Chapter 176 – Sky-High Fees Everywhere! These Superclubs Are Just Too Rich!
As soon as June arrived, Spanish football experienced a historic shock that rocked the world.
Florentino Pérez, the former president of Real Madrid who had stepped down over three years ago, staged a triumphant return—reclaiming the presidency unopposed.
On June 1st, he officially took office.
At his inauguration, Florentino proudly announced that Real Madrid had completed the biggest transfer deal in football history, signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for €94 million, roughly £75 million.
"We've pulled off a deal that once seemed impossible!"
The announcement sent a shockwave across all of European football.
That Ronaldo would leave for Real Madrid wasn't a secret.
But the fee? €94 million?!
Absolutely staggering.
The Spanish media went wild, and international outlets from all over the world followed suit.
It was exhilarating.
It had been years since European football saw a transfer of this magnitude for a global superstar.
At the same time, Florentino stressed—this was only the beginning of Real Madrid's summer transfer campaign.
"More of the world's top players will follow."
He vowed to restore Real Madrid to its former glory, to reclaim the club's tarnished brand after years of decline.
Under his leadership, the club would again become the brightest jewel in world football, a destination for the greatest stars.
Though he didn't reveal exact names, AS and MARCA, Madrid's loyal newspapers, published leaked target lists:
Džeko, Maicon, Yaya Touré, Xabi Alonso, Fàbregas, David Silva, David Villa…
AS even claimed that Florentino had personally called Lionel Messi, asking if he'd consider joining Real Madrid.
"Florentino wants to build a Galáctico squad capable of challenging Barcelona—in one summer."
Back in 2006, the term Galáctico was scorned by fans, synonymous with failure.
But by 2009, after enduring the chaos of Calderón and Mijatović, Madridistas were nostalgic.
Same resources. Same club.
Why did it feel so different now?
Of course, as Madrid opened its wallet wide, an internal purge also began.
According to AS, Real Madrid's squad had 28 players, and with more signings incoming, a clear-out was imminent.
Names on the chopping block included Van Nistelrooy, Sneijder, Robben, Van der Vaart, Drenthe—many of them Dutch.
Manager Juande Ramos wouldn't survive either. Madrid was actively searching for the next man to steer the Galácticos.
But Europe lacked suitable candidates.
Even Carlo Ancelotti, widely seen as the perfect fit, had just been announced by Manchester City on June 1st.
That threw Madrid's managerial search into disarray.
…
Real Madrid's explosive moves triggered a domino effect across Europe.
By contrast, Manchester United kept quiet.
After selling Ronaldo, they showed no urgency to buy.
The only confirmed move was that Ferguson had entered the race for Wigan's winger, Antonio Valencia.
When asked by the media, the legendary United manager admitted:
"We're interested in Yaya Touré from Bayswater Chinese."
United weren't the first to show interest in Yaya—and they wouldn't be the last.
Meanwhile, Manchester City, alongside Ancelotti's appointment, spent £30 million (around €37.5 million) to sign Andrea Pirlo from AC Milan.
The race for top midfielders was officially on.
Everyone knew it now—midfield wins matches.
Last season, the two most midfield-focused teams—Bayswater Chinese and Barcelona—had achieved the best results.
"Control the midfield, rule the game."
This idea had never been more validated.
The problem? Top midfielders were either locked down or nearly impossible to sign.
Take David Silva from Valencia.
Even though the club was in financial crisis, they refused to negotiate with Real Madrid.
Spanish media claimed Madrid bid repeatedly for Silva and Villa—and were rejected every time.
"Valencia will not sell to Real Madrid. Period."
To other clubs?
Sure—but the price?
€50 million or more.
And players like Xabi Alonso, who had fallen out with Liverpool and wanted to leave, still had multiple suitors.
But Alonso made his intentions clear:
"I only want to join Real Madrid."
Everyone else?
Not interested.
Meanwhile, Barcelona wasn't standing still either.
Their biggest pursuit was the center forward position, which had been swirling in rumors for two summers.
Last year, they had reportedly offered Eto'o plus cash for Ibrahimović.
Now, La Gazzetta dello Sport confirmed it.
Barça had offered €25 million plus Eto'o in exchange for Inter's Zlatan Ibrahimović.
The source? None other than Zlatan's agent, Mino Raiola.
But Inter rejected the offer.
That rejection alone shook Europe again.
€25 million + Eto'o—and Inter said no?!
In addition to a new striker, Barça also looked to strengthen the backline.
Puyol was already 31, and Guardiola wanted a younger, top-tier center-back.
According to Catalan media, his top two targets were: Thiago Silva and Pepe.
…
"What is this?!"
In the Bayswater Chinese office in London, Yang Cheng stood behind his desk, fuming as he pointed at the stack of faxes piled high in front of him.
Annoyed. Amused. Helpless.
"Europe has so many damn clubs. Why is everyone trying to fleece us? Do we look that easy to bully?"
"Look at this—Barça's bald fraud wants new center-backs. His top two choices? Our starters."
"Oh, you lost the Champions League Final, and now you want to win it back on the transfer market? Dream on!"
Across from him, Xia Qing, Adam Crozier, Dan Ashworth, and Mike Rigg were also shaking their heads, half-laughing, half-irritated.
"What can we do?" Adam Crozier shrugged. "We're not that dominant yet."
"Yeah, and they know we're building a new stadium," Dan added, "which means they're banking on us needing cash."
He couldn't help but laugh. "Since June 1st, my office phone has practically exploded."
"It's either clubs trying to poach our players, or agents calling to test the waters."
This was, in fact, quite normal.
The transfer market was always shrouded in mystery and chaos.
The only difference was that Bayswater Chinese's players were simply too desirable.
Last season's sextuple winners were short on cash and looking to sell players—what a perfect opportunity for the rest of Europe's giants.
"Mubarak and Florentino both called me to ask about our players. I still haven't figured out how to respond," Adam Crozier admitted with a troubled look.
Manchester City, Arsenal, and Real Madrid—none of them were short on money.
"How to respond?" Yang Cheng grinned. "Easy. Highest bidder wins."
"If they all want him? Great—let's start a bidding war."
Everyone had guessed Yang Cheng would say exactly that.
Because the reality was simple—Bayswater Chinese's players were pure gold right now.
Take Džeko, for example.
In all of European football, where else could you find a striker as complete, technically gifted, and consistent as he was?
Ibrahimović?
Sure, he had the skills—but he also had a reputation for being uncontrollable.
More importantly, Bayswater Chinese players had relatively low wages.
"The deal Barcelona offered for Ibrahimović? They also floated it to us," Dan Ashworth cut in. "€25 million plus Eto'o—for Džeko."
Yang Cheng scoffed. "And you replied?"
"Rejected."
Yang Cheng gave him a look of satisfaction and approval.
"Eto'o's contract runs until 2010—just one more year. Based on his current market value, he's worth at most €30 million," Dan explained.
Had Barça been more decisive and sold Eto'o last summer, when tensions were already boiling, they might've fetched a better fee.
Instead, they held onto him for another year. Things didn't escalate publicly, but his contract was now running out, and everyone knew it.
In Yang Cheng's previous life, many were baffled:
"How could Barça be stupid enough to spend €46 million plus Eto'o to get Ibrahimović?"
But the truth? That deal wasn't inherently flawed.
Eto'o only had a year left, had completely fallen out with the club and the coach, and was demanding €10 million a year in wages.
Even without the swap, very few clubs could or would meet those conditions.
Perhaps only two or three could.
Meanwhile, Ibrahimović was at the peak of his powers.
So when Barça used Eto'o as part of the deal, they were already driving his value to rock bottom.
The real issue wasn't that transfer.
It was what Barça did after.
Their follow-up with Ibrahimović, with Chygrynskiy—buying high, selling low within a year—was disastrous.
Forget the sporting side—the business was a mess.
Sure, it's common for stars at big clubs to leave under unfortunate circumstances.
But few clubs handled it as poorly as Barcelona did.
Just ask Ronaldinho, Deco, Rivaldo, Ibra...
Let alone the fact that in Yang Cheng's previous life, Barça regularly threw €100 million+ at signings like it was pocket change.
Yang Cheng honestly couldn't wrap his head around it.
"There's news that Chelsea are now in talks with Barça for Eto'o," Mike Rigg added.
That got Yang Cheng's attention. "So Hiddink's staying on?"
"Pretty much," Rigg nodded.
Whether Hiddink would stay had been a hot topic in the British press.
His coaching ability was undeniable.
Even though Chelsea missed out on next season's Champions League, if Hiddink stayed, the Blues would remain formidable.
Rumors also swirled that Hiddink had recommended Wesley Sneijder to the board.
Yang Cheng wasn't surprised.
To be honest, the transfer market was full of wild cards.
Just look at Madrid's fire sale—Sneijder, Robben, van der Vaart—all hot commodities.
Sneijder alone had United, Chelsea, Inter, and City chasing him.
Robben? Even more.
United, City, Arsenal, Inter, Milan, Bayern...
Where they ended up didn't matter—any of them made sense.
What really changed was Yang Cheng's memories of his past life.
Especially now that Arsenal actually had money.
Last season, Wenger's Gunners had overtaken United late in the title race, finishing second—a clear sign that Wenger's magic hadn't faded.
Now, after last year's wild spending, this summer's priority was keeping the squad together and filling the remaining gaps.
Top of the list?
Fàbregas.
Both Madrid and Barça were circling him, leaving Wenger frustrated.
Rumors had it Wenger was preparing a massive contract renewal to lock him down.
For Yang Cheng, the European football world was starting to feel increasingly alien.
The transfer market had become so unpredictable—even he couldn't read the trends anymore.
Benzema to Arsenal?
Kaká at City?
Would Real Madrid still make as big a splash this summer?
And if Eto'o really did go to Chelsea, what would become of Mourinho's Inter?
Everything was up in the air.
…
Munich, Germany — Säbener Strasse 51, Bayern Munich Headquarters.
Second floor. Upstairs, turn right, first office on the right-hand side.
Christian Nerlinger, Bayern's newly appointed sporting director and former German international, was busy moving into his new office.
At 36 years old, Nerlinger had previously served as the team manager.
But now, he was stepping into the spotlight as Bayern's new sports boss.
Internally, everyone knew—this was just the beginning.
His real destination?
Succeeding Uli Hoeneß as general manager.
This was all part of a major internal restructuring at Bayern.
As Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Hoeneß put it, they were modeling themselves after the best club in the world.
Who?
Bayswater Chinese.
The world didn't know it yet, but inside Bayern, this reform had been in the works for quite some time.
One key part?
A paperless office.
Bayswater Chinese had been the first club in Europe—and possibly the world—to implement fully paperless operations.
And it had been wildly successful.
But at Bayern, Rummenigge, Hoeneß, and many others were still old-school.
They barely knew how to use the latest iPhones or BlackBerry smartphones.
Bayern still operated in a very traditional way.
But younger leaders like Nerlinger were different.
He worked entirely through computers and smartphones.
More and more, people like him were rising through the ranks.
Knock, knock.
Hearing the knock, Nerlinger looked up and saw the secretary who had shown him in earlier.
"Something up?"
"Mr. Hoeneß would like to see you," the secretary said politely.
Nerlinger put down what he was doing, grabbed his BlackBerry, and followed her out.
Their offices were right next to each other, with only the secretaries' shared office in between.
If you raised your voice, you could practically shout from one room to the other.
This had long been a Bayern Munich tradition: the general manager and sporting director worked side by side for smoother coordination and communication.
Hoeneß was clearly expecting him—the office door was open.
Nerlinger walked up and knocked. "Uli, you wanted to see me?"
"Christian, take a look at this," Hoeneß said, clearly troubled, slumped in his chair as he gestured toward the documents on the desk.
"What's going on?" Nerlinger asked with a grin as he picked up the top sheet.
Real Madrid had submitted an offer for Franck Ribéry—€80 million.
Nerlinger's eyes widened in shock. He looked at Hoeneß, as if asking silently: Is this for real?
Hoeneß gave a slight nod.
"They must be insane!" Nerlinger exhaled sharply.
That was €80 million.
My God.
Where did Real Madrid get all this money?
"What do you think?" Hoeneß asked, calm as ever.
That question put Nerlinger in a tight spot.
Because yes—€80 million was very tempting.
Florentino, Madrid's returning president, wasn't holding back. That kind of offer wasn't meant to be turned down.
But could they really sell?
From Bayern's perspective, Ribéry had significantly raised the team's level since joining.
They had signed him for €60 million.
Selling him now for €80 million would mean a profit.
But…
It felt like a test—an initiation, of sorts.
And once he realized that, Nerlinger quickly calmed himself.
"I don't think we should sell."
"Why?" Hoeneß asked.
"If we only see ourselves as Bundesliga contenders, then yes—selling Ribéry now is a good business move."
Hoeneß remained quiet, waiting for more.
"But if we want to compete in Europe and aim for the Champions League, then we cannot let Ribéry go. Losing him would mean giving up our top-tier talent—and our competitiveness along with it."
Hoeneß gave no immediate reply. Instead, he said, "The technical staff suggested we sell Ribéry and use the money to sign Robben. What do you think?"
"I heard Real Madrid gave Robben an ultimatum. Is that true?" Nerlinger asked.
He was new to the sporting director role—plenty of scouting intel had yet to reach him.
"It's absolutely true. The message was sent to Robben, his agent, and his father. Real Madrid made it clear: he will not be registered for official matches next season."
That made Nerlinger frown.
Not registering Robben meant they were basically freezing him out—forcing him and his camp to find a new club.
Typical ruthless Madrid tactics.
"Could we sign Robben?" he asked in return.
Hoeneß smirked slightly. "Why?"
"Ribéry plays best on the left. Robben could take the right. I think if we land Robben, our attacking strength would be significantly improved. That could elevate us to true European elite level."
At that, a flash of approval passed through Hoeneß's eyes.
No wonder Nerlinger was chosen for the role.
"Won't be easy."
"Why not?"
"All the Premier League giants are circling him. Besides Chelsea and Bayswater Chinese, we've heard interest from almost every other big English club."
Nerlinger gave a wry smile. "The competition's brutal."
And how could it not be?
Hoeneß sighed.
In front of the Premier League's wealth and prestige, the Bundesliga simply couldn't compete.
The only reason English clubs hadn't made a move yet was their concern about Robben's injury record.
So far, Manchester United and Manchester City were the most aggressive.
Ferguson had nearly signed Robben back in 2004, before Chelsea swooped in.
City, meanwhile, needed a top-tier right winger. After spending heavily on Shaun Wright-Phillips, who flopped, they now wanted Robben to form a new wing duo with Robinho—both former Madrid players.
With Kaká, Pirlo, and Ancelotti in the mix, City was looking more dangerous by the day.
"Take a look at the next file," Hoeneß said, pointing to the other documents on the desk.
Nerlinger flipped them over.
Manchester City had submitted an offer for Lucio: €7 million—matching Bayern's asking price.
So far, they were the first club to make a concrete move for him.
The other offer came from Arsenal—also €7 million.
"Van Gaal has made it clear that Lucio is not part of his plans. His contract runs until June 30, 2010, and he's already 31," Hoeneß said with a sigh.
Lucio had been an important part of Bayern's defense.
Selling him would weaken the squad.
But if they didn't, they'd have to renew his contract—which would mean a three-year deal.
Lucio's wage demands weren't outrageous—around €4.5 million per year.
"Wenger is actually going after a player over 30?" Nerlinger chuckled in surprise.
Hoeneß scoffed. "Well, look around—how many elite center-backs are even available right now?"
In the Bundesliga, the most sought-after CB was Neven Subotić of Borussia Dortmund.
The young Serb had impressed last season and was now on Chelsea, Arsenal, and City's radar.
Many even compared him to fellow Serb Nemanja Vidić at Manchester United.
But for top clubs seeking immediate impact, Lucio was the better bet.
Both City and Arsenal's offers were fair, given Lucio's age and contract status.
Inter Milan had also made an inquiry—but for Daniel Van Buyten, not Lucio.
However, Van Buyten was in Van Gaal's plans, so Bayern rejected Inter and instead offered Lucio.
No word back from Inter yet.
"I think we should sell," Nerlinger said after some thought.
Hoeneß nodded slowly, agreeing silently.
…
Back in London, Yang Cheng was completely blindsided by how the transfer market had exploded.
On the first weekend of June, Chelsea and Barcelona simultaneously announced that Samuel Eto'o had joined Chelsea for €30 million.
It sent a shockwave through Europe.
For weeks, the talk had been that Barça wanted to swap Eto'o for Ibrahimović or Džeko.
But now, Eto'o had gone to Chelsea—totally unexpected.
The Sun broke the story first: Barça had indeed approached Bayswater Chinese about Džeko, proposing a swap involving Eto'o—but were firmly rejected.
Now, Barça had sold Eto'o for €30 million, and came back with a straight cash offer of €65 million for Džeko!
Sure, it wasn't as wild as Ronaldo's €94 million transfer to Real Madrid, but Barça's bid still shocked the entire continent.
Everyone now understood:
European football had officially entered an era of transfer madness.
And with Barça making the first move, Manchester City was right behind them.
Manchester City were determined to land Džeko, suddenly raising their bid to £55 million, which converted to about €68.75 million.
Once again, it sent shockwaves through European football.
Real Madrid quickly responded, increasing their offer to £58 million.
The world's media and fans were stunned.
Had anyone ever seen a transfer battle like this?
It was madness.
City, Barça, Real Madrid—burning through cash like there was no tomorrow.
Barça returned again with a new bid, offering £60 million for Džeko.
Guardiola even went public, urging the club to sign the Bosnian striker, calling him the final piece in Barça's puzzle.
"He'll become a legend in the history of Barcelona!"
Džeko, through his agent, thanked City, Madrid, and Barça for their interest—but said nothing more.
It was clear—Džeko still respected Bayswater Chinese, and didn't want to get involved in the transfer drama.
However, according to reports, Džeko was privately leaning toward Real Madrid or Barça.
The reason was simple: Manchester City had no Champions League football.
Despite boasting Kaká, Robinho, Pirlo, and Ancelotti, the Premier League's level of competition was just too intense.
And Džeko felt that his playing style suited La Liga more.
Even so, City pressed forward and raised their bid to £63 million.
They were dead set on signing Džeko.
That figure finally scared off Barça.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barça president Laporta told Guardiola directly:
£60 million (€75 million) is our absolute limit.
With Barça withdrawing from the race, everyone turned to Madrid.
Florentino Pérez responded quickly, personally flying to London with José Sánchez and Valdano to meet Bayswater Chinese CEO Adam Crozier.
Shortly after, Real Madrid submitted one last bid:
£64 million (€80 million), and successfully signed Džeko from Bayswater Chinese.
The news reverberated across the footballing world.
Real Madrid had already spent €94 million on Cristiano Ronaldo.
Now they added €80 million for Džeko.
Where was all this money coming from?!
The Sun soon revealed further details.
Madrid promised to pay the €80 million over three years, easing Bayswater Chinese's financial strain from the stadium project.
And that wasn't all.
The Sun dropped another bombshell: Real Madrid and Bayswater Chinese would jointly launch a new company to organize a new summer tournament—the International Champions Cup.
"The confirmed participants include Bayswater Chinese, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City."
"And now—Real Madrid joins the lineup!"
Then came the next shocker.
During the meeting with Adam Crozier, Florentino made a second offer:
"Real Madrid want to sign Yaya Touré for £40 million."
This recommendation came from Valdano and Zidane, both of whom saw Touré as the answer to Madrid's midfield void.
The Sun reported that Bayswater Chinese were seriously considering the offer.
The very next day, the Manchester Evening News confirmed that both Manchester clubs had also submitted bids:
Manchester United: £40 millionManchester City: £45 million
Not to be outdone, the Independent, closely linked to Arsenal, reported that Wenger's side had also entered the race.
"Arsenal have submitted a £45 million offer for Yaya Touré."
One player. Four powerhouse clubs. All bidding.
A rare sight in any transfer window.
Before Bayswater Chinese had even responded, Manchester City raised their bid again.
They withdrew their previous offer and submitted a new one—£50 million.
€62.5 million.
Absolute madness.
No one could believe how wild the summer window had become.
Faced with City's deep pockets and desperation, United and Arsenal both backed off.
Even mighty Real Madrid, having just spent fortunes on Ronaldo and Džeko, couldn't justify spending that much again.
It was as if City were declaring to the world:
"Make your offer. We'll outbid it."
And yet… who dared?
What if City didn't follow through?
This was the high-stakes poker of the transfer market.
In the end, Real Madrid officially withdrew.
Manchester City had outbid United, Arsenal, and Madrid—and successfully signed Yaya Touré.
After leaving Bayswater Chinese, Touré's weekly wages shot up to £250,000—second in the Premier League only to Kaká.
At the same time, City announced the €7 million signing of Brazilian defender Lucio from Bayern Munich.
For a club plagued by defensive issues, these two signings were massive upgrades.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti was all smiles.
Speaking to the press, he said City now had a squad envied across the league, making them serious title contenders.
"Is there still a weak point?"
Ancelotti smiled, "I'm very happy with the squad. If I had to point out one area—we could strengthen the left flank."
City's left-back was England international Wayne Bridge, whose performances were… fine.
Following Ancelotti's comments, British media outlets flooded with suggestions—listing left-back targets from all over Europe.
Even Evra from Manchester United was mentioned.
Snatching him from their noisy neighbors? That would be the ultimate coup.
Ferguson's response: "Over my dead body."
…
The high-profile transfers of Džeko, Yaya Touré, and Lucio had a ripple effect across Europe.
With Džeko off the table, Barça pivoted immediately.
Laporta and his team flew straight to Milan to meet with Inter.
After days of negotiation, Barça finally got their man:
€70 million for Zlatan Ibrahimović.
€2 million more than Yang Cheng remembered in his previous life.
When Yang Cheng heard the news back in London, he was floored.
"Inter must have some negotiation gods on staff!"
Never underestimate €2 million.
In Yang Cheng's previous life, Barça had spent €68 million + Eto'o for Ibra. With Eto'o involved, the actual cash value wasn't so high.
But this time?
Barça paid a straight €70 million. Cash. No player exchange.
That changed everything.
And on top of that, Barça also signed Maxwell from Inter for €5 million.
No surprise there.
Back when Ibrahimović and Maxwell played at Ajax, they were close friends.
And both were clients of one man:
Mino Raiola.
There was clearly a deeper story behind it all.
But what surprised Yang Cheng once again was that, just as Barça completed the signing of Ibrahimović and turned their attention toward Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk, they found that Arsenal had beaten them to it.
The Gunners successfully persuaded Shakhtar to part with Ukrainian center-back Dmytro Chyhrynskyi for a fee of €25 million, or £20 million.
Yang Cheng later learned through insider sources that the deal had been orchestrated behind the scenes by Arsenal's majority shareholder Usmanov.
Wenger had originally intended to sign Lucio, but Manchester City swooped in first.
So the Gunners pivoted quickly and signed Chyhrynskyi instead.
Russian owners really did have a preference for signing players from the former Soviet bloc.
For example, Roman Abramovich had just paid £18 million to bring Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow.
After missing out on Yaya Touré, Wenger also turned his attention to Lyon's Jérémy Toulalan, signing the midfielder for €20 million, and then brought in Belgian center-back Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax for €15 million.
Manchester United, also having missed out on Yaya Touré, immediately turned elsewhere.
Yang Cheng remembered that when Ferguson had come to him for advice, he had strongly recommended Busquets.
He had hoped United would fight Barcelona tooth and nail and snatch away one of their most promising players—maybe even break up their "Dream Team."
But Ferguson was a crafty old fox. He didn't fall for it.
After missing out on Touré, United shifted focus to Roma's homegrown talisman, Daniele De Rossi.
Reports stated that as early as 2006, Ferguson had been very close to signing De Rossi.
The Italian midfielder had even visited Old Trafford and was nearly a Red Devil.
But for various reasons, the deal never materialized.
With Hargreaves struggling with injuries, and Fletcher unable to cement a place, United often relied solely on Carrick as their lone holding midfielder.
It drove Ferguson crazy—he even pressured the board into making a serious move for Yaya Touré.
But the Ivorian joined Manchester City instead.
So Ferguson turned back to De Rossi.
Roma rejected United's early bids, but Ferguson wouldn't give up. He kept upping the offer.
Eventually, United landed De Rossi for a whopping €50 million.
…
While United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and City all ramped up their summer transfer ambitions, Bayswater Chinese and Liverpool remained unusually quiet.
But their reasons were quite different.
For Bayswater Chinese, it was because of their new stadium project—they needed to sell.
After offloading Džeko and Yaya Touré, now Maicon was drawing attention from Madrid, City, and Chelsea.
Each of those clubs submitted formal offers for the Brazilian full-back.
Liverpool's issue was simply lack of funds.
They just couldn't spend.
After falling out with Benítez, Xabi Alonso was determined to leave.
In the end, Real Madrid signed Alonso for €40 million.
They also took Liverpool full-back Álvaro Arbeloa.
Interestingly, a former Bayswater Chinese player, Slovakian center-back Martin Škrtel, was included as a makeweight in the deal—valued at €15 million.
After his high-profile move to Real Madrid, Škrtel had struggled to adapt to La Liga, with inconsistent performances that failed to satisfy the demanding Bernabéu crowd.
Once Florentino returned to power, he prioritized Spanish talent, signing Raúl Albiol from Valencia for €15 million.
Škrtel became surplus and was sent to Liverpool as part of the Alonso deal.
It left many fans nostalgic.
Škrtel had once been a key starter at Bayswater Chinese.
Who would have thought that after his transfer to Madrid, his career would dip so sharply—while Bayswater Chinese rose all the way to a historic sextuple?
With Alonso sold, Benítez immediately brought in Alberto Aquilani from Roma.
But no one expected Aquilani to arrive with a full list of injuries—which was revealed during his medical.
The media were stunned.
No one could understand why Benítez would push Alonso out, break up the trio of Gerrard, Alonso, and Mascherano, and bring in a walking medical report.
Even Yang Cheng and others felt pessimistic about Liverpool's future.
No money, no squad depth—how could they possibly compete next season?
While Europe was buzzing over the Aquilani fiasco, Bayswater Chinese and Real Madrid simultaneously dropped another bombshell.
Maicon was officially announced as a Real Madrid player, transferring from the Premier League to La Liga for a fee of £35 million.
Several clubs had been interested, including City, United, and Chelsea.
But none were willing to offer big money for a 28-year-old full-back.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, had long coveted Maicon.
Brazilian full-backs had a strong track record in Spain—just look at Roberto Carlos or Dani Alves.
In fact, Maicon had kept Alves on the bench in the national team.
So Real Madrid's urgency made sense.
Meanwhile, after selling Yaya Touré, Džeko, and Maicon, Dan Ashworth and Mike Rigg had successfully completed Yang Cheng's assigned transfers:
Kyle Walker, signed from Sheffield United for £3 million.Andy Carroll, signed from relegated Newcastle for £3 million.Javi Martínez, signed from Athletic Club by activating his €16 million release clause (approx. £12.8 million).
Of the three, only Javi Martínez attracted much media attention.
The others? Largely ignored.
Still, even Martínez was seen as unlikely to fill the void left by Yaya Touré.
But few paid attention to Bayswater Chinese's signings.
After all, Yang Cheng had always focused on developing young talent.
Instead, the media were fixated on Real Madrid's ongoing fire sale.
The big question:
Where will Robben and Sneijder end up?
While speculation raged, Bayswater Chinese received yet another transfer offer, and Yang Cheng—still at the Brent Training Centre—picked up a direct phone call from a player himself.
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