Chapter 204 – Signings! Coaches! A Truly Profitable Investment!
Every major club, once it reaches a certain level of development, inevitably faces a very real problem:
A surplus of talent.
And that includes top-tier talent.
Take the Bayswater Chinese, for example—the youth academy keeps churning out prospects, but the first team is already overflowing with young players.
After signing Toni Kroos and Kevin De Bruyne, their midfield now features Matuidi, Rakitić, Aaron Ramsey, N'Golo Kanté, and Paul Pogba.
Then look at the youth squad: Sterling is already making waves, and Harry Kane's name is buzzing everywhere.
Within the club, competition for places has become fierce—so fierce, it risks turning into toxic internal conflict.
And if that happens, young players won't get enough minutes, their development will stagnate, and everyone loses—Yang Cheng, the club, and the players themselves.
This kind of situation happens at all the elite clubs.
United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern—none are immune.
Selling players? That feels like a waste.
They're loaded with potential. Give them a few years, and they could sell for massive profits.
The solution many giants opt for is the satellite club model.
Yang Cheng didn't invent it—it's been around for years.
Real Madrid have close ties with several La Liga clubs, including Getafe.
Manchester United have satellite teams in Belgium and elsewhere.
Chelsea were long rumored to have bought PSV Eindhoven, using it to develop players like Alex.
But satellite clubs also come with serious downsides.
Yang Cheng had been thinking about this issue for a long time.
Buying a club and running it as part of a group was undoubtedly a strong option.
In his past life, this model had been proven by many:
City Football Group under Manchester City, the Pozzo family with Udinese, Granada, and Watford, and Red Bull's global network of clubs.
But those models weren't perfect.
Take the City Football Group, for instance.
Before Yang Cheng's "time-travel," they owned ten clubs, with their tenth acquisition being French side Troyes.
What they did with Troyes was quite telling.
They tried to aggressively force globalization and centralized group management.
They standardized jerseys, brought in a Disney Paris executive to run the club, and imported a batch of City benchwarmers who couldn't even get into the lineup.
Then came the absurd part: they hired an Australian coach who had never managed in Europe.
After 19 matches with 5 draws and 14 losses, fans were begging for him to be sacked.
The response from management?
"We must follow group directives."
Troyes got relegated, and still, they didn't fire the coach.
This fiasco offers some hard-earned lessons.
Group-style operations have clear advantages.
For example, the Bayswater Chinese's most prized assets—its youth development system, scouting network, and training model—can be replicated.
Thanks to the digitization of information, duplicating these systems is not difficult.
They could even send staff over to set up satellite "mines."
With shared resources, the smaller club can save a fortune in costs.
The Bayswater Chinese had already tested this model successfully through their satellite training centers.
Once the scouting and youth systems are synced, the smaller club gains a massive development advantage.
And that's just on the football side.
On the commercial side, the Bayswater Chinese have powerful brand appeal and marketing resources that small clubs can't even dream of.
Take kit sponsorships, for example.
When negotiating with giants like Nike, Adidas, or Puma, the Bayswater Chinese can bundle their satellite clubs into the deal.
Even if the smaller club only earns a sliver—say €2–3 million—that's a windfall for a Ligue 1 team like Nice.
Let's not forget, the Bayswater Chinese are overflowing with assets.
With group branding and centralized marketing, Nice's revenue ceiling could rise dramatically.
Contrast that with what City did to Troyes.
The failure stemmed from blindly copying systems with zero respect for local football culture.
Hiring a manager with no European experience?
Leaving a flailing coach in charge just to "follow the group"?
That's managerial malpractice.
Football isn't like other industries—it thrives on unpredictability.
Yang Cheng understood City Football Group's fear:
Give each club too much autonomy, and you risk fragmentation.
That's a genuine issue in corporate management.
But City expanded too fast, with no time to solve those growing pains.
The truth is, localization is essential in football.
Even PSG and Monaco learned this the hard way.
When they were first acquired by foreign investors, they spent huge sums on foreign stars and boosted Ligue 1's profile.
But their reputation in France was poor.
Why?
Because they gave nothing back to Ligue 1.
All that transfer money went to clubs in other leagues.
And what did the rest of debt-ridden Ligue 1 get from PSG and Monaco?
Eventually, both clubs shifted their strategy and began investing more in local players and the domestic market.
Having lived through all this in his past life, Yang Cheng was determined:
If he built a football empire, he would maintain local roots under the umbrella of group strategy.
Take Nice, for example.
From a football perspective, the club sits on a goldmine of talent—France's youth academies—and access to a vast pool of African players.
It absolutely must maintain a focus on youth development.
As the Bayswater Chinese move toward becoming a world-class powerhouse, Nice would take on a greater role in youth training and player development.
The challenge would be balancing both sides—and that would require careful planning and ongoing refinement.
Yang Cheng wouldn't repeat City's mistakes.
He wouldn't expand recklessly.
He would build one satellite club at a time, master the operations, then expand slowly and methodically.
Nice was chosen to be the first franchise.
Why Nice?
Beyond being cheap, as Yang Cheng previously mentioned, there were plenty of other reasons.
Cheap also means it'll require investment.
For example, they'd need a new training facility and youth center—major expenses right from the start.
One big reason Yang chose Ligue 1 is because of what was just around the corner:
In 2011, with the Qatar Sports Investment acquisition of PSG and the Russian group's takeover of Monaco, Ligue 1 was about to enter a brand-new era.
As foreign money poured in, the league's value would rise with it.
And now—mid-2010—was the perfect time to buy in early.
What's more, Nice was a phenomenal deal right now.
So why had Yang waited until this year?
Because although he'd been scouting clubs and leagues for a while, everything changed on May 28, 2010—
when France officially won the bid to host Euro 2016.
That's when Yang locked in on Nice.
Why?
After Winning the Right to Host the Euros, France Began Selecting Its Host Cities
As the fifth-largest city in France and its most iconic international destination outside of Paris, Nice was naturally chosen as one of the host cities for Euro 2016.
But the current municipal stadium in Nice was too outdated and too small.
So, in Yang Cheng's previous life, in 2011, the French government and Nice's municipal government jointly built a brand-new football stadium.
The new stadium had a capacity of 35,000—more than double that of the old stadium—and featured far more complete and modern facilities.
Although ownership of the stadium didn't belong to the club, they could follow Manchester City's example by signing a long-term lease on the stadium, effectively making it their own.
According to research conducted by Xia Qing, at current ticket prices in Nice, adding 20,000 seats per match could bring in an extra €600,000 per game—over €10 million more per season if the stadium sold out regularly.
Taking all factors into consideration, Yang Cheng believed acquiring Nice at this stage would be an extremely cost-effective move.
And it would also allow him to plant his flag in France, one of the world's greatest football talent mines.
Yang Cheng was confident that the Bayswater Chinese had more than enough capability, resources, and experience to support and develop a Ligue 1 club focused on youth development.
…
Lin Zhongqiu was a very cautious man by nature.
Although Yang Cheng had kept many of his insights from his past life under wraps, Lin still felt excited after hearing about the long-term strategy. He truly believed this was a deal worth doing.
But why use the Yang Group?
When Lin asked this, Yang Cheng burst out laughing.
"It's simple. UEFA regulations say that two clubs with the same owner can't compete in the same competition."
Lin looked confused for a moment.
What did that mean?
If the Yang Group bought Nice, wouldn't it still be owned by the same person as the Bayswater Chinese?
That's clearly a conflict, isn't it?
"Well, if you look at it like that, you're not wrong," Yang Cheng replied with a grin. "But legally speaking, what connection is there between the two clubs?"
"Right now, the Bayswater Chinese are mine. They have nothing to do with my father, or with the Yang Group."
"At most, the Yang Group's Chinese Umbro brand sponsors our shirt sleeve. That's it."
"So if the Yang Group acquires Nice, what does that have to do with me? I don't even hold a position in the group."
"In fact, I'm letting the Yang Group handle this to help give my dad a bit of PR—help the group gain some exposure."
"If I wanted, I could just do it through trust shares, proxy holdings… there are plenty of ways to structure it."
And he was absolutely right.
UEFA had little to no ability to regulate capital structures.
Take Red Bull or the Pozzo family as examples from Yang Cheng's past life.
Or companies like Volkswagen, Audi, and Adidas—each with influence over multiple clubs, especially in the Bundesliga.
Could UEFA stop them?
Everyone knew that when it came to money, those regulations were more symbolic than functional.
Even if the whole of Europe knew Yang Cheng was the true controller of both the Bayswater Chinese and Nice, so what?
As long as there was no legal or ownership connection between the two clubs, there was no problem.
Family ties?
Then take a look at La Liga.
There have been cases where two brothers each owned top-tier clubs—both playing in the Champions League.
Or Red Bull's acquisition of RB Leipzig.
The entire world knows it's Red Bull behind both Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg.
But legally, RB Leipzig is owned by a membership association, funded by sponsorships. That's not illegal, right?
Sure, the members just so happen to all be Red Bull employees.
So what?
What's the issue?
And that's in the Bundesliga, supposedly the strictest in terms of licensing.
If Yang Cheng ever became interested in a German club, he'd just copy that exact model.
Follow Red Bull's path—until Red Bull has nowhere left to go.
Where there are rules, there are loopholes.
That's just how it works.
Yang Cheng wasn't worried at all.
"So how much are you planning to offer to buy the club?" Lin asked, curious.
"What do you think?" Yang countered.
"They're asking €10 million—I think €8 million could do it."
Yang nodded with a smile. "Let's make contact first. Do some due diligence."
Only after due diligence would they fully understand Nice's financials and asset status.
But in Yang Cheng's eyes, even €8 million still felt too high.
Mainly because Nice had few fixed assets.
He had a benchmark in mind.
In his previous life, Marseille—a Ligue 1 giant—sold for just €45 million in 2016.
That was after PSG and Monaco had already driven up Ligue 1's profile, and after a successful Euro 2016.
In 2011, the Qataris bought 70% of PSG for €50 million—and €20 million of that was to cover debts.
Also in 2011, Russian billionaire Rybolovlev bought Ligue 2 side Monaco for a symbolic €1.
Yes, one euro.
Of course, both the American consortium that bought Marseille and Rybolovlev in Monaco made promises of significant future investment to maintain competitiveness.
But these transactions clearly showed how undervalued Ligue 1 clubs were at the time.
Take Nice, for instance.
In 1990, it was bought by Milan Mandarić, a Serbian-American billionaire.
Many people may not know the name, but he was a well-known club trader.
Nice was his first big win—he cashed out in 1995.
In 1998, he bought Portsmouth, sold it in 2007, then bought Leicester.
In Yang Cheng's past life, he sold Leicester in December 2010 and bought Sheffield Wednesday.
After several ownership changes, Nice was acquired in 2002 by Maurice Cohen, a wealthy businessman with dual French and Israeli citizenship.
During his tenure, Nice improved and was eventually sold in 2009 to Gilbert Stellardo, who had dual Italian and French citizenship.
In Yang's past life, Stellardo didn't manage the club well.
In 2011, he sold it to Jean-Pierre Rivère.
Rivère was a capable businessman who, during his years at the helm, built a strong youth system for Nice, a new training center, and negotiated the construction of a new stadium with the city.
By 2016, Chinese and American investors bought 80% of Nice for just €20 million.
The Chinese investor, CEO of 7 Days Inn, acquired 40% and became the largest single shareholder.
But poor management eventually forced another sale.
From all of this, it was clear: Nice's valuation had a ceiling.
Rivère had built a stadium, a training base, and a youth academy—and still sold 80% of the club for only €20 million.
So what was the value of Nice now—when it had none of those things?
The real problem with buying a French club wasn't the acquisition cost.
It was the operating cost.
Why did a club like Marseille go for just €45 million?
Because in the years leading up to the sale, its shareholders had pumped in over €200 million.
And that's not even counting the club's debts.
…
The Day After Yang Cheng Arrived in Nice, He Received a Special Visitor
It was Emmanuel Perrin, the Bayswater Chinese's chief scout for the French region.
Dan Ashworth spoke highly of him, praising his sharp instincts and deep knowledge of the French football market.
Over the years, several of the club's successful signings from France—like Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kanté—had been recommended and facilitated by Emmanuel.
So, when Yang Cheng told Dan Ashworth and Mike Rigg he was interested in acquiring a Ligue 1 club, Ashworth immediately and strongly recommended Emmanuel Perrin.
What made Emmanuel even more valuable was that he was already deeply familiar with the Bayswater Chinese's operations, having been to London several times for training.
Emmanuel had already heard from Ashworth that Yang Cheng was coming, and he realized that this could be a tremendous opportunity for his career.
After all, there wasn't much of a future in just being a scout.
So he had spent recent weeks preparing.
Yang Cheng intended for him to take point—alongside Lin Zhongqiu—in overseeing the acquisition of Nice.
As a native Frenchman, Emmanuel represented Yang Cheng's first step in executing his localized approach under a broader group management strategy.
And he didn't disappoint.
Upon arriving in Nice and after a discussion with Yang and Lin, he went directly to meet Gilbert Stellardo.
Both sides quickly reached a clear understanding.
Emmanuel brought Yang Cheng his first "gift"—a deal to acquire Ligue 1 club Nice from Stellardo for just €5 million.
The lowered asking price gave Yang Cheng what he wanted, and Stellardo got what he needed.
Since the club would soon be undergoing due diligence, Yang allowed Stellardo to sell off players like Loïc Rémy and Anthony Modeste in the meantime.
And don't underestimate those two—together, they could bring in upwards of €20 million in transfer fees.
Of course, Yang Cheng would receive a clean, debt-free version of the club in return.
After the deal, Emmanuel and Lin were tasked with negotiating with the city government and the French Football Federation.
Yang Cheng promised that once the acquisition was complete, he would build a brand-new training center for Nice and establish a full-fledged youth development system.
With the Bayswater Chinese's name backing it, no one doubted his commitment.
After all, the club had become renowned for developing young talent.
Additionally, the Bayswater Chinese also committed to investing no less than €50 million over the next five years.
"Fifty million euros?!" Lin Zhongqiu practically jumped.
How many years had passed, and he still reacted like this?
"Ah Cheng, are you sure about this?"
Yang Cheng nodded solemnly. "A training facility alone could run into several million—maybe over ten million. And I plan to sell Matuidi and N'Golo Kanté to Nice."
Yang stressed the word: sell.
At their current value—especially Matuidi—each could go for at least €20 million.
So if the Bayswater Chinese sold the pair for, say, €30 million in total, wouldn't that be perfectly reasonable?
After that, Yang could casually bring in a few more players.
See? Investment done.
Would Nice need to spend anything?
Nope—just put it on the books.
Pay it off later—once they'd sold players themselves.
Lin Zhongqiu's eyes were practically bulging.
You can operate like that?!
…
While Emmanuel Perrin and Lin Zhongqiu handled the negotiations and Xia Qing led a professional firm to conduct due diligence on Nice, Yang Cheng flew from Nice to Amsterdam.
There, he had arranged to meet someone.
Ronald Koeman.
A highly talented Dutch manager—yet perpetually unlucky.
In both lives, Yang Cheng had admired Koeman's football and felt genuine regret over the path his coaching career had taken.
He always seemed to choose the wrong club at the wrong time—or maybe it was simply that he had no choice.
Not every manager has the luxury of picking the ideal job.
Take Koeman, for example.
His early career was smooth: transitioning from legendary player to coach, first as an assistant to Hiddink with the Dutch national team, then under Van Gaal at Barcelona, where he even worked alongside Mourinho.
His first solo job at Vitesse went brilliantly, and soon after, he took charge of Ajax.
In Amsterdam, Koeman became one of Europe's hottest young managers.
Later, at Benfica and PSV Eindhoven, his results were solid.
But his career unraveled when he took the leap to manage La Liga giants Valencia—a catastrophic decision.
His tenure there was doomed not just because of the club's financial crisis and internal chaos, but also due to his poor handling of the dressing room.
He clashed hard with veteran players like Albelda, Cañizares, and Angulo.
Tactically, he couldn't find common ground with stars like David Villa and Joaquín.
The fallout was devastating.
He took over in November; by April, Valencia had plunged from fourth to sixteenth—just above the relegation zone—before he was sacked.
That disaster effectively killed his career for over a year.
It wasn't until summer 2009 that he got another chance—taking over at AZ Alkmaar after Van Gaal left for Bayern.
But by December, with the defending champions sitting seventh in the Eredivisie, Koeman was fired again.
Since then, no one wanted to touch him.
But Yang Cheng still admired him deeply.
Koeman's ability had never been in doubt—he just had a short fuse.
His downfall at Valencia stemmed largely from a failed power play early on—an attempt to establish control that backfired spectacularly.
On top of that, the club's finances were crumbling, and there was nothing he could do.
Yang Cheng understood all of this.
That's why, when selecting a manager for Nice, he thought long and hard—and chose Koeman.
He was sure the Dutchman was ready for a comeback.
And more importantly, his salary wouldn't be high.
At most, €1.5 million pre-tax.
…
Yang Cheng's visit caught Koeman completely off guard.
Their status couldn't be more different—Yang Cheng, one of the world's top managers; Koeman, at the lowest point of his career.
What could they possibly have to talk about?
So when Yang Cheng offered him the job, Koeman was stunned.
At first, he thought it was to coach the Bayswater Chinese.
But that wasn't a team he was remotely qualified to handle right now.
Then Yang mentioned Ligue 1 side Nice—and Koeman's first instinct was to reject it.
Yes, he was down, but he was still a Dutch legend with a sparkling résumé.
A small French club like Nice?
"Don't be so quick to say no, Ronald."
Yang Cheng smiled, gently cutting Koeman off before he could speak.
Because once the words were out, there'd be no going back.
"You and I both know, your current career situation is dire. You can either sit around waiting for a chance that might never come—and if it does, it might not even be a good one."
"Because if it's a good job, why would they be changing managers?"
"Or… you could choose a solid club and prove yourself again. Just like Van Gaal did when he went to AZ."
Yang Cheng's Mention of Van Gaal Hit a Nerve for Ronald Koeman
Back when Koeman was managing Ajax, he had clashed frequently with Van Gaal.
Rumors even circulated that Koeman had once come to blows with him.
But Van Gaal's career path was still something Koeman could learn from.
Why had Van Gaal ended up managing Bayern Munich?
Because after successive failures at Barcelona and Ajax, he took charge of AZ Alkmaar and, over several seasons, led them to the Eredivisie title.
For Koeman, jumping straight into a top club job was unlikely.
If he wanted to return to managing in Europe's top four leagues, he would have to prove himself all over again.
The best place to start would be somewhere familiar—like the Eredivisie.
But Ligue 1 was also a very viable option.
It was more competitive than the Dutch league, after all.
In the Eredivisie, a coach might still have a shot at Ajax, PSV, or Feyenoord one day.
But Nice? In France, it was just a small club.
"I know what you're worried about, Ronald," Yang Cheng said gently, "but I can build a squad that will let you compete."
He could see the spark light up in Koeman's eyes.
Every manager, when handed a good team, finds their edge—and success often follows.
"For example, AZ's Graziano Pellè."
Koeman's hands visibly twitched. He looked up at Yang Cheng in astonishment.
"That player fits your system perfectly. If we build around him at center forward, what do you think?"
Koeman could hardly believe what he was hearing.
He genuinely liked Pellè.
Back in the summer of 2009, when he was managing AZ, he'd already been interested in the tall Italian striker.
But during his tenure, Pellè had never been a starter and hadn't performed well.
"How do you know about Pellè?" Koeman asked, shocked.
He knew Yang Cheng by reputation but hadn't had any deep contact with him.
People said Yang Cheng had a golden touch—that players he favored almost always turned out to be stars.
Koeman had never really believed it.
But now… he wasn't so sure.
"Just a feeling," Yang replied with a smile. "I watched some of your matches at AZ. You kept trying to use Pellè, but there were more consistent strikers in the squad, and he didn't have the seniority."
"More importantly, he didn't perform well in the few substitute appearances he got. You couldn't justify starting him. Am I wrong?"
Koeman let out a long sigh.
"Actually, if he hadn't gotten that red card in the first game, his whole career might have turned out differently."
Yang said nothing—he knew it was better to just listen now.
"My first game in charge at AZ was away to Heracles Almelo," Koeman recalled. "Their Brazilian left winger, Everton, scored within eight minutes."
"We dominated the first half but couldn't find a goal, so I brought on Pellè at halftime."
"Then we conceded again just three minutes into the second half, and again in the 61st minute. We were stunned."
"But soon after, Pellè scored in the 77th minute."
"Then we pulled another back—2–3."
"The match was on edge. Tempers flared. Both sides were aggressive, and in the dying moments, things boiled over. Pellè and Heracles defender Swerts were both sent off."
"We lost 2–3, and Pellè got a five-match ban."
Yang Cheng could relate.
In football, fate often turns on a single decision, a single incident.
The destinies of players and managers can be changed forever.
"He's getting zero chances at AZ now," Yang said. "I'll bring him to Nice, you take charge, and I'll use the Bayswater Chinese's network to build you a team that can compete."
Koeman looked straight at Yang Cheng.
"Who can you give me?"
"Matuidi and N'Golo Kanté."
Koeman was very familiar with the Bayswater Chinese squad. He knew how good Matuidi was.
Kanté had also appeared several times last season and impressed.
The Dutchman quickly began calculating in his mind.
Even if Nice sold a few key players like Loïc Rémy, their base squad wasn't bad.
Add Pellè, Matuidi, and Kanté?
They'd have a solid team for Ligue 1.
More importantly, with the Bayswater Chinese's scouting network, youth development resources, and Yang Cheng's eye for talent… Koeman was tempted.
He wanted back into a top league more than anything.
…
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Perrin and Lin Zhongqiu were making smooth progress in France.
The French FA and the city of Nice were both very satisfied with the offer from the Chinese investors.
These days, few were willing to invest in French football.
Especially when the backers came with a name like the Bayswater Chinese.
With green lights all the way, the acquisition proceeded quickly.
All that was left was for Xia Qing's due diligence team to finish their assessment.
Emmanuel handed off negotiations to Lin Zhongqiu and flew to Amsterdam, where—under Yang Cheng's watch—he officially signed Ronald Koeman as the new head coach of Nice.
Nice's previous manager, Éric Roy, had been the club's sporting director before taking over the team in March.
He'd managed to avoid relegation, but Yang Cheng decided not to renew his contract.
The acquisition of Nice by a Chinese consortium caused quite a stir in France.
And soon, it spread across Europe—and the world.
Because behind this investment stood Yang Cheng and the Bayswater Chinese.
At first, people only suspected a deep connection between the two clubs.
After all, wasn't the Yang Group owned by Yang Cheng's family?
Then, as the media dug deeper, more facts surfaced.
Many of Nice's senior figures had come from the Bayswater Chinese.
Though they kept a low profile, it was obvious.
One of the most prominent was Emmanuel Perrin—formerly the Bayswater Chinese's chief scout for France.
It was all right there in the open.
Nice was Yang Cheng's club.
When reporters asked about it, both the French FA and UEFA said they would monitor the situation closely.
But the acquisition itself was fully legal.
In July, Nice officially announced a €30 million double signing—bringing in Matuidi and N'Golo Kanté from the Bayswater Chinese.
It sparked huge interest across Ligue 1.
At the same time, Emmanuel Perrin officially confirmed the appointment of Dutch manager Ronald Koeman as head coach.
Those announcements set French media and fans buzzing.
Earlier, Nice had sold star striker Loïc Rémy to Marseille for €15.5 million, so Emmanuel followed up with a bargain signing—landing Italian striker Graziano Pellè from AZ Alkmaar for €1 million.
He then added another future gem: 19-year-old Dutch center-back Virgil van Dijk, signed on a free transfer from Willem II.
And another defender—Medhi Benatia, 23, joined on a free from Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot.
Benatia was a product of Marseille's academy and had played for France's U19 national team.
In the Summer of 2006, He Was Loaned to Ligue 2 Side Toulouse, Then to Lorient
But it was at Lorient, with almost no chances to play, that Medhi Benatia suffered a severe ACL tear.
In 2008, his contract expired, and he joined Ligue 2's Clermont Foot on a free transfer.
Over the past two seasons, he had been a starter for Clermont, though his performances had been average.
So now, Nice didn't even need to spend a cent to sign Benatia.
In addition, Nice also brought in Riyad Mahrez—who holds both French and Algerian citizenship—on a free transfer from French fourth-tier side Quimper.
This 19-year-old played 27 games in the previous season, scoring one goal.
Even after these multiple transfer deals, Nice showed no sign of stopping.
Emmanuel Perrin then moved to sign 18-year-old Sadio Mané from the famed Génération Foot academy in Dakar, Senegal.
Shortly after, Nice paid €500,000 to Egyptian club El Mokawloon to sign Mohamed Salah.
Because players from the Cotonou Agreement region aren't considered foreign players in Ligue 1, Sadio Mané didn't count as an international. But Egypt isn't part of that agreement, so Salah was officially considered a foreign player.
With these consecutive signings, Nice's first team became bloated, overloaded with players.
But Yang Cheng didn't personally oversee the squad trimming.
He handed that responsibility to Emmanuel Perrin and new head coach Ronald Koeman.
This was also part of building Koeman's authority.
Though the Dutchman was the biggest name at Nice, he still needed influence to command the dressing room.
The transfer fees earned by offloading some players would also help fund Nice's operations.
Meanwhile, the Bayswater Chinese sent staff to Nice to help build a youth academy system from the ground up.
From now on, Nice's first team and youth system would fully align with the Bayswater Chinese's development model.
For young French players, that was an extremely attractive proposition.
After all, the Bayswater Chinese were currently one of the most talked-about clubs in all of Europe!
To kick off the youth revamp, Emmanuel himself headed north.
He went first to Bondy, a small town 11 km northeast of Paris, and successfully signed Kylian Mbappé.
Then he moved to Évreux in western Paris to sign a 13-year-old talent named Ousmane Dembélé.
Both were high-priority targets within the Bayswater Chinese's scouting network.
Dembélé, in particular, was being courted by Rennes.
But Emmanuel had long been active in the Paris region.
He'd already been in contact with both players and their families.
Neither Mbappé nor Dembélé had shown interest in going abroad—at least not yet.
But this time, when Emmanuel invited them south to Nice, they didn't refuse.
Mbappé needed no introduction.
As for Dembélé, Rennes just couldn't compete with the Bayswater Chinese's academy—not even close.
Back in Nice, Yang Cheng finally received the call from Emmanuel Perrin—and he let out a sigh of relief.
Landing these two French gems meant the Nice acquisition had already paid for itself many times over!
And that's without even factoring in Sadio Mané, Riyad Mahrez, and Mohamed Salah.
Just thinking about it was thrilling.
Of course, it would be impossible for all this talent to be absorbed by the Bayswater Chinese alone.
Yang Cheng had a very clear vision for Nice: a club focused on youth development.
That's why he'd given Emmanuel Perrin clear instructions—a squad purge was inevitable.
Especially older, high-salary players—they had to go.
Nice's next step was to generate revenue.
Their current shirt sponsor, Italian brand Lotto, paid a pittance, and much of it was in merchandise, not cash.
The contract expired in 2011.
And the chest of the jersey?
Completely blank.
For the record, Nice's new home kit featured red-and-black vertical stripes, reminiscent of AC Milan.
The away kit was white, with one red and one black sash running diagonally from the left shoulder to the right hip.
The third kit had a checkered design blending black, white, and grey—a rare, dress-shirt-inspired look.
Changing sponsors this late was out of the question.
But going forward, Yang Cheng planned to bundle Nice's sponsorships with the Bayswater Chinese's.
They might even standardize the two clubs' jerseys.
Of course, that would depend on how well fans received the idea.
Construction of a new training center and youth facility needed to be fast-tracked.
This required coordination with the city government.
Yang was open to negotiating terms.
After all, in a city the size of Nice, there was only one professional football club.
So there was room to talk.
As for funding, Xia Qing had already mapped it out.
They would take out a bank loan—interest rates in the EU were still low, making it a good time to borrow.
Adam Crozier, Omar Berrada, and others would soon arrive in Nice to evaluate the situation and plan the next phase of development.
From now on, the Bayswater Chinese and Nice would operate under a group management model.
…
Because of Yang Cheng and the Bayswater Chinese connection, the Nice acquisition attracted widespread attention.
But in the world of professional football, news spreads fast—and fades even faster.
Soon, fans were distracted by the chaos of the European transfer market and the excitement of the upcoming new season.
Especially with the inaugural International Champions Cup this summer, hype was reaching new heights.
Before the Bayswater Chinese's summer training camp began, Yang Cheng made time to meet with several players.
Including the three new signings: Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, and Toni Kroos.
All three had already settled in London.
The club's logistical support system impressed them greatly.
Yang Cheng assured them that there would be no shortage of playing opportunities in the new season.
But they had to earn it.
Even Toni Kroos, whom Yang Cheng personally recruited, was told point-blank that he wouldn't be gifted a starting role.
Because Rakitić and Aaron Ramsey had both been outstanding.
Kroos, however, responded confidently—he was never afraid of competition or challenges.
Based on the vision and plan Yang Cheng had previously laid out for him, Kroos was convinced he could thrive at the Bayswater Chinese.
With Nice rebuilding from the ground up and the Bayswater Chinese sharpening their blades for another campaign, Yang Cheng and his players embarked once more on a new season.
Per schedule, the team would train in London for two weeks before flying to the U.S. East Coast for the International Champions Cup.
All twelve elite clubs participating took it seriously.
Even UEFA and FIFA were closely watching the tournament's every move.
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