Shocking the Football World!

"Mr. Walker, is it true that Manchester City is willing to offer an €8 million annual salary?" asked Bayern Munich's star midfielder Kroos, his curiosity piqued.

Last year, Kroos had tested Bayern's limits, and they made it clear that even if they renewed his contract, his salary wouldn't exceed €6.5 million. But now, Manchester City was willing to offer €8 million, a quarter more than Bayern's proposal, which tempted Kroos.

His current salary was €4.5 million, which wasn't low by Bundesliga standards, but it depended on who you compared him with. Compared to Müller's €3 million salary, it was indeed higher. But compared to the top earners in the team, it was far behind.

Before Bayern won the Champions League, the top earner was Ribéry, with a €9 million annual salary. However, last summer, Bayern signed Götze and offered him a €12 million salary, the highest in the team. Subsequently, Bayern renewed Ribéry's contract, raising his salary to €12 million as well.

Kroos had no problem with Ribéry being the top earner. Ribéry had been with Bayern for six or seven years, was highly skilled, and was a senior member of the team. He deserved the top salary. But Götze? Why should he earn more?

Last summer, around the time Bayern signed Götze, Kroos had asked the club for a contract renewal with a salary increase. He only asked for €6.5 million, but Bayern flatly refused. Then, they turned around and gave Götze €12 million, which made Kroos feel disrespected by Bayern.

When Guardiola arrived, Kroos became a key player under him, even more important than Götze. However, when he thought about the nearly threefold salary difference between them, Kroos couldn't help but feel unbalanced. 

So, at the beginning of the winter break, Kroos ignored Bayern's renewal request. While they agreed to raise his salary to €6 million, it still didn't meet his previous year's request, let alone compare to Götze's €12 million.

Kroos knew this decision might anger Bayern, and he could end up being sold. Therefore, when he made this decision, he was already prepared to leave. As for where he would go after leaving, Kroos had already set his sights on Real Madrid!

Real Madrid had a strong lineup capable of winning championships. Joining Real Madrid meant he could earn various honors. Moreover, Real Madrid was very wealthy, so joining them would significantly increase his salary. 

A team like this, which allowed players to earn both money and honors, was rare in football. This is why so many star players dreamt of playing for Real Madrid. The only thing Kroos hesitated about was leaving Guardiola. Under Guardiola, Kroos had learned a lot and grown significantly. Leaving Bayern meant losing Guardiola's guidance.

"Yes, and that's not even their final offer. If negotiations go well, I'm confident we could get you €9 million or even more!" Walker Struth said confidently. He wasn't bluffing, having already looked into Manchester City's salary structure.

As far as he knew, City's top player, Lin, earned £400,000 per week, roughly €25 million annually. This was undoubtedly the highest salary in football, €8 million more than Cristiano Ronaldo, the second-highest earner. However, considering Lin's transfer was free, such a salary wasn't too outrageous. 

While Kroos wouldn't command such a high salary, he could definitely earn over €9 million. Among Manchester City's midfielders, Yaya Touré earned €12 million annually, and David Silva earned €10 million. Based on these figures, Kroos's salary at Manchester City wouldn't be lower than Silva's.

After hearing Walker's analysis, Kroos was increasingly tempted. His only concern now was how joining Manchester City might impact his career. After all, he had initially planned to join Real Madrid this summer!

"What do you think, Mr. Walker? Would it be better for me to go to Real Madrid or Manchester City?"

Walker knew this was the final, crucial question. If he could answer it well, Kroos would make up his mind.

"You've played against Manchester City. What do you think of their strength?" Walker responded with a question instead.

"They're very strong, especially with Lin. When he's on the field, Manchester City's attack is very dangerous!"

Kroos had played against Lin for two seasons and was increasingly impressed by him. Although some still doubted whether Lin could stand alongside Messi and Ronaldo, Kroos didn't think there was any need to debate. In his view, Lin was undoubtedly in the same class as Messi and Ronaldo.

"Only three teams in football have a player of Lin's caliber: Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona. Joining any of these teams gives you a chance to win the Champions League."

"But these three teams differ in financial power. Manchester City is the wealthiest and most generous, followed by Real Madrid, with Barcelona being the weakest."

"So, under the same championship conditions, joining Manchester City will give you better personal benefits."

"But, remember, Manchester City isn't a traditional powerhouse. They're a nouveau riche without the heritage of a great club. And the Premier League is very physically demanding, with many matches and intense physical confrontations. This increases the risk of injuries."

Walker didn't have many players under his management; the most notable were Kroos and Reus. Therefore, he wasn't the kind of agent who would jeopardize his players' careers just for a paycheck. 

In fact, when Reus returned to Dortmund, Walker had advised against it. He believed Dortmund's style would cause Reus to suffer from frequent injuries. Unfortunately, he was right. After returning to Dortmund, Reus was plagued by constant injuries, both big and small. But there was nothing Walker could do. Reus was deeply attached to Dortmund, his boyhood club. Once Dortmund made an offer, Reus couldn't refuse.

However, Kroos didn't have such emotional ties. He was a rational player who would carefully weigh the pros and cons to make the best decision for his career. After considering his agent's analysis, Kroos thought for a while.

"Mr. Walker, please continue negotiating with Manchester City to see how serious they are. Also, let's start reaching out to Real Madrid."

Last summer, after Özil left, Real Madrid had expressed interest in Kroos as a replacement for the aging Xabi Alonso. But that was some time ago, and Kroos wasn't sure if they were still interested.

...

Guardiola was furious. He had already refused Manchester City's offer, so why were there still rumors about Kroos possibly joining Manchester City?

"Mr. Hoeness, Kroos is a crucial part of the team. For the sake of our performance in the second half of the season, we can't let him go easily!"

Guardiola sternly approached club manager Hoeness, making his position clear once again.

Hoeness smiled warmly, saying, "Coach Pep, don't get worked up. Those are just rumors from the tabloids. Don't let them affect you."

Guardiola was unsure if he believed Hoeness. It felt like he wasn't telling the whole truth, but he had no proof.

"It better be. If Kroos leaves, our strength will be severely weakened. Not only will we fall short in the Champions League, but we might not even win the league!" Guardiola warned, hoping to emphasize the importance of retaining Kroos.

How effective this warning would be was hard to say. After all, Guardiola was just the coach, not the manager. He had a say in transfer matters, but he didn't have the final decision-making power.

Thinking of this, Guardiola recalled Manchester City's offer before the season started. It seemed like the Premier League used a football manager system, where coaches like Ferguson and Wenger were also the club managers. This gave them absolute control over player transfers!

If only I had that kind of power, he thought.

...

Initially, Manchester City was just testing the waters, but Bayern's ambiguous response made them realize there was a real chance of signing Kroos.

"We have a chance to bring Kroos to the Etihad Stadium, but it might come at a cost. Coach Pellegrini, I need you to tell me: If Kroos joins, will it strengthen the team without disrupting the locker room?" Fahim asked.

Sometimes, signing a top player isn't always beneficial for a team. It might even disrupt the team's internal stability and unity. For instance, if Kroos joined, the current midfielders would see their starting positions threatened. They wouldn't be happy about his arrival and might even feel insecure about their future.

"Kroos is a very strong player. If he joins the team, our tactics will become more varied, and our bench depth will improve. So, this would undoubtedly be a strengthening move for the team!" Pellegrini wouldn't reject Kroos's arrival. He had already planned how to configure Manchester City's midfield if Kroos joined: Yaya Touré, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, and Kroos.

Among these four midfielders, one would be a defensive midfielder, two would be all-rounders, and one would be an attacking midfielder. Depending on the intensity of the match and the strength of the opponent, three of the four would start.

This would make it difficult for opponents to predict Manchester City's midfield setup. Meanwhile, City could adjust their lineup at any time based on the flow of the game.

Even with just a few different midfield combinations, Pellegrini felt they could outplay their opponents. As Manchester City's rivals, other teams would surely have headaches!

"If that's your view, then the club will

 go all out!" Fahim said after understanding Pellegrini's stance. He quickly dispatched people to contact Kroos's agent and Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, Walker headed to Madrid to meet with Real Madrid's president, Florentino Pérez.

The old president still held great interest in Kroos, expressing a willingness to make a bid for him this summer as a replacement for Xabi Alonso. However, Real Madrid had no plans to make any squad changes this winter.

Right now, Real Madrid was fully focused on winning their 10th Champions League title. After half a year of adjustments, Ancelotti had solidified the team's core lineup and tactics. 

So, this was not the time for new players to arrive and potentially disrupt the team's rhythm. If Real Madrid won the Champions League as they hoped, they wouldn't mind making some roster changes in the summer.

After the summer, many of Real Madrid's players would participate in the World Cup. After every major tournament like the World Cup, the football world always saw a flurry of transfers.

By then, the core of Real Madrid's squad would likely undergo significant changes. Signing Kroos at that time wouldn't have as much of an impact.

With a clear understanding of Real Madrid's position, Walker resumed negotiations with Manchester City. City showed genuine interest, agreeing to offer Kroos a €11 million annual salary.

This placed him in the second-highest salary tier at Manchester City, with only Lin, Agüero, and Yaya Touré earning more. These three were either core players or long-serving veterans, so it made sense for them to have higher salaries.

In addition, Manchester City raised their bid for Kroos to €50 million. This was an offer Bayern Munich couldn't refuse.

With Bayern now willing to consider the transfer, the only hurdle left was convincing Kroos. When Walker shared Real Madrid and Manchester City's positions with Kroos, the midfielder thought it over.

"In that case, I'll join Manchester City!" Kroos decided. 

After rumors of his transfer spread, Bayern fans had started showing up at Kroos's house, pleading for him to stay. As the news spread, more fans gathered, blocking his driveway and severely disrupting his personal life.

Worse still, as he hesitated to make a public statement, the same fans who once pleaded with him began to turn hostile. They now seemed convinced he was leaving and started attacking him verbally, calling him a traitor.

Some radical fans even tried to storm his private residence, making Kroos feel his personal safety was at risk. Meanwhile, with Bayern accepting City's bid, they were no longer eager to renew his contract and certainly wouldn't match the salaries offered by City or Real Madrid.

Thus, leaving Bayern was the only option left for Kroos.

On January 13, the day after De Bruyne's transfer to Manchester City, City announced another major signing. Bayern's midfield core, Toni Kroos, officially joined Manchester City for €50 million and would wear the number 12 jersey for the rest of the season.

This news shocked the entire football world!

"What the heck? Is this real? Did Toni really join City?"

"City just announced it, and today's not April Fools. It's probably true!"

"Didn't Guardiola say Kroos wasn't for sale? How did he end up at City?"

"Well, City offered too much money to refuse!"

"True, €50 million for a midfielder with only 18 months left on his contract is extravagant. If I were Bayern, I couldn't say no to that!"

"City does it again!"

"Money sure feels good!"

"Let me play devil's advocate for a moment. Manchester City's constant spending might not be a good thing for football. It severely inflates player prices and transfer bubbles, making it more expensive for teams to buy players. As a result, smaller clubs have even less chance of competing with wealthy powerhouses."

"You're right, but this buy, buy, buy thing feels so satisfying!"

"Yeah, as a City fan, it feels great!"

...

City's transfer sparked intense debate within the football world. Many believed that since the Middle Eastern investment in Manchester City, the transfer market had been turned upside down. Before 2008, transfer fees weren't this outrageous.

But ever since the Middle Eastern billionaires bought Manchester City, they've leveraged their deep pockets to drive up the price of almost every player.

City would throw more money into the bidding wars for any player they wanted, forcing other clubs to match or exceed their offers. If they didn't, the player's club would have no reason to sell, knowing City would pay more.

Over time, City's financial power led to skyrocketing player prices across the transfer market. While City bore the brunt of the costs, other elite clubs also suffered.

One club, in particular, the "Galácticos," famously overpaid for Gareth Bale, spending €100 million—an amount they couldn't even publicly admit. They had to include another player to help offset the transfer fee; otherwise, they couldn't justify the expense to their star player, Cristiano Ronaldo.

This led to intense resentment toward City among the elite clubs, but there wasn't much they could do. All they could do was drive up the price when City showed interest in one of their players, extracting some measure of revenge.

When Barça found out City had paid €50 million for Kroos, they were filled with regret. 

Why didn't you come for Fabregas with that offer? For that price, we would've sold him without hesitation!

Meanwhile, at the Zürich Opera House in Switzerland, where the Ballon d'Or ceremony was being held, Lin was stunned when he heard about Kroos's transfer. Was this part of the butterfly effect he had caused?

He remembered Kroos joining Real Madrid and forming the famous "Toni-Kroos-Party" trio with Modric and Casemiro. How did he end up at City?

Sitting next to him, Guardiola was equally stunned when he heard the news.

"Damn you, Hoeness, you deceived me!"