Chapter 239: Chapter 239: Lavish Extravagance
Chapter 239: Lavish Extravagance
According to Jassim's plan, after successfully acquiring Manchester United, he will invest no less than 1 billion pounds in the first season. This investment will go towards the transfer market for new signings, improving training facilities, and renovating Old Trafford stadium.
Jassim's goal is to build a super team like Real Madrid, with the best players in the world at every position, creating a squad filled with superstars.
"In my plan, you will be the brightest and most dazzling star in this superstar team! As a Manchester United fan, you are meant to play for Manchester United. The Theater of Dreams will be your best stage!"
Bruno couldn't help but be impressed by Jassim's vision. It was very attractive and tempting because who wouldn't want to be the star player in such a team? However, he also knew that achieving this would not be easy. As a time traveler, he knew very well how greedy the Glazer family, the owners of Manchester United, were.
Buying Manchester United from this vampire family was not an easy task. Bruno had played in European football for a few years now. While he wouldn't call himself a seasoned veteran, he understood the essential things.
Jassim had promised a beautiful future and painted a hopeful picture, but there was a critical issue hidden within. Could he guarantee the successful acquisition of Manchester United? How long would it take to complete the acquisition?
This was a very sensitive yet crucial question. Without understanding this, everything Jassim promised would be nothing more than a mirage.
For instance, if the Glazer family was too greedy and demanded an unacceptable price, what if Jassim gave up? Or what if the acquisition process dragged on for a long time? Would Bruno have to wait indefinitely?
Bruno glanced secretly at Mendes. This was the kind of delicate issue that agents typically handled.
Understanding the situation, Mendes smiled and looked at Jassim. "Mr. Jassim, I apologize for being direct," Mendes said with a seemingly polite yet firm tone. "Your plan is indeed very tempting, but I would like to know how you intend to execute such a grand plan. Firstly, can you guarantee the successful acquisition of Manchester United? Secondly, is your plan for building the team a short-term goal, or is it a long-term strategy?"
Mendes' question was very sensitive but also very crucial.
Jassim still maintained his kind smile. He knew that Bruno and Mendes had been convinced by his words; otherwise, they wouldn't have asked such sharp questions. So, instead of feeling offended, he was actually quite pleased.
However, he did not answer personally. Instead, his assistant responded.
"We can't execute this over a long period. Our Plan A is to complete the acquisition within this month. If time is too tight, our backup plan is to ensure the final acquisition is completed within this year. For this, we have prepared 10 billion dollars!"
"Ten billion dollars?" Mendes was shocked.
That was an astronomical figure. At the current exchange rate, it amounted to about 6.4 billion pounds, while Manchester United's current stock price was only about 3 billion pounds.
If Jassim had indeed prepared 10 billion dollars, it meant he was ready to acquire Manchester United at double the market value.
Bruno, though outwardly still calm, was secretly taken aback. Especially since these guys talked about 10 billion dollars as if they were talking about 100 dollars.
He knew these oil tycoons were wealthy, but he hadn't expected them to be so extravagantly rich!
Under such a huge temptation, even the greedy Glazer family would likely not be able to resist.
Jassim's assistant then explained many convincing plans, allowing Bruno and Mendes to believe that they were indeed fully prepared and had detailed plans.
With the funding issue resolved, Mendes asked several more sensitive questions, which Jassim's assistant also answered one by one.
For example, Jassim's promise to invest at least 1 billion pounds in the first year after the acquisition and how that money would be allocated.
Jassim's plan was to spend at least 200 million pounds on transfers, bringing in multiple star players. Apart from Bruno, names like Lewandowski, Salah, Hazard, Toni Kroos, Vidal, Varane, and Thiago Silva were on the list.
These players included top stars in their prime, like Lewandowski, Kroos, Vidal, and Thiago Silva, as well as rising stars in recent years, like Salah, Hazard, and Varane.
Jassim's assistant said they were actively preparing and making contacts. The specifics of who they would bring in and the progress of these signings still needed to be finalized, but they were confident of assembling a new star-studded squad by next summer.
Bruno and Mendes were very satisfied, even a bit excited, with the explanations given by Jassim's team.
If they indeed brought in a group of top-tier players as planned, it would greatly benefit both Manchester United and Bruno. Especially for Mendes, the agent, this was very exciting.
Mendes, being very calm, quickly moved on to another sensitive topic: Bruno's personal terms.
Jassim personally promised Bruno that he would receive a salary and treatment befitting his status and abilities, making him the highest-paid star in the world, ensuring he wouldn't suffer any loss.
However, there was a disagreement regarding the share of image rights. Jassim naturally wanted to hold Bruno's image rights, so they proposed a 50-50 split. Mendes, representing Bruno, firmly opposed this suggestion, stating that Bruno would not give up any of his image rights.
Jassim's assistant team tried to negotiate, but Mendes was unyielding. Finally, Jassim stepped in to mediate, saying that these issues could be discussed later and that the key was to reach an agreement.
"Bruno, I believe we are all very sincere here, and you know our plans. I want to know what you think," Jassim said.
After hearing Jassim's words, everyone turned to Bruno. The success of the plan hinged on his decision.
Bruno understood this was a significant opportunity. If he missed it, Jassim would likely move on to another target and revise his plans, leaving Bruno with only Barcelona or Real Madrid as options.
Thinking of this, Bruno smiled and said, "Jassim, thank you very much for your trust. As a Manchester United fan, I would love to play at Old Trafford, but I have one last question."
Hearing this, Jassim and his team members all smiled, clearly relieved.
"Go ahead."
"What about Udinese?"
"We will handle it for you," Jassim said confidently.
"Is there a way?"
"We will definitely persuade Udinese's management."
Although Bruno didn't know how Jassim's team communicated with Udinese, one thing was clear: a day later, Udinese issued an official statement rejecting offers from both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
This news quickly caused a huge stir in Italian and European football, and even worldwide.
After a summer of high-profile transfer rumors, they weren't selling?
The Corriere della Sera, the most influential newspaper in Italy, quickly followed up with reports. They stated that Udinese's owner, Giampaolo Pozzo, had relented and decided to keep Bruno, aiming to challenge for more prestigious titles in the new season.
In an interview with the media, club general manager Cristiano Giaretta said the club had heard the fans' voices and would not sell Bruno.
"Bruno has returned to Udine for preseason training. I spoke with him, and he clearly expressed his desire to stay with Udinese. The club respects his decision and the fans' wishes."
In an interview, head coach Guidolin also confirmed, "Bruno returned to the team on the first day of training. He's not going anywhere. This is our best transfer move this summer!"
With these confirmations, everyone at Udinese was greatly encouraged. The fans celebrated as if they had won a great victory, full of renewed expectations for the new season.
Bruno's agent, Jorge Mendes, also confirmed to the media that Bruno would continue to play at the Stadio Friuli in the new season.
Barcelona quickly announced on their official website that due to Udinese's sudden refusal and termination of negotiations, their pursuit of Bruno had failed. They soon announced the signing of Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid for 35 million euros.
There were also reports that after failing to sign Bruno, Bartomeu turned his attention to Juventus' Paul Pogba and Wolfsburg's Kevin De Bruyne. However, Pogba reportedly did not intend to leave Juventus, and De Bruyne faced competition from Manchester City.
Florentino Perez also expressed regret over the failed deal, believing that Real Madrid had missed out on the best player in the world. However, the Galacticos' president believed that with Ronaldo still in the team, even though the Portuguese forward was 30 years old, he was still in peak form and not inferior to his national team junior.
(End of Chapter
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