Bayern Munich's recent form had been far from ideal.
They had competed for several trophies that season, but in the end, the only silverware they secured was the Intercontinental Cup.
Whether in the Bundesliga, the German League Cup, or the Champions League, Bayern failed to achieve anything significant.
That deeply disappointed Hitzfeld, who had confidently declared at the beginning of the season that he would usher in a new red era for Bayern.
Even the club's legendary figure, Beckenbauer, had to admit that the season had been a failure. However, he believed Bayern needed to forget the past campaign and focus on the next one.
Stefan Effenberg was already 33 years old.
He was ageing and could no longer carry such a heavy responsibility. Even the fiercest tiger eventually lost its strength.
For that reason, Bayern had already identified his successor.
Ballack, who had performed brilliantly at the World Cup, would be moving to Munich.
Bayern were also determined to rebuild the squad.
They had secured Deisler, widely regarded as the future of German football. Beckenbauer believed that he and Ballack would become the leaders of Bayern's next generation.
Lizarazu was also growing older, so the club needed to find his successor.
In addition, Bayern were searching for a new left-sided midfielder.
After enduring a season without meaningful success, they were determined to make a major impact in the transfer market.
Their original choice for the left midfield position had been Bayer Leverkusen's Zé Roberto.
However, Leverkusen had already allowed Ballack to leave and had no intention of losing Zé Roberto as well. As a result, negotiations with Bayern reached a stalemate.
It was at that moment that Croatian international Ivica Olić, who had performed brilliantly at the World Cup, entered Bayern's consideration.
The Croatian was not technically outstanding, but he possessed tremendous pace and exceptional stamina, earning praise for playing as though he had two sets of lungs.
His fighting spirit was equally remarkable.
After helping Croatia come from behind against Italy and overcome South Korea, Olić's performances became increasingly impressive.
In particular, the relentless energy he brought whenever he entered the pitch made him extremely appealing.
He was not a technically gifted player, but his influence was no less significant than that of any naturally talented footballer.
More importantly, his determination could inspire an entire team.
Although Croatia lost to Germany, Olić emerged from the match with his reputation enhanced.
His tireless running up and down the left flank impressed both Beckenbauer and Hitzfeld, who became determined to sign the young Croatian.
That led them to investigate the newly promoted English League One club, the Red Rebels.
New Manchester United had already gained a certain amount of recognition in Europe.
They would represent England in the UEFA Cup the following season, possessed a unique history, and were owned by the world-famous billionaire Ethan Yu.
It was difficult for such a club to avoid attention.
However, after studying the Red Rebels more closely, Hitzfeld discovered another player whom he believed could perfectly solve the problem created by Lizarazu's age.
The Frenchman Abidal.
Abidal possessed outstanding physical qualities, excellent pace, and considerable ability in both attack and defence.
He was an exceptional left-back and had been one of New Manchester United's finest defensive players during the previous season.
"I want him as well," Hitzfeld said while discussing the squad with Beckenbauer.
Beckenbauer did not hesitate before agreeing.
And so the negotiations began.
...
When Ethan received Bayern's proposal to sign Olić and Abidal as part of a joint deal, two other transfer requests were already lying on his desk.
The first came from Lyon, who wanted to sign Malouda.
The second came from Arsenal, whose latest target was Hleb.
"Damn it. Everyone is treating us like a supermarket for future stars!"
Ethan cursed and slammed the transfer faxes onto the table.
Mark, Walsh, and the recently returned Mourinho all responded with helpless smiles.
This was an unavoidable problem for lower-division clubs, particularly when one of their players had shone as brightly at a World Cup as Olić.
Keeping him would be extremely difficult.
Mourinho even believed that had Ethan not secured Kaká's commitment earlier, New Manchester United would no longer have been capable of signing a rising star of his calibre.
Given the Red Rebels' current position, a player such as Kaká would normally choose only an established major club.
On the other hand, had Kaká never met Ethan, he might still have remained a fringe player who made only a brief appearance at the World Cup.
"Olić called me," Ethan said with a bitter smile.
"He respects whatever decision I make and repeatedly expressed his gratitude towards the club.
"But he hopes we will seriously consider Bayern's offer."
Compared with a European giant like Bayern, the Red Rebels would find it extremely difficult to convince Olić to stay.
His outstanding World Cup performances had attracted attention from numerous clubs, and Bayern were simply the most determined among them.
"All right, José. Let's discuss it," Ethan said, making his decision.
"If Olić leaves, what do we need?"
Ethan greatly admired Olić.
He genuinely liked the Croatian.
Players of his type might not possess the glamour of superstars, but no one worked harder once they stepped onto the pitch.
It was impossible not to appreciate such a footballer.
Olić was also deeply grateful to Ethan.
During their telephone conversation, he repeatedly thanked both Ethan and the club and promised that he would never create a conflict over the transfer.
However, Ethan could tell that Olić wanted to prove himself on a larger stage.
Since that was the case, Ethan believed he should allow him to leave.
Admiring a player did not necessarily mean forcing him to remain at your club.
Watching him establish himself on a greater stage could also be a source of pride.
Years later, when Olić had become famous, Ethan could point towards him and say, "Look, our club developed that player. Not bad, is it?"
Of course, that depended on Olić not becoming an opponent.
"If he leaves, I want another striker," Mourinho replied.
"Someone like Drogba?" Ethan asked.
To his surprise, Mourinho shook his head.
"No, no.
"We already have Ishmael, and he has performed very well for the academy and reserves. We should begin giving him opportunities.
"I want a quick striker who can create chances for himself, cause problems independently, and finish consistently."
In Mourinho's eyes, Palacio was beginning to look less and less like a natural striker.
He possessed excellent technique and pace, but his finishing in the final third was not reliable enough.
That was also why Mourinho had hesitated to use him more boldly.
Since Palacio was not a consistent goalscorer, the team needed someone who could compete with Drogba and provide regular goals.
A player immediately appeared in Ethan's mind.
He nodded.
"No problem. I know someone who should meet your requirements.
"I'll have the scouting department prepare a report and send it to your office."
Mourinho and the others were surprised by how quickly Ethan agreed.
"Ethan, is your brain actually a computer?" Mark joked.
Ethan laughed and swore at him.
"I spend plenty of time studying the OPTA database. It's extremely useful, and there are many good players to be found there.
"Our scouts should develop the same habit."
Everyone smiled.
They had already grown accustomed to Ethan's mysterious ability to identify talent.
More importantly, the players he discovered almost always proved to be excellent.
"What about Abidal?" Mark asked Mourinho.
"I believe Evra can replace him," Mourinho replied.
"Evra offers more going forward.
"His defending still needs improvement, but I think we can trust him.
"However, we will need someone capable of competing with him."
Everyone immediately turned towards Ethan.
He froze for a moment.
"Could you please stop treating me like a computer?"
The room erupted in laughter.
However, Ethan's next sentence left them unsure whether to laugh or sigh.
"That said, I do have a very good candidate.
"I simply don't know whether Bayern would be willing to let him leave."
Everyone immediately shook their heads.
"Don't say anything else. You are a computer," Mark said, looking completely defeated.
The others strongly agreed.
They could not understand how Ethan's mind contained so much information or how he possessed such an extraordinary eye for talent.
"His name is Philipp Lahm," Ethan continued.
"He came through Bayern's academy and is 19 years old.
"He's still young, but he already possesses considerable ability.
"I don't know whether he would be willing to join us, but Bayern can worry about solving that problem."
Lahm should already have developed a strong technical foundation by this stage.
However, Bayern did not yet trust him completely, which was why they were still searching desperately for Lizarazu's successor.
In fact, this was a common problem among major clubs.
Real Madrid were another example.
Mata had performed brilliantly in their academy but had never received a genuine opportunity in the first team.
After moving to Valencia, he rapidly established himself and eventually reached the national team.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid continued searching for wide players, apparently unaware that they had already allowed an exceptional talent to escape.
Of course, Mata's departure had also been influenced by internal problems at the club.
"All right," Mark said with a laugh.
"When I negotiate with Bayern, I'll ask for Philipp Lahm as part of the deal, along with a cash payment."
Ethan nodded before remembering something else.
"Make sure they pay everything in one instalment.
"Bayern are wealthy and usually pay German clubs immediately when they buy players.
"That is one of the reasons Bundesliga clubs continue selling to them, even though they know it strengthens Bayern.
"They would rather receive the full amount at once than risk foreign clubs delaying payments."
Everyone laughed.
Unpaid transfer fees were common throughout football.
Some deals were spread over two or three years, and occasionally a player would be transferred again before his previous fee had even been paid in full.
Ethan's policy was clear.
Any club purchasing a New Manchester United player had to pay the full amount immediately.
Otherwise, he would rather refuse to sell.
The Red Rebels followed the same principle when signing players and paid their transfer fees in full.
That approach had earned the club an excellent reputation in the transfer market.
"While we're dealing with this, we should also discuss Malouda's transfer with Lyon," Ethan added with a smile.
"I have a more suitable replacement in mind, and I believe José will be absolutely delighted with him."
(To be continued.)