Chapter 203 – A Long-Awaited Dream Fulfilled! Expanding the Football Empire's Territory Further
When Uli Hoeneß returned to Munich, full of frustration, he was immediately greeted by four seismic transfers that rocked the football world.
First came the shocking news that newly oil-rich Liverpool, backed by Saudi ownership, had signed legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from Juventus for a staggering £35 million—roughly €43.75 million.
The entire football world was stunned.
This fee even surpassed Barcelona's transfer for David Villa from Valencia, making Buffon the most expensive signing of the summer.
And let's not forget—the world record for the highest transfer fee for a goalkeeper was set by Buffon himself.
Now, at 32 years old, the legendary shot-stopper had shattered his own record.
No one doubted Buffon's ability, but was it worth paying such a high price for a 32-year-old goalkeeper?
The only explanation anyone could come up with was that the Saudis weren't just targeting sporting success.
They wanted global attention—to make the world focus on Liverpool, and by extension, Saudi Arabia.
But Buffon wasn't the only one.
Liverpool also landed another Italian international: Mario Balotelli.
Balotelli was arguably the most talked-about young striker in this summer's transfer market.
No one questioned the 20-year-old's talent and potential. Everyone agreed he was destined to become a world-class center forward—his raw ability was simply dazzling.
Ferguson at Manchester United wanted him.
Chelsea saw him as Drogba's heir.
Ancelotti at Manchester City had high hopes for him.
And Mancini at Liverpool played the emotional card.
It was Mancini, after all, who had promoted Balotelli during his time at Inter Milan.
City were first to make a move, offering £25 million right off the bat to secure the future superstar.
But Liverpool quickly matched and then surpassed the offer.
The bidding war escalated, finally settling at £30 million—about €37.5 million.
Between two Premier League clubs and two Italian managers, Balotelli chose to join Mancini at Liverpool.
Speaking to Italian media, Balotelli said: "No one understands me better than Mancini—he knows how to unlock my potential!"
After losing out on Balotelli, Ancelotti pivoted quickly.
Having already signed Jérôme Boateng from Hamburg, City shelled out another £30 million to sign Giorgio Chiellini from Juventus.
Chiellini had been valued at just €25 million in Germany, but City ended up paying €37.5 million to secure the Italian international.
Classic Manchester City.
With Chiellini now on board, City's center-back corps boasted Lucio, Chiellini, Lescott, Corluka, and the young Boateng.
Ancelotti had finally resolved the defensive crisis that plagued him all season.
And to make up for missing out on Balotelli, City announced they had signed Zlatan Ibrahimović from Barcelona for £24 million—€30 million.
After just one season at Barça, Ibrahimović's value had been halved.
The Sun reported that his agent, Mino Raiola, had worked magic to get the deal done.
Initially, City and Barça clashed over the fee. The Premier League side only wanted to pay £20 million—far below Barcelona's £30 million asking price.
The sticking point? Ibrahimović's massive wages.
He was earning €12 million per year at Barcelona.
Thanks to Spain's favorable tax laws, his net salary was around €9.5 million—or about £7.5 million.
That came out to roughly £145,000 in post-tax weekly wages.
But in the Premier League, where the tax rate was 50%, City would need to pay £300,000 per week pre-tax to match it—Kaká-level wages.
Even for a club as loaded as City, that was unsustainable.
That's why they turned their focus to Balotelli—more expensive in terms of transfer fee, but far cheaper in salary.
But no one expected Balotelli to choose Liverpool.
Ironically, Balotelli's agent was also Raiola.
After the Liverpool deal was finalized, Raiola brokered negotiations between City and Barça, convincing the Catalans to lower their price while nudging City to raise their bid slightly.
Meanwhile, Ibrahimović agreed to reduce his wage demands.
He was desperate to leave Barcelona.
According to The Sun, the final fee was set at £24 million, and his weekly salary at City would be £200,000 pre-tax.
Once these blockbuster transfers hit the press, media and fans around the globe went into a frenzy.
Everyone was shocked at the sheer spending power of the Premier League.
With Manchester City and Liverpool now in the hands of mega-rich owners, they were snapping up superstars left and right—making the Premier League glitter like never before.
…
"The Premier League is terrifying now!"
Back in the Säbener Straße offices of Bayern Munich, Hoeneß and Nerlinger immediately sought out Rummenigge.
Naturally, their conversation turned to the transfer madness in England.
"We have to push UEFA to implement Financial Fair Play ASAP. We must rein in the Premier League, or at this rate, every top player in the world will end up there!"
"At that point, the Premier League will become another Mini World Cup!"
Having run Bayern for years, Hoeneß and Rummenigge knew all too well what Serie A's dominance once looked like.
Back then, Serie A was the unrivaled king of European football.
But it had been a bitter experience for German football.
In the late '90s, the Bundesliga tried to compete with Serie A's spending.
Clubs like Bayern and Dortmund entered a full-on spending spree—fueled by backing from media giants like the Kirch Group.
There was also a wave of IPOs in European football. Clubs like Manchester United, Ajax, and Dortmund all went public around the turn of the century.
But then came the crash.
The Kirch Group fell into financial trouble and eventually declared bankruptcy.
And with that, the Bundesliga was dragged into a financial abyss.
Even Bayern, along with many other clubs, faced severe bankruptcy risks.
How did Bayern recover?
In 2001, they launched their own IPO.
Long-time partner Adidas invested €75 million to acquire 10% of the club.
That's why Adidas chairman Herbert Hainer became a key figure on Bayern's supervisory board.
Most of the other board members came in during that time as well.
Thanks to that public offering and financial backing at the turn of the century, Bayern was not only the first Bundesliga club to escape the crisis, but also used loans, transfers, and other strategies to cement its dominance over the league.
Clubs like Dortmund and Werder Bremen might occasionally challenge Bayern, but they could never truly shake their hold on the Bundesliga.
Within the industry, it's well understood—there's no such thing as peace in European football.
The Bundesliga and Serie A are always locked in battle—and so is La Liga.
Just look at Real Madrid and Barcelona.
How were these two monsters created?
Their socio-based membership model gives them massive advantages over other clubs.
And let's not even talk about the government and banking sector's generous support for these "public benefit" clubs.
The Bankruptcy Crisis of the Early 2000s Crushed the Bundesliga, and After Calciopoli, Serie A Fell with It
The Premier League seized the opportunity to rise rapidly, becoming the undisputed number one league in the world.
La Liga, riding on the eternal rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona, established itself as the second-best league.
And even now, La Liga dreams of challenging the Premier League head-on.
But the Premier League's dominance is bad news for every other European league—especially the Bundesliga.
Just look at what the Premier League has done this summer to Serie A and La Liga:
Valencia's twin stars, Inter's genius striker, Juventus's legendary goalkeeper and key center-back, and earlier, United snatching up Roma's future captain…
Every single deal reads like a tragedy for the selling clubs.
And if things keep going this way, it's only a matter of time before the Premier League turns its eyes on the Bundesliga.
At the core of it all is the Premier League's incredible success in global expansion.
No other league even comes close.
"Financial Fair Play might suppress foreign investment a little," said Rummenigge, visibly frustrated.
"But you know how it is—not just the Premier League, even UEFA itself has a very ambivalent attitude toward foreign money. Most people welcome it."
Spanish clubs have made a complete mess of trying to attract foreign investment.
Getafe's president, for instance, got duped into flying all the way to Dubai.
The reality is that everyone in football knows foreign capital is the only way out for many clubs across Europe.
Serie A doesn't even own its stadiums—no one wants to touch it.
Bundesliga clubs are restricted by policy, so foreign investment is rare.
The Premier League, La Liga, and Ligue 1 have all taken proactive approaches.
Their clubs are heavily in debt and barely hanging on.
Take Marseille, for example. They just won Ligue 1, and the club is being run by the widow of former Adidas CEO Robert Louis-Dreyfus.
But she has zero knowledge of football and absolutely no interest in running a club.
Despite pumping in loads of money, last season's Ligue 1 title still ended with massive financial losses.
Everyone in Europe knows she's been trying to sell Marseille.
And what about Lyon?
No one's heard much from them in the past few years, right?
Whatever happened to the once-mighty kings of Ligue 1?
Why hasn't Aulas been stirring the pot like he used to?
Because behind all the glory, Lyon is drowning in debt too.
That's the current state of most European leagues—except the Premier League.
So how did the Premier League pull off this transformation?
It all started in 2003, with Roman Abramovich's arrival.
He was the tipping point, and then came the Abu Dhabi group, now the Saudi consortium, and wealthy individuals from around the globe.
Foreign capital flooded into the Premier League, bringing enormous spending power and relieving clubs of their debt burdens.
It also brought international influence, allowing the Premier League to lead the charge in globalization—with the best results by far.
Today, Premier League clubs thrive off both domestic and international markets.
What other league wouldn't envy that?
Rummenigge, however, was powerless to change it.
So much of this was the result of political and economic chess.
"Enough of this," he said with a sigh. "How did things go in London?"
At the mention of London, Hoeneß sighed heavily.
He gave a brief summary of what had happened.
Just before returning to Munich, he'd gotten a call from Dan Ashworth.
The Bayswater Chinese still weren't considering selling Neuer.
"Are they just trying to bleed us dry?" Rummenigge fumed.
"Buffon went for that much. What do you think?" Hoeneß grumbled, frustrated.
These foreign owners were reckless.
Paying so much for a 32-year-old goalkeeper? It was pure market disruption.
That wasn't just Hoeneß's opinion—it was what Ferguson had said, too.
"So what now?" Rummenigge frowned. He was out of ideas.
The contract was still valid. If the selling club wasn't willing, and the player didn't push for the move, they could only wait.
Wait a few years, let the contract run down, and try again when the price drops.
That's the standard playbook.
But the problem was—Bayern didn't have time to wait.
Kahn's intended successor, Rensing, was already gone.
Currently, Bayern only had two goalkeepers: the aging Hans-Jörg Butt and the young but inexperienced Thomas Kraft.
And with the Bayswater Chinese's current form—was it even realistic to think Neuer would be available in a few years?
"Thomas Kroth told me... maybe we should consider including Thomas Müller in the deal."
The moment the words left Hoeneß's mouth, Rummenigge's eyes went wide.
"You've lost your mind?"
"I didn't agree to anything—I'm just passing on what he said!" Hoeneß quickly clarified.
"Even mentioning it is unacceptable. That's Thomas Müller we're talking about!"
Did they understand what that name meant to Bayern?
Unless the kid totally flopped, Bayern would do everything in their power to develop him.
"Then what about Badstuber...?"
"Him either!" Rummenigge waved it off. Off the table.
After a pause, Rummenigge glanced at his colleagues.
"Müller has already agreed to extend his contract. Next, we're focusing on Ribéry—we have to keep him."
"And what about Toni Kroos?"
"We'll put him on hold," Rummenigge's face darkened.
"I contacted Volker Struth to inform him that we were recalling Kroos from loan. Want to guess what he said?"
Before Hoeneß could ask, Rummenigge continued:
"He told me if Kroos didn't have a guaranteed role at the club, the player would prefer to stay at Leverkusen—or even consider a permanent move!"
"Even Heynckes called to ask if they could keep him. I rejected it."
Rummenigge shook his head. "The kid's a damn ingrate. No real loyalty to this club."
Hoeneß sighed.
It really was a headache.
Bayern's midfield was already packed.
And Van Gaal hadn't figured out how to use Kroos effectively. He just said he needed more time to observe.
"Van Gaal's not that interested in Kroos," Hoeneß muttered.
Rummenigge nodded. "But he did look decent at Leverkusen."
"Well, last season at least. But on the left wing, he lacks pace—he's slower than early Schweinsteiger."
Basti also started as a winger and wasn't fast, but even then, he was quicker than Kroos.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through Hoeneß's mind.
"What if… we include Kroos in the Neuer deal—to raise our offer?"
When a club doesn't have the cash for a transfer, including a player in the deal is a common tactic.
And hey, Thomas Kroth said it himself—Yang Cheng mentioned three names: Thomas Müller, Holger Badstuber, and Toni Kroos.
If they put one of them in the deal, maybe Yang would bite.
"Would that even work? Would Kroos agree to it?" Nerlinger, who had been silent, finally spoke.
Kroos was a well-known German prodigy, and he'd done well at Leverkusen.
His current value was around €12 million.
Hoeneß glanced at Nerlinger, then turned to Rummenigge. "His contract expires in 2012."
Rummenigge understood immediately.
By tradition, they'd need to extend his contract this summer.
By Christmas at the latest.
If it dragged into the summer of 2011, Bayern would lose all leverage.
They wouldn't be able to sell him for a good price, and renewing his deal would become difficult.
"Would the Bayswater Chinese agree?" Rummenigge asked.
"I'll give it a shot," said Hoeneß.
Rummenigge didn't hesitate—he nodded.
Now, for Bayern Munich, the Top Priority Was Signing Neuer
Everything else could be set aside for the moment.
Toni Kroos?
Germany had plenty of players like him.
And besides, he was from East Germany and had zero emotional ties to Bayern.
Every time Rummenigge saw him, he couldn't help but feel slightly insulted.
…
When Bayern's new offer landed on Dan Ashworth's desk, the Sporting Director nearly leapt out of his chair.
Because on that document, he saw a name he'd been waiting for:
Toni Kroos!
Yang really was a master strategist!
Of the four names—Thomas Müller, Holger Badstuber, Manuel Neuer, and Toni Kroos—Bayern had ultimately chosen to part with Kroos without hesitation.
Ashworth felt his earlier "accidental" phone call in front of Thomas Kroth had been worth it after all.
Excited, he immediately called Yang Cheng—who was still officially "on vacation"—to report the update and ask for final instructions.
Bayern's offer was €45 million plus Toni Kroos.
Yang Cheng felt his heart stir, but he didn't reply right away.
This was the midfield general he had dreamed of!
With Kroos onboard, the Bayswater Chinese midfield would be complete.
"Make them wait a day," Yang said. "Get back to them tomorrow. €50 million plus Kroos."
He paused, then chuckled. "That's still a great deal for Bayern."
Who was Neuer?
He was destined to become a legendary German goalkeeper.
In today's football world, Bayern should count themselves lucky to even have the chance to buy him.
As for the Bayswater Chinese, selling Neuer would undoubtedly leave some regret.
But one, Neuer wanted to return to Germany.
And two, they'd get Germany's most talented young midfielder, Toni Kroos, in return.
Add to that a €50 million transfer fee? That was an incredible deal.
And this deal, if completed, would break Buffon's long-standing record—making Neuer the most expensive goalkeeper in football history.
That kind of historical milestone benefited the Bayswater Chinese too.
As for Neuer's successor—Yang Cheng had long since prepared.
Gary Worthington and Mike Rigg had been circling through Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain, scouting promising young goalkeepers.
The shortlist included Jan Oblak from Slovenia, Thibaut Courtois from Genk, Sergio Asenjo and David de Gea from Atlético Madrid, and Ter Stegen from Mönchengladbach's youth team.
Among them, Yang Cheng chose Thibaut Courtois.
Why? Because Courtois had almost every trait of a perfect goalkeeper.
Ideal height for a goalkeeper was generally around 1.90 meters.
Buffon, for example, was 1.92m.
But there was another critical factor—arm length.
When scouting keepers, both height and wingspan were vital.
It's simple physics: the goal doesn't change size. A tall, long-armed keeper can cover more area.
Sure, there have been successful short keepers—Casillas, Asenjo, Reina, Valdés, and eventually Keylor Navas at Real Madrid.
But they all had to rely on lightning reflexes and explosive agility to compensate for their lack of reach.
The goalkeeper position is unique. It demands a completely different skill set from every other position on the pitch.
Sometimes, top-level keepers barely face more than one or two shots per match.
Their job is mostly mental—staying alert, organizing the defense, reading the game.
This is where shorter keepers are at a disadvantage.
Lower vantage point, less reach—they need their physical condition to be at its peak constantly.
Tall keepers have issues too. Their bulk can reduce reaction speed, especially against close-range shots.
But everyone knows that goalkeeper is a position with a long prime.
Shorter keepers often peak early and decline fast, sometimes before they even hit 30.
That's because human physical performance peaks around age 26.
When reflexes fade, short keepers lose their biggest advantage and drop off quickly.
Look closely, and you'll see: goalkeepers with long, successful careers tend to be tall.
Many don't hit their prime until after 30, when experience becomes their biggest asset.
Courtois stood at 1.99 meters—same as Bayswater's current backup Begović.
Slightly on the tall side, perhaps.
But Courtois was strong, rarely injured, and impressively agile for his size.
Most importantly, he was calm, focused, and mentally unshakable.
And that mattered a lot.
Just look at that Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool—where the Reds didn't just lose the trophy, they also lost a promising young keeper's career.
Courtois's distribution—his long passes—still needed work, but everything else was already top-tier.
And he was only 18.
If the club signed him now and handed him to Pedro Jaro for careful development, even if he never reached the heights of Buffon or Neuer, he'd still be more than capable of being a No.1 at a top club.
He had a long, bright future ahead.
Courtois had debuted for Genk in 2010. After a breakout season, he moved to Chelsea for £9 million, then was immediately loaned to Atlético Madrid as their starting keeper.
He went on to be a starter for every club he played for—and always maintained a high level.
Simply put, Courtois was a goalkeeper you could trust.
But at the time, Courtois had only played one match for Genk during the 08/09 season.
His market valuation on Transfermarkt was just €150,000.
Genk, however, were asking for €1 million—with no discounts.
Even more amusing, when Mike Rigg went to Belgium to scout, Genk's higher-ups excitedly pitched their star striker, Jelle Vossen, a Belgian international valued at €1 million.
Genk wanted €3 million for him.
Rigg wasn't impressed by Vossen.
But he was impressed by a 19-year-old backup midfielder at Genk—Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne's market value was around €2 million at the time.
Yang Cheng had given Rigg some autonomy, so he began negotiating directly with Genk.
Their asking price: €3 million.
…
When the Bayswater Chinese finally gave their official reply—agreeing to sit down and talk—Bayern's top brass were overjoyed.
Their biggest fear was that the Bayswater Chinese simply didn't want to negotiate at all.
But if they were willing to talk, then anything was possible.
€50 million plus Toni Kroos?
Deal!
Rummenigge and Hoeneß quickly responded with a yes.
That amounted to roughly £40 million plus Kroos—or around £50 million total.
It would break the all-time record for a goalkeeper transfer.
With both clubs having agreed in principle, Bayern's sporting director Nerlinger immediately began preparations.
He flew to London with a delegation to meet Dan Ashworth and finalize the details.
The main sticking points were payment structure and some technical clauses—but there weren't many issues.
Yang Cheng wasn't involved in the negotiations at all.
He didn't even return to London.
Instead, he went south from Scandinavia—straight to Rostock, on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Germany.
Just Back from the World Cup, Toni Kroos Returned to His Hometown for a Holiday
His father had long worked as a youth coach for Hansa Rostock—previously coaching the U17s, and now, with the players having aged up, he was leading the U19 team.
Before receiving a call from Yang Cheng, Toni Kroos had already learned from his agent, Volker Struth, that Bayern had included him in the transfer deal for Manuel Neuer.
Naturally, the proud young midfielder was not pleased.
He didn't like being used as a throw-in for someone else's transfer.
Just then, Yang Cheng called from Scandinavia, accompanied by his girlfriend Xia Qing.
The next day, they met at a restaurant in downtown Rostock.
This wasn't the first time Kroos had met Yang Cheng—but it was the first time in private.
"Feels like meeting your longtime online pen pal in person, doesn't it?" Yang Cheng joked with a grin.
Xia Qing couldn't help but laugh.
Online pen pal? Seriously?
Kroos was a bit shy but nodded honestly.
At the moment, he still looked very young and raw.
But Yang Cheng knew—this was a kid with a mind of his own.
"Actually, I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time," Kroos said, opening up the conversation.
"Just like this."
He smiled as he spoke.
If it were anyone else, Yang Cheng might've played some mind games or used a few persuasive tricks.
But with Toni Kroos, he knew better than to hide anything.
This smart kid was not easily fooled.
"Before we begin, Toni, I owe you an apology," Yang Cheng said.
"For what?"
Yang Cheng explained, in simple and direct terms, how he had forced Bayern to include Kroos in the Neuer deal.
"I'm sorry for acting without your permission. If you're not comfortable with this, or you don't like it, I'll call London right now and cancel the deal."
"We, the Bayswater Chinese, can separate the negotiations and make Bayern a new offer, and then issue a fresh bid for you."
Kroos was clearly surprised.
He hadn't expected Yang Cheng to be so honest—or to reveal the full backroom dealings like this.
It left the young German a little overwhelmed.
He sat in silence for a while, then gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "My father always told me: once you become a pro, you're just a commodity being bought and sold."
From the tone, it was clear—he'd accepted it.
"Yang," Kroos looked up, locking eyes with him, "did Bayern really not choose me?"
Yang Cheng smiled gently. "You already know the answer to that, don't you?"
Kroos gave a knowing look.
"From the day I joined Bayern, I knew I wasn't truly valued there," he said.
"No—actually, I felt it even before I signed."
Yang Cheng paused for a moment, then said firmly, "Then come to the Bayswater Chinese! My staff, my players, and I will help you become the best midfielder in the world!"
"Here, you'll find teammates who understand you perfectly. You'll rediscover the joy of football—something you won't find at Bayern, or Leverkusen, or any other team."
Of course, Kroos wasn't so easily swayed.
Young as he was, he had a sharp mind.
Yang Cheng broke down the tactical issues the Bayswater Chinese had faced the previous season, and how Kroos's unique strengths fit into solving them.
He also explained how he planned to use him.
In the 4-3-3 system, Kroos would play on the left side of the midfield trio.
In Yang Cheng's previous life, Marcelo, Kroos, and Cristiano Ronaldo had formed one of the deadliest left flanks in world football.
Now, at the Bayswater Chinese, Marcelo, Kroos, and Gareth Bale would recreate that same dynamic.
Kroos's long-range passing would become one of the team's most lethal offensive weapons.
As Yang Cheng poured out all his carefully prepared tactical visions and plans for Kroos, even the 20-year-old German was left speechless.
He hadn't imagined Yang had thought this far ahead—or planned this thoroughly.
"You've been scheming about me for a while, haven't you?" Kroos laughed, pointing at Yang Cheng.
"Not that long. Since the day you turned us down and chose Bayern instead," Yang said with a frank smile.
"I actually watched a lot of your matches with Rostock's youth team—you just didn't know it."
That struck a chord with Kroos.
Those matches were five years ago.
Yang Cheng had been quietly tracking him for five years.
Forget being a young prospect—even a seasoned pro would be moved by that kind of dedication.
And over those five years, Yang had sent him the occasional message, just to stay on his radar.
Now, all of that had built up to this moment—making it almost impossible for Kroos to say no.
Especially with Yang Cheng having ended his vacation early just to come to Rostock in person—Kroos was deeply moved.
So moved, in fact, he suddenly felt a flicker of doubt in himself.
"Yang… what if I can't meet your expectations?" he asked nervously.
"Then that's my problem," Yang said without hesitation.
"Huh?"
"If I can't bring out the best in you, then that's on me—not you," Yang said with conviction.
At that moment, Toni Kroos was completely won over.
He had never imagined that a coach could have this kind of relationship with a player.
Not even Heynckes had treated him like this.
So really, how could he say no?
"Alright then, Yang. If I'm going to be a throw-in, so be it. I'm willing to go to London and take on a whole new challenge."
Yang had been waiting for those words.
Smiling, he stood up and extended a hand.
"I promise you, Toni—years from now, you'll be proud of the incredible decision you made today."
Kroos nodded deeply. He believed it too.
…
With the player on board, the deal between Bayern and the Bayswater Chinese moved forward without a hitch.
The clubs reached a full agreement.
€50 million plus Toni Kroos—Manuel Neuer would join Bayern Munich.
Next, the Bayswater Chinese began contract talks with Kroos's agent, Volker Struth.
Yang Cheng made sure to show real sincerity—offering Kroos a weekly wage of £80,000.
That was double what he earned at Bayern.
Overnight, he was elevated to the club's upper-middle tier of earners.
For a 20-year-old midfielder, this was an exceptional contract.
Kroos and his team were thrilled. After ironing out some final details, they signed a five-year deal.
Shortly after Kroos's signing was announced, the Bayswater Chinese also announced the purchase of Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne from Genk for €4 million total.
Yang Cheng had not been involved in any of these negotiations.
In fact, aside from the Kroos deal, most people still thought he was vacationing in Scandinavia.
But in truth, after leaving Rostock, Yang Cheng had quietly flown south.
To the Mediterranean coast of southern France.
Nice.
This Was France's Fifth-Largest City, and One of the World's Most Famous Tourist Destinations
With a population of 400,000 and 4 million international visitors annually, Nice was the biggest tourist hub in France after Paris.
Incidentally, nearly all tourists heading to Monaco passed through Nice first.
When Yang Cheng and Xia Qing landed at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, the one waiting to pick them up was none other than Lin Zhongqiu—long time no see.
…
"Uncle Lin!"
As soon as Yang Cheng stepped out of the airport and spotted Lin Zhongqiu, he laughed heartily and walked over to greet him.
Lin Zhongqiu hadn't seen Yang Cheng in ages either, and he was visibly happy.
"Ah Cheng, haven't seen you in a while—looks like you've put on weight?"
"Really? Are you sure it's not just baby fat?"
Xia Qing and Lin Zhongqiu burst out laughing.
Thirty years old and still claiming baby fat? What is he, a mythical creature?
Lin Zhongqiu had arrived over a week earlier than Yang Cheng, and was clearly much more familiar with the place by now.
The driver took the three of them to the hotel.
The car was filled with lively chatter and laughter.
Southern France—especially the cities along the Mediterranean coast—was undeniably stunning.
"I've decided I want to buy a place here. Come over now and then to relax," Yang Cheng said gleefully.
Lin Zhongqiu nodded.
With Yang Cheng's current wealth, plus the Yang Group behind him, buying property was nothing but a casual decision.
The hotel rooms had already been booked in advance.
A presidential suite with an unbeatable ocean view!
"Isn't this a bit over the top?" Yang Cheng asked with a grin.
"Special orders from the Boss and Sister Hongying," Lin Zhongqiu said seriously.
As soon as Yang heard that his father and mother had given the instruction, he made no further objection.
Especially when he saw that massive bed and shot Xia Qing a mischievous glance.
He couldn't help but wonder—what would it feel like to play poker in front of such a spectacular ocean view?
Sensing Yang Cheng's wicked thoughts, Xia Qing's face flushed and she excused herself.
Lin Zhongqiu, oblivious, remained focused on work.
"I contacted Nice just like you asked," he said.
Yang Cheng's demeanor shifted. "How did it go?"
"Xia Qing's intel was accurate. They're in serious financial trouble. Their key man in last season's survival campaign, Nigerian center-back Apam, was sold to Rennes."
"His market value was €5 million, but they let him go for just €4 million."
"That wasn't nearly enough to ease their financial pressure, so they're going to keep selling."
"Their most valuable player now is top scorer Loïc Rémy, who's being watched by several clubs, including Marseille."
"Other players who could fetch decent prices include goalkeeper David Ospina, left winger Anthony Mounier, and youth forward Anthony Modeste. Each of them is valued between €3 to €5 million."
That's right—Ospina would later join Arsenal.
And Loïc Rémy? He'd eventually transfer from QPR to Chelsea.
Lin Zhongqiu had been in Nice for a full week—not just making contact, but gathering intelligence with his team.
They had also visited Nice's stadium.
Lin had taken plenty of photos to show Yang Cheng.
The Stade Municipal du Ray didn't even belong to the club—it was owned by the city of Nice.
And the facilities were incredibly basic.
It was said to have stands on all four sides, but in reality?
The end stands were tiny, and the side stands were single-tiered.
Apart from the main grandstand, the other three sides didn't even have a roof.
In this day and age, a professional European club without roofing?
Well, considering the stadium was built in 1927, maybe it wasn't that surprising.
But behind all that history was a lack of modernization.
The stadium, which held just 17,415 seats, had undergone four major renovations.
1948 and 1979 were ancient history.
Even the most recent ones—in 1997 and 2004—had barely kept the place usable.
This was a seriously outdated stadium.
Lin's team also checked out Nice's training facility. Located in the suburbs, the facilities were poor.
Their youth academy was nothing worth mentioning either.
In short, this was a club with no hardware and no software.
A Ligue 1 side in name only—likely to be relegated at any time.
They barely survived last season. Now that they're selling off players, could they survive again?
"Ah Cheng, to be honest, I really can't see what value this club has besides being located in Nice and playing in Ligue 1," Lin said frankly.
He had been there for a week and truly didn't see it.
Forget comparing it to the Bayswater Chinese—built from scratch under Yang Cheng. Even among average Ligue 1 sides, Nice was painfully mediocre.
"That's normal, Uncle Lin," Yang Cheng replied with a grin. "No value just makes it a better show of my skill, right?"
"And besides, if it's got no value, that just proves it's cheap."
"Cheap? Oh, it's definitely cheap."
Lin chuckled. "I spoke with their owner, Gilbert Stellardo. He openly asked for just €10 million. I couldn't believe my ears."
"I even think we could knock a few million off that."
Yang Cheng laughed too.
That made sense.
They had no fixed assets.
The stadium was city-owned. The training base was garbage. The team's performance was poor. And Ligue 1 wasn't exactly a global brand.
Selling for a high price would be absurd.
Even someone as honest as Lin Zhongqiu thought they could bargain—that meant they definitely could.
That was exactly why Yang Cheng had called back home to ask Yang Jianguo to assemble a team.
He believed buying a Ligue 1 club now was the perfect opportunity.
He had considered many clubs.
Lille in the north? Too expensive.
Marseille in the south? Just won the league—not cheap either, even if everyone knew they were for sale.
They'd also looked into many other teams, including some in Ligue 2.
After a thorough evaluation, they chose Nice.
Not just because it was cheap—but because of where it was.
France's fifth-largest city. A tourist powerhouse.
More importantly, it would allow Yang Cheng to expand his football empire further.
The Bayswater Chinese were already experiencing a surplus of talent.
They had just signed Toni Kroos.
Now they'd signed Kevin De Bruyne.
Yang Cheng's football empire expansion plan had to start early.
And now was the perfect time to buy Nice.
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