Chapter 59: Visitors

Chapter 59: Visitors

Tottenham or Udinese? Bruno found himself in a dilemma. Looking to the future, Tottenham was clearly the better choice, as the increasingly capital-driven Premier League undeniably had a far greater global reach than the waning Italian Serie A.

Between the two clubs, Tottenham was undoubtedly stronger than Udinese. Though Bruno hadn't closely followed Udinese's future prospects, it was clear that in a decade dominated by Juventus, Udinese would struggle to rise to prominence. Furthermore, with heavy investments in Napoli and the gradual resurgence of the Milan clubs along with traditional powerhouse Roma, Udinese's prospects for European competition seemed bleak.

Despite Tottenham's owner being notorious for frugality, the Premier League's financial pull meant that Tottenham was not shy in the transfer market in recent years, enabling Mauricio Pochettino to lead a rise in the club's fortunes.

On the other hand, Udinese's owner Pozzo lacked strong financial clout, and the fact they had scraped together twenty million euros to bid for him likely meant stretching their finances.

To date, Udinese had sold key players like Juan Cuadrado, Almero, Candreva, and Willian this summer, yet their recruitment had been minimal. Besides the unconfirmed signing of Bruno, they had spent less than five million euros: acquiring Greek goalkeeper Kanizis for 800,000 euros, Croatian goalkeeper Klava for 600,000 euros, Roman striker Lopes for 1 million euros, Lens defender Kofi for 1 million euros, and Croatian defender Bubonjic for 1.5 million euros.

Clearly, Udinese was betting everything on securing Bruno.

———— Bruno knew this aggressive move was driven by Giaretta. "He really values me," Bruno muttered to himself in his new home.

At the season's end, Novara allocated funds as a reward for winning the Serie B championship, with Bruno receiving the highest portion of 20,000 euros. Additionally, for winning the Serie B top scorer and best player awards, Novara provided him with a special 100,000 euros bonus.

This sum of 120,000 euros was a fortune for his family. Bruno had no major expenses and handed all his earnings to his mother, who was stunned by the amount. Though aware of her son's transformation and success in Italy, she knew his salary there was modest—just 1,500 euros per month, a typical middle-class income.

Learning the details of the 120,000 euros, she was nearly moved to tears, her son having truly made it in professional football.

———— After consulting Bruno, his mother decided to buy a four-bedroom villa in the suburbs of Porto for 180,000 euros, a significant sum for a family that had never owned their home outright. Now, a dream harbored for decades was realized.

They bought a nearly fifty-year-old villa that, despite its age, was in good condition. The former owner had maintained it well, and it was ready for the Brunos to move in immediately.

Following Bruno's suggestion, his mother also spent 10,000 euros on a used Renault car, which, as his mother couldn't drive, was used by Bruno's sister.

The remaining 30,000 euros were saved for family emergencies after necessary furniture purchases.

———— Settling into his new home, Bruno received news from Mendes: Udinese's owner Pozzo and coach Guidolin wanted to visit him in Italy. They were ready to convince him after securing an agreement with Novara.

In a hotel room in Porto, Mendes introduced the visitors to Bruno.

"Bruno, let me introduce Mr. Gianpaolo Pozzo, the chairman of Udinese, who has been with the club for twenty-seven years," Mendes announced.

Bruno greeted Pozzo warmly, "Welcome to Porto, Mr. Pozzo."

Bruno had done his homework on Gianpaolo Pozzo. The Italian businessman, who owned a wood processing business, had been the club's owner since 1986. Under his leadership, Udinese had been stable, never relegated since the mid-90s, and frequently qualified for European competitions.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bruno," Pozzo said, returning the embrace.

Mendes then introduced Francesco Guidolin, the wily coach credited with bringing about Udinese's most successful periods, achieving top finishes in Serie A.

"Pleased to meet you, Francesco," Bruno said with a smile.

———— After introductions, Mendes, playing the mediator, invited everyone to sit down. This meeting was a culmination of his efforts over the past month, not only because Udinese was keen on Bruno, but because Bruno was genuinely interested in a team like Udinese—a strong Serie A side needing reinforcements like him to reach new heights.

Pozzo expressed the club's keen interest in Bruno, offering to pay 20 million euros upfront, with further discussions to be held regarding personal terms.

Additionally, Pozzo revealed plans to strengthen the team to compete for significant honors, viewing Bruno as a key weapon in this ambition.

"Honestly, I wasn't initially planning to sign you because, for Udinese, you are quite expensive. But Cristiano changed my mind," Pozzo explained, referring to a discussion with Cristiano Ronaldo. "He told me you're a fantastic player who could help bring glory to Udinese. Considering your achievements at Novara and your recent success, I was persuaded."

(End of Chapter)

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