing, year by year. Their base strength was still on the rise.
And in all three positions, capable replacements were already lined up.
Yang Cheng remained fully confident about the new Premier League season.
Every transfer window made him think of Toni Kroos.
He still kept in personal contact with "Coach Toni."
In January 2009, Bayern loaned him to Leverkusen, where he played well under Heynckes.
Bayern still viewed Kroos as a future core player.
And though Kroos felt frustrated by Bayern's lack of appreciation, he wasn't quite ready to leave.
That meant Yang Cheng still couldn't find the right moment to make a move.
There had been rumors that Bayern were interested in Yaya Touré, and Yang Cheng had hoped to use that as leverage.
But then Bayern turned around and started flirting with Robben from Real Madrid.
Dear God… when will I finally get my golden midfield trio together?
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