Chapter 476: The Frenzied Transfer Market
Although it was just the first morning training session and the first day of the training camp, it was clear to see several things.
First, there was the new signing Lindelöf. He appeared sturdy and physically impressive, yet his ball-handling skills were remarkably fine, and he showed great ability in carrying the ball forward during team drills, leaving a strong impression. It was evident why Manchester United paid £31 million to bring him in; he was no ordinary player.
Fitness coach Carlos Lalin had meticulously prepared a comprehensive summer fitness program for the entire Manchester United squad, including several new training routines. However, he wasn't blindly rigid in his approach. For example, Bruno, who had played in the Confederations Cup in June and was in good physical shape, was given a one-week buffer period to adjust before the more intense training began. This decision by Lalin made some teammates envious, feeling it was unfair. Lalin, known for his strictness, responded bluntly, "If you can bring back a world championship, I can approve you skipping the gym."
The United players were speechless, realizing how difficult it was to win a world championship, even if it was just the Confederations Cup. After all, only the champions of each continent could participate in that tournament. To even qualify, a player must first help their national team win a continental championship.
Bruno continued to train diligently, smiling as usual. Whether it was summer fitness training or gym workouts, he was accustomed to the hardship, having endured it almost daily for the past five years. Sometimes, enduring hardship just becomes second nature.
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Over the next period, Manchester United fully immersed themselves in their summer training regimen. Unlike last year, when Bruno's transfer was finalized in August and he missed the summer training camp due to participating in the European Championship with Portugal, this was his first complete preseason training with Manchester United. The club placed great importance on this, and although Lalin allowed Bruno a week to adjust, he still devised a tailored fitness training plan for him. The goal was to help Bruno perform even better in the new season and assist United in making further strides, especially in the Champions League. For a top European club like Manchester United, the Champions League title is the ultimate pursuit.
The last time United won the Champions League was in the 2007-2008 season, nine years ago. Winning it in the upcoming season would mark a decade since their last triumph. Bruno was fully committed, focusing entirely on the preseason training, meticulously following the coaching staff's plan.
Meanwhile, negotiations for bringing Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé to Manchester United continued to be challenging. Despite the overwhelming media coverage of these potential transfers, reports indicated no substantial progress had been made. In contrast, United's Premier League rivals were making significant moves.
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Pep Guardiola's Manchester City was particularly active this summer. After a trophyless season where they almost missed out on a Champions League spot, City's management continued to back Guardiola with significant investments in the transfer market. Right after the season ended, City announced the signing of Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva from Ligue 1 champions AS Monaco for £43 million. On June 1st, they followed up with another big signing, bringing in Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson from Benfica for £35 million.
In mid-July, negotiations to sign Tottenham Hotspur's defender Kyle Walker were finalized, with the transfer amounting to £45 million plus £5 million in add-ons, totaling £50 million. The day after signing Walker, City announced the signing of young talent Douglas Luiz from Vasco da Gama for £11 million.
Additionally, media reports suggested that City was planning to sign Brazilian midfielder Danilo from Real Madrid and AS Monaco's center-back Benjamin Mendy. If these deals went through, City's summer spending would again surpass £200 million, marking consecutive summer windows of over £200 million in spending, a testament to their aggressive transfer strategy.
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Not to be outdone, Chelsea also made significant moves in the transfer market. After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester United last season, Roman Abramovich wasn't satisfied and sought to strengthen the team further. Following a fallout with Diego Costa, the club quickly found a new striker, signing former Chelsea player Romelu Lukaku for a hefty £75 million. The day after signing Lukaku, Chelsea secured another big transfer, bringing in German defender Antonio Rüdiger from AS Roma for £32 million. In mid-July, they announced the signing of midfielder Tiemoué Bakayoko from Monaco for £40 million.
Chelsea was also targeting Torino's Davide Zappacosta and Leicester City's Danny Drinkwater, a former Manchester United youth product. If these transfers materialized, Chelsea's summer spending would also surpass £200 million.
Liverpool, having missed out on a Champions League spot, also made significant signings. They brought in Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah from Roma for £39 million and then signed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal for £35 million.
Arsenal, despite losing players like Oxlade-Chamberlain, defender Kieran Gibbs, and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, remained active in the market. With Atlético Madrid under a transfer ban, Lyon's striker Alexandre Lacazette became a primary target for Arsène Wenger. The deal was quickly finalized, and on July 6th, Arsenal announced Lacazette's signing for £46.5 million plus £6 million in add-ons, signing a five-year contract.
Tottenham Hotspur, after selling Kyle Walker and Nabil Bentaleb, signed center-back Davinson Sánchez from Ajax, Serge Aurier from PSG, and Spanish forward Fernando Llorente from Swansea City. Llorente's signing was widely seen as Spurs preparing for the potential loss of Harry Kane.
Faced with Manchester United's lavish spending, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy found it difficult to maintain his vow never to sell players to United again.
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The International Champions Cup (ICC) was originally known as the World Football Challenge, an international club exhibition tournament. The inaugural event took place in 2009 with four teams: Chelsea, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Club América, with Chelsea emerging as the first champion. Due to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the event was not held that year. In 2011, the tournament expanded to 13 teams, including Manchester United, with matches held in the United States and Canada. Both Real Madrid and Manchester United won all their matches, with Real Madrid taking the title based on goal difference.
The 2012 edition, the third and final World Football Challenge, featured 11 teams. Due to the non-round-robin format, there was no official champion, but Real Madrid, having played and won four matches, was considered the best team, scoring 14 goals in the process.
In 2013, the tournament was rebranded as the International Champions Cup (ICC), sponsored by Relevant Sports, owned by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and former New York Jets executive Matt Higgins. The ICC quickly established itself as the premier preseason tournament, expanding its reach beyond North America to include matches in China, Australia, Mexico, Singapore, and various European locations.
Initially, the tournament featured eight teams divided into two groups. The first edition's group stage did not follow a round-robin format; instead, the winners of the first round in each group played each other, with the group winners advancing to the final. The second edition adopted a round-robin format, with the group winners meeting in the final.
Starting in 2015, with the inclusion of other locations beyond North America, the ICC's format varied by region. Despite being a commercial exhibition, the tournament emphasized attacking football, reflected in its scoring rules. In addition to the regular three points for a win and one point for a draw, each goal scored in regular time earned a team an additional point. If a match ended in a draw, a penalty shootout determined the winner, who received an extra point.
This year's ICC was scheduled in North America, China, and Singapore, with four matches in China, three in Singapore, and the remaining 12 in North America. Manchester United was among the participating teams, competing in the North American section.
(End of Chapter)
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