Chapter 193 All The Giants Compete For Huaxia People, And The King Of The Transfer Market?

Throughout the charity dinner, Su Luo was a little absent-minded. All he could think about was his team. To be honest, Su Luo didn't care about joining the giants; as long as he could play in the Champions League and compete against strong opponents, that was enough. If possible, Su Luo would like to play for Union Berlin for a few more years. It didn't matter if the stadium and training facilities were outdated; the fans there were truly special to him. Su Luo had come to see this place as his home, and the thought of the team breaking up was deeply unsettling.

After the dinner, Su Luo went back to the hotel and immediately made a call.

"Coach, I heard we're going to sell a lot of players?"

"You heard correctly," Neuhaus's voice sounded tired.

After understanding the situation better, Su Luo slumped on the sofa. The transfer rumors were true; the "Union Berlin sale" was inevitable. Due to the Bundesliga's 50+1 policy, most teams operated on small budgets, nurturing young players and then selling them to survive. This was especially true for Union Berlin, which resisted sponsorship and relied heavily on fan support.

No matter how many tickets and jerseys they sold, the purchasing power of ordinary people in East Berlin was limited. Additionally, ticket prices hadn't increased for years, restricting the financial support fans could provide. Although the team had won two Bundesliga titles and reached the Champions League semi-finals, earning significant revenue, the costs for next season were rising. Player salaries, stadium repairs to meet UEFA standards, improved training facilities, and other expenses were mounting.

Despite their recent successes, the club was already 198 million euros in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy.

"I don't want to lose our current lineup, but the club needs to survive," Neuhaus sighed from his office.

The funding gap was too big, and relying on fans wasn't a viable solution. On the other end of the phone, Su Luo was silent for a moment before making a suggestion.

"Coach, I know there must be offers for me. Can you tell me which clubs are interested?"

Neuhaus's heart sank. He had anticipated this moment but was still saddened by it.

"Okay, I'll send you an email with the details. You can discuss it with your agent."

After hanging up, Su Luo sat quietly on the hotel sofa, deep in thought.

"Finished your call?" Taylor Swift asked, still sitting on the bed and playing with her phone.

"Yeah, all done," Su Luo replied.

"Are you going to transfer? Do you know which club you'll go to?"

"Probably, but I'm not sure yet."

"That's great! With your talent, you should have joined a top club a long time ago," Taylor said, a bit too enthusiastically.

Su Luo noticed her smirk. "Why are you so happy about my transfer?"

"I just thought of something happy," Taylor said, trying to sound innocent.

"Be honest!" Su Luo playfully tackled Taylor, and they began to wrestle.

Later that night, Su Luo went out to the balcony, lit a cigarette, and called his agent, Raiola. It was morning in Italy, where Raiola was.

"Su, what's up? Do you need anything?" Raiola asked eagerly.

"Someone should have contacted you. We need to decide on my next move."

Raiola was excited. A player's transfer meant a substantial commission for him.

"You finally made up your mind. Are you in Los Santos? I'll be there soon."

True to his word, Raiola arrived the next day, and they started reviewing offers from major clubs in the hotel room.

"Currently, five serious offers: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea. Arsenal can't afford the transfer fee, Manchester United is still evaluating, and the Milan clubs haven't made formal offers."

Raiola laid out the contracts from various teams for Su Luo to review. Each offer was impressive, and Su Luo had a lot to consider.

Real Madrid offered €115 million for Su Luo, with a pre-tax salary of €600,000 and a weekly salary of €350,000 after tax, making him the highest-paid player at Real Madrid, surpassing Ronaldo. However, joining Real Madrid meant playing as a midfielder or center forward, potentially replacing Toni Kroos or Benzema. Su Luo would mostly play for Ronaldo and Bale, with occasional opportunities for himself.

Despite the generous offer, Su Luo had reservations. He wasn't interested in a complicated locker room or playing second fiddle to Ronaldo. He didn't dream of being the top star in a team where Ronaldo was already the main attraction.

Barcelona's offer was similar: €110 million and a weekly salary of £335,000 after tax, on par with Messi. But Su Luo's position at Barcelona was also uncertain. The MSN trident was irreplaceable, and he would have to find a spot in the midfield. Only if Neymar transferred to Paris next year would a position open up. Additionally, Su Luo had no interest in joining Paris Saint-Germain, finding no excitement in dominating Ligue 1.

That left Manchester City and Chelsea.

Su Luo had always been a fan of Ferguson and had hoped Manchester United would make an offer. He imagined wearing the red jersey at Old Trafford. However, since Ferguson's retirement, Manchester United had struggled and couldn't even qualify for the Champions League this season. Su Luo doubted that Van Gaal's dismissal and Mourinho's appointment would turn things around.

Manchester City offered £120 million, with a weekly salary of £250,000 after tax, making Su Luo the highest-paid player there. Guardiola, who would officially coach Manchester City next season, personally proposed the deal. He assured Su Luo that a tactical system would be built around him. With Aguero, David Silva, and other key players aging, Su Luo, Grealish, and De Bruyne would lead a formidable attack.

Chelsea, on the other hand, had fired Mourinho mid-last season, and under interim coach Hiddink, they had revived their fortunes. Despite being expected to lose to Manchester City, they won 2-1 and followed it up with a victory over Leicester City, eventually qualifying for the Champions League. Chelsea's owner, Abramovich, was determined to sign Su Luo, offering £140 million and a weekly salary of £330,000 after tax, surpassing Fabregas by £110,000.

Abramovich also planned to offload Diego Costa to save salary and promised to build the team around Su Luo. Italian coach Conte, resigning from the Italian national team to join Chelsea, was a testament to their commitment.

Manchester City and Chelsea both had attractive offers, but Chelsea's proposal was hard to ignore. The money from Chelsea would help Union Berlin survive the crisis.

"Then you can talk to Chelsea about the transfer fee and see if it can be increased," Su Luo said.

"Understood, you can relax and enjoy your vacation. I'll handle everything else," Raiola assured, ready to get to work.

News spread quickly. The German media "Transfer Market," "Kicker," and British outlets "The Sun" and "Daily Mail" reported Su Luo's imminent departure.

"The king of transfer bids is born this summer! Chelsea's £140 million spend secures top talent." "Union Berlin's supermarket sale! £140 million star switches to the Premier League." "Real Madrid and Manchester City raise their bids, but Chinese star becomes this summer's favorite."

In East Berlin, Su Luo packed his things. Josephine watched from the door.

"Are you really leaving?" she asked.

"Yes, if all goes well... it's time for a new league," Su Luo replied.

"Okay, I'll visit you every week... Once this period is over, I'll move my business to London so we can be together again," Josephine said.

"Great! By the way, before I leave, there's one place I want to visit."

"Sure!"

Josephine knew without asking—the place Su Luo mentioned was the stadium where he had played.

At the old Forest Management Court, Su Luo would perform his final farewell. Then, he would fly across the ocean to start a new journey.

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