In a high-end restaurant in Miami, USA, Gao Shen, Lucas, and Borrell met with two senior executives from Real Madrid: CEO José Sánchez and Vice Chairman and Public Relations Director Emilio Butragueño.
Although it had not been long since they last met, this time Gao Shen was no longer the head coach of Real Madrid, which made the atmosphere somewhat bittersweet.
Sánchez and Butragueño, having grown used to Gao Shen's direct and efficient way of communicating as Real Madrid's head coach, now found it strange to sit across from him as a rival club's representative.
"Gao, how about you sit here?" joked José Sánchez, pointing to the seat at the head of the table.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Both Lucas and Borrell had worked at Real Madrid before and had been Gao Shen's assistants for years. They were very familiar with Sánchez and Butragueño. After all, the two executives had spent a lot of effort trying to convince Gao Shen to return to Real Madrid.
"Well, I'll let you all talk. I'm going to grab something to eat," Gao Shen said, standing up and leaving the room.
This gesture showed how much trust he had in Lucas and Borrell.
In truth, most of Leeds United's decisions were now handled by the two of them.
Although Gao Shen had withdrawn substantial funds from the club in recent years, he had also treated Lucas and Borrell very generously.
For example, their house in Cheshire was purchased by Su Qing as a gift.
Of course, this was mainly because there were many things the two men could not completely avoid being involved in.
Just like Leeds United's London office—Su Qing bought that property with club funds, but registered it under Gao Shen's name, then rented it to Leeds United at a high rate.
That entire process required the cooperation of Lucas and Borrell.
The two were not only capable but deeply loyal to Gao Shen, so he would never allow them to suffer any losses or disappointment.
The reason Gao Shen chose to avoid this meeting was that he already knew Real Madrid's intentions in talking to Lucas and Borrell.
Spanish media had reported earlier that Real Madrid wanted to sign Mbappé and Van Dijk.
But everyone knew that both players carried extremely high valuations.
Mbappé's estimated market value was around 150 million euros, but signing him for that amount was unrealistic.
Especially after his spectacular World Cup performance, any signing would create a global sensation.
Van Dijk, meanwhile, was arguably the best center-back in world football. Even calling him "one of the best" would be an understatement. His market value on Transfermarkt was listed at 100 million euros, but signing him for that price was wishful thinking.
More importantly, both players still had several years left on their contracts, leaving no room for rival clubs to exploit.
Because of this, Leeds United wasn't worried about private approaches from clubs like Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid. No matter how much they tried, they would ultimately have to negotiate directly with Leeds United.
…
Negotiations like these were rarely as intense as people imagined.
In movies, such scenes might look dramatic, but in reality, most high-level transfer talks were polite and calculated.
Both sides came to the table because they had a mutual interest. Each would test the other's bottom line with carefully chosen offers.
Still, everything depended on the circumstances.
Leeds United had refused to make any formal offer for Mbappé, while Real Madrid had gone as high as 180 million euros.
Of course, that offer included installments, as it was impossible to pay such a massive sum upfront.
But Leeds United's stance was crystal clear: no negotiations.
Gao Shen had already discussed this with Lucas and Borrell.
After the World Cup, Borrell personally flew to Paris to meet with Mbappé and his parents. He detailed Leeds United's development plan for the new season and outlined their commercial vision, offering the best terms the club could possibly provide.
Since Mbappé had yet to make a final decision, Leeds United refused to entertain any transfer offers from other clubs.
Van Dijk's case, however, was different.
Real Madrid had made several offers, but Leeds United had been unwilling to engage.
That was why José Sánchez personally called Gao Shen, hoping he could help move things along.
Gao Shen had agreed to arrange this meeting for that very reason.
Internally, Leeds United had already evaluated the situation. Van Dijk, now 27, was in his prime, but his value would only start to decline as he aged.
If they delayed further, the club risked seeing his price drop as his contract neared its end.
Once Van Dijk made it clear that he would not renew his contract, Leeds United would lose leverage in negotiations.
The best option was to sell him now, while his value was at its peak.
This would benefit both Leeds United and Van Dijk.
As for replacements, Ruben Dias was viewed as the natural successor. De Ligt and Militao were also capable, and veteran José Fonte provided valuable experience.
This central defensive lineup would be more than enough for the upcoming season.
Leeds United's stance on Van Dijk was firm: 150 million euros, non-negotiable.
…
When Gao Shen returned to the private room after ordering food, he overheard Lucas speaking.
"In the current European transfer market, look around. Can you buy a top-level central defender like Van Dijk for 100 million euros?" Lucas asked with a confident smile.
"I can tell you very clearly, it's impossible!"
After a short pause, Lucas added with a grin, "Real Madrid should learn from Chelsea's past experience."
Gao Shen almost laughed out loud.
Lucas's negotiation skills and psychological tactics had become sharp and shrewd.
What lesson was he referring to? Chelsea's failed pursuit of Ederson.
Back when Cech was aging, Chelsea urgently needed a successor in goal.
After Leeds United sold Navas to Paris Saint-Germain for a high fee, Ederson became the first-choice goalkeeper and performed brilliantly in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
Chelsea had long wanted him, negotiating in multiple transfer windows. The more they talked, the higher his price went. In the summer of 2017, Leeds United quoted 80 million euros, which scared Chelsea off.
The Blues hesitated for too long.
Unexpectedly, early in the following season, Manchester City's goalkeeper Neuer suffered a serious injury, sidelining him for the year.
Although it was outside the transfer window, Manchester City moved swiftly, contacting Leeds United about Ederson.
Chelsea realized the urgency and joined the bidding war.
After months of negotiations, Manchester City finally signed Ederson in December for a record-breaking 90 million euros.
City went on to win the Premier League, while Chelsea missed out on the Champions League.
And just this past summer, Chelsea, still haunted by their goalkeeper troubles, paid 80 million euros to sign Kepa from Athletic Bilbao—sparking ridicule from media and fans alike.
In 2017, they could have had Ederson for the same price, but a year later, they spent the same amount on Kepa.
Now, Lucas was using Chelsea's mistake to pressure Sánchez, implying that Real Madrid was not the only club eyeing Van Dijk.
Liverpool, flush with new funds, was also very interested.
Real Madrid could not afford to repeat Chelsea's error.
Leeds United's confidence came from the fact that there simply wasn't another center-back in Europe at Van Dijk's level.
If Real Madrid wanted the best, they had to pay for it.
And the best always came with the highest price tag.
…
Gao Shen knocked lightly, opened the door, and walked in, cutting the tension in the room.
"The food here's great. I ordered quite a few dishes for us to try," he said casually.
His timing helped ease the atmosphere immediately.
The conversation shifted naturally, drifting away from transfers and toward the International Champions Cup.
In recent years, the tournament had grown in popularity and profitability, attracting top clubs every summer.
Gao Shen even thought that if it weren't for the mask incident, the event could have become an annual pre-season classic. Unfortunately, it was canceled in his previous life because of the pandemic.
Sometimes Gao Shen wondered if such an incident would happen again in this world.
If he could choose, he would prefer a world without any epidemic.
Real Madrid had participated in the North American leg of the International Champions Cup for six straight years, which aligned perfectly with their commercial expansion strategy. As a result, Real Madrid was one of the most successful European clubs in the North American market.
At present, only Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, and Leeds United had significant influence there.
This was largely due to Leeds United's unparalleled online presence, which even surpassed many traditional giants.
Over the years, Leeds United had worked tirelessly to convert online traffic into real commercial revenue. Two years ago, they officially launched a global sponsorship plan.
The results had been impressive, with commercial income growing rapidly year after year.
Sánchez was amazed by Leeds United's achievements but believed the club still had untapped potential. Whether in North America, Asia, especially China, or in the Middle East and Africa, Leeds United's fan base and visibility were massive.
That was the advantage of the internet.
Leeds United had another advantage: merchandise sales.
After Leeds United pioneered a new model of apparel sales, major sponsors like Adidas and Nike changed their contracts to prevent other clubs from copying it.
Now, as Leeds United's revenue from apparel continued to soar, other clubs could only watch with envy.
Leeds United didn't just sell jerseys and training kits. They expanded into casual wear and lifestyle apparel, breaking through the traditional ceiling of football merchandise sales.
For giants like Real Madrid and Manchester United, this created an awkward dilemma.
If they tried to follow Leeds United's model, their sponsors would reduce sponsorship fees. If they didn't, they had to watch Leeds United's business thrive from the sidelines.
In short, there was only one word for it: difficult.
(To be continued.)