Chapter 224: Surpassing Real Madrid! The Center-Back Crisis Returns! A Domestic Double After Half a Century!
In the final round of the Premier League, Bayswater Chinese Club drew 2–2 away at Tottenham Hotspur thanks to goals from Lewandowski and Gareth Bale.
With that result, the 2020/11 Premier League season officially came to a close.
Bayswater Chinese Club finished the campaign with 30 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses, earning 95 points to claim the league title.
Second place went to Ancelotti's Manchester City, who finished with 86 points—9 points behind.
Liverpool ended third with 80 points.
Wenger's Arsenal once again assumed the role of "Top Four Masters," finishing fourth with 78 points.
Their late-season slump could largely be attributed to prioritizing the Champions League over the league, which caused their domestic form to dip.
For Wenger, securing top four or chasing third place meant little by then.
In fact, Arsenal fielded a full reserve squad in the final round and drew 2–2 away at Fulham.
Manchester United finished fifth with 74 points—missing out on next season's Champions League.
Chelsea came sixth with 66 points.
After the season wrapped up and the squad disbanded for the break, Yang Cheng, the coaching staff, and the technical team held their customary post-season meeting to review and evaluate the year.
From an overall standpoint, Bayswater Chinese Club had once again delivered an excellent season, performing admirably across all competitions.
They even came within reach of a historic quadruple.
In the Champions League, they reached the semifinals and had been remarkably consistent.
Surprisingly, the only area where the team stumbled a bit… was the league.
Offensively, the numbers told the story: 101 goals scored—cracking the century mark once again.
This reflected the team's offensive firepower.
Gareth Bale and Walcott maintained their output from last season, both showing solid progress in form and consistency.
Lewandowski scored 25 league goals, four fewer than last season, but still enough to retain the Premier League Golden Boot.
Bale followed with 19 goals, Van Persie with 18, and Darren Bent with 17.
There was a noticeable drop-off after the top scorers.
The technical staff attributed this to the rising overall level of mid- and lower-table Premier League teams, which made scoring more difficult across the board.
Given that, Bale still scored 19, and Walcott 15—matching last year's total—both showing clear signs of improvement in other areas.
The real issue for Bayswater Chinese Club this season was defense.
They conceded 30 goals—still the best defensive record in the league, but significantly more than in previous seasons.
The technical team analyzed all 30 goals and compiled a report.
Using Christmas as the dividing point: in the first 18 rounds, they conceded only 11 goals.
In the final 20 rounds, they conceded 19.
Including a 5–4 win over Manchester City.
The defensive decline peaked around February—the same time the team was competing on four fronts, with the most congested schedule of the season.
Since the 5–4 home win over City in Round 25, the goals conceded per match began climbing.
The conclusion? Multi-front competition severely impacted their defending in the second half of the season—especially from February onward.
And that's hard to avoid.
Squad rotation is necessary, but there will always be quality gaps.
No team can stay in top form forever.
Another challenge: Toni Kroos' arrival reshaped the midfield.
In the first half of the season, they played dazzling football, dominating nearly every match.
But soon, opponents adapted, studying counter-strategies in detail.
After all, Kroos was still only 21.
Coordination among the midfield trio, and between midfield and both defense and attack, still had rough edges. These were problems that had to be fixed over the summer.
After the Champions League semifinal loss to Arsenal, Yang Cheng and the staff reviewed the match in detail.
The conclusion: they were outnumbered in midfield.
Arsenal had thrown everything into the middle of the park.
It's hard to avoid being shut down like that—even the mighty Barcelona in Yang Cheng's previous life had been neutralized by Inter, United, and Real Madrid.
Bottom line: defending is always easier than attacking.
That's why goals are so scarce in football.
Still, Yang Cheng believed the team needed to continue improving—especially the fullbacks.
"Marcelo and Piszczek are two very different types of fullbacks. Ryan Bertrand and Kyle Walker aren't quite ready to challenge them for starting spots yet,"
Brian Kidd analyzed in line with Yang Cheng's direction.
"From what we've seen, Marcelo prefers playing as a free attacker down the left. He likes to carry and hold the ball."
"Next, we need to refine how Bale, Hazard or Di María, Marcelo, and Toni Kroos interact on the left."
"If we can force pressure down the left, attract defenders, and then use Kroos' long-range passing to switch play to the right, it'll become a nightmare for opponents to defend."
"The key will be coordinating the movement and interplay on both flanks—before and after the switch."
There had been discussion about switching Modrić to left central midfield and Kroos to the right.
But in practice, the results weren't great.
Real Madrid had tried something similar in Yang Cheng's past life, with mixed success.
Now, Yang Cheng provided the broad vision—but it was Brian Kidd and the coaching staff who would work out the tactical execution.
As Yang Cheng listened to the discussions, he couldn't help but feel conflicted.
Who would've thought the biggest problems this season would come in the Premier League—the one competition they won with ease?
In the Champions League, where they were knocked out by Arsenal, their performance was near-flawless.
No major mistakes. Just one opponent's perfect strategy.
Sometimes, football simply defies logic.
…
After the coaching meeting, Yang Cheng headed to the club's offices in Grosvenor Square, Soho, for the annual business operations review.
This year's meeting, however, was different.
As usual, Adam Crozier took the floor to announce the club's financial results from the past season.
Though the club had recently signed major contracts—renewals, naming rights for the new stadium, and more—those deals would only start counting in 2011/12.
In other words, none of those were included in this season's revenue.
The club's revenue remained split into three major categories.
Matchday revenue, which was £155 million last season, increased slightly to £165 million.
A £10 million rise.
In 2003, Yang Cheng would've been jumping for joy over that.
But now, Bayswater Chinese Club had grown so large that this kind of increase felt… almost negligible.
Then again, it was easy to understand why.
Matchday revenue had essentially plateaued.
Unless Bayswater Chinese Club decided to renovate Wembley Stadium, there was little room for significant growth.
There was one other possibility—raising ticket prices.
But that trump card was being saved for 2012.
So, matchday revenue remained largely unchanged.
On the other hand, in prize money and broadcasting income, Bayswater Chinese Club made significant strides this season.
This was largely due to record-breaking sales of Premier League international broadcast rights.
As league champions, Bayswater Chinese Club received £60.5 million in broadcast revenue distribution—the highest in Premier League history, breaking the record they themselves had set the previous year.
In the Champions League, despite being eliminated in the semifinals, the club still earned €38 million in prize money and broadcasting rights.
Just from these two sources, the club brought in £98.5 million.
Adding in the revenue from the International Champions Cup tour in the U.S. last summer, as well as prize money from the League Cup and FA Cup wins, the total revenue from this category exceeded £100 million, reaching £115 million.
In the third major category—commercial revenue—Bayswater also saw rapid growth.
Although major deals like those with Prudential Insurance, Puma, Mercedes, Budweiser, and others wouldn't take effect until next season, the club still signed numerous new sponsorship deals this year.
For example, South Korea's Hantai Tires became the club's global tire partner, and their sponsorship fee increased from £2 million to £5 million annually.
South Korea's KT Telecom and Japan's NTT Telecom also upgraded their agreements, now paying £3 million each per year, up from £1 million.
These three new contracts alone added £7 million annually to the club's income.
Additionally, Bayswater Chinese Club held 50% of its players' image rights.
The club had been actively boosting the commercial value of stars like Gareth Bale, Walcott, Lewandowski, Aaron Ramsey, and Modrić, helping them sign numerous endorsement deals.
This brought substantial extra income.
In the end, Adam Crozier reported that the club's commercial revenue rose from £83 million to £105 million.
This meant that in all three major revenue categories, Bayswater Chinese Club had surpassed £100 million—the only club in the Premier League to do so.
And perhaps the only one in Europe as well.
This season, the club's total revenue reached a record-breaking £385 million.
Compared to last season, that was another double-digit increase—10% growth.
When Adam Crozier proudly announced the figure, everyone in the boardroom was thrilled.
£385 million—at current exchange rates, that exceeded €480 million.
"Do we know what Real Madrid's revenue was this season?" Yang Cheng asked, while everyone else was still digesting the number.
He was already focused on the competition.
At this point, Barcelona had no chance of catching Bayswater Chinese Club, even if they made the Champions League final.
"According to the intel I've received," Crozier said with a smile, "they're projected to be around €480 million as well, very close to us."
Yang Cheng nodded.
"In matchday revenue, we're definitely far ahead of Real Madrid," he said.
"They're projected to be about €165 million—ours is £165 million."
"In broadcasting, we're about the same. But in commercial income, we're still trailing behind them."
So overall, Bayswater and Real Madrid were neck-and-neck this season.
But that was only temporary.
Next season, with the activation of the Prudential, Puma, Audi, Budweiser, and Umbro China deals, Bayswater's income would rise to a whole new level.
Just those five deals alone would increase revenue by £50 million.
At that point, Bayswater Chinese Club would officially surpass Real Madrid.
This season, media focus remained on whether Real Madrid could hold onto their spot as the top revenue-generating club in Europe.
Next season?
There would be no chance.
…
Despite the club's surging income—and the likelihood of overtaking Real Madrid—Bayswater Chinese Club remained cautious in its financial strategy.
Especially regarding player salaries.
For this season, there would be no changes.
The salary cap would still be kept at £120,000 per week.
In the following internal strategy meeting, Yang Cheng made it clear: he had no plans to make any big moves in the summer transfer window.
The main reason?
He was satisfied with the current squad.
The locker room was stable, and players were generally content with their roles.
The only issue was Rakitić.
After Kroos' arrival, Rakitić had been visibly affected.
Previously a regular starter, he was now still getting playing time—but had clearly lost prominence.
And Yang Cheng had, both publicly and privately, shown more trust in Kroos.
Naturally, that made Rakitić uncomfortable. He'd already voiced his concern to Yang Cheng a few times.
Yang Cheng remained diplomatic—offering reassurance—and the player hadn't caused any disruption.
Still, it was obvious: Kroos and Modrić were the duo Yang Cheng valued most.
They were the midfield engine for the next ten years—maybe longer.
Yang Cheng was crystal clear on that.
As for the rest of the league, the transfer market was buzzing.
Ferguson, in particular, was applying pressure, demanding to rebuild a younger, more competitive Manchester United.
His wishlist included:
Phil Jones from BlackburnWesley Sneijder from ChelseaJuan Mata from ValenciaEdinson Cavani from NapoliHulk from Porto
And United were also in the market for a goalkeeper.
Estimates suggested that rebuilding the squad would require over £100 million.
But here was the problem: could the Glazer family and Manchester United actually afford that?
In January 2010, the Glazers had issued £500 million in bonds to refinance the debt incurred from buying the club.
Over the past seven years, the interest, fees, and principal repayments on that debt totaled £350 million—all paid by Manchester United.
Yes, you read that right: United paid everything in cash.
The Glazers never spent a penny out of their own pockets—and still took millions in salaries and management fees every year.
Now, United owed £42 million in bond dividends.
That's hard cash.
And having finished fifth, missing the Champions League, United would lose at least £60 million.
That included £30+ million in Champions League broadcast and prize money, and £20 million in matchday revenue—since Champions League tickets sell at a premium.
All in all, United were facing losses of over £100 million.
Moreover, sponsorship losses hadn't even been factored in yet.
Given the current situation, it was far from certain that Manchester United could scrape together £100 million for Ferguson to make his transfer moves.
"From what we've heard, United definitely want to support Ferguson in the market," Adam Crozier said with a smile. "They'll probably try to raise the money somehow—after all, transfer fees don't have to be paid all at once."
"Losing Champions League football is too costly. They'll want to stop the bleeding and recover as quickly as possible."
"They're really going for Sneijder?" Yang Cheng asked, curious.
"Looks that way. According to the latest news, Hiddink has already decided to leave Chelsea, and the club is searching for a new manager. Sneijder's situation there has become quite awkward," Crozier replied.
Since joining Chelsea, the Dutch midfielder hadn't delivered the level of performance people expected. He looked like a poor fit—somewhat unsettled.
This had a lot to do with Chelsea's overall tactical setup.
Mikel played deep, with Lampard and Essien as the central midfielders.
With Lampard's place untouchable, could Sneijder replace Essien? Or displace Mikel in the holding role?
Neither option really worked—leaving Sneijder in a tough spot.
Hiddink had been the driving force behind both Eto'o and Sneijder's signings. Eto'o had delivered. Sneijder had not.
Now that Hiddink was leaving, no one knew who the next Chelsea manager would be.
But there were whispers that Chelsea were eyeing Valencia's Juan Mata.
Even more interesting—Manchester United were also after Mata.
That's how transfers work—twists and turns until the very end.
No one knows the final outcome until pen hits paper.
"Also, according to what we've heard from France, the Qatar Investment Authority has officially acquired 70% of Paris Saint-Germain for €50 million," Crozier added.
"About €20 million of that will go toward clearing existing debts, and the Qataris have promised to bring world-class players to PSG."
Yang Cheng wasn't surprised.
He had anticipated this move for some time.
Qatari involvement in Ligue 1 was inevitable.
But the rest of the world was shocked.
For over half a year, all signs had pointed to the Qataris looking at Premier League investments—especially Manchester United.
They had reportedly offered as much as £2 billion.
That only intensified United fans' hatred for the Glazer family, who were seen as having scared off potential investors with an absurd asking price.
If the Qataris had taken over, United's debts and transfer problems could have been solved in an instant.
Now, with their entry into Ligue 1, and Al Jazeera leading a wave of Middle Eastern investment in French football, Ligue 1's visibility was bound to rise.
"Looking back, it really seems like we struck gold with last summer's acquisition of Nice," Crozier said, glancing at Yang Cheng with admiration.
Forget the on-field results for a moment—even setting aside the moves made since buying Nice—just the Qatari entry into Ligue 1 would significantly boost the valuation of the entire league.
Not to mention, under Ronald Koeman, Nice had far exceeded expectations this past season.
…
With the Premier League season now concluded, the entire football world had turned its attention to the Champions League Final on May 28, held at Wembley Stadium in London.
Yang Cheng was among the invited guests.
Even before the match, Wenger had already started the psychological battle, launching verbal jabs at Barcelona during the pre-match press conference.
With great confidence, he claimed to have identified Barça's weakness—though he didn't say what it was.
But once the starting lineups were announced, it was clear Wenger had something up his sleeve.
Gone was the ultra-defensive setup used in the semifinal against Bayswater Chinese Club. In its place, an attacking formation full of intent.
Arsenal lineup:
GK: Lloris
Defense: Clichy, Chygrynskiy, Koscielny, Eboué
Midfield: Song (holding), Fàbregas, Wilshere
Attack: Arshavin, Van Persie, Nasri
The conservative three-defensive-midfield system was gone, replaced with a bold 4-3-3.
Everyone was shocked.
Barcelona, as expected, stuck with their usual 4-3-3:
GK: Valdés
Defense: Abidal, Puyol, Piqué, Dani Alves
Midfield: Busquets (holding), Iniesta, Xavi
Attack: Villa, Messi, Pedro
As Yang Cheng watched from the stands, he couldn't help but recall Wenger's pre-match remarks—and chuckled.
"You see anything strange in that lineup?" asked Ferguson, sitting beside him, eyebrows raised.
He respected Yang Cheng's eye for tactics.
"Nothing wrong, per se," Yang Cheng replied. "I just figured out what Wenger is thinking."
"The back line?" Ferguson had noticed it too.
Yang Cheng nodded. "Barça's defense looks stacked, but it's actually quite fragile. Both Abidal and Puyol have missed most of the season—they're being forced into the lineup now."
"Barça's a classic top-heavy team. Their attack is deadly, but their defense is a mess. Still, they manage to cover for it with endless running and positional coverage from the midfield and forwards."
"Exactly," Ferguson agreed. "If you can survive the midfield pressure and turn it into a stamina war, they'll crack—maybe even before halftime."
Suddenly, he understood why his United side had lost the semifinal.
"I was too cautious!" the legendary manager muttered bitterly, practically wanting to slap himself.
What Arsenal were doing now—United could've done too.
But he hadn't been bold enough.
United hadn't parked the bus, but they'd given Barça too much space to play their possession game.
And against Barça, the more cautious you are, the quicker you die.
Wenger, by contrast, was going all in—challenging Barça head-on.
Of course, there were risks.
Starting the game with such aggression—could Arsenal really hold up?
As it turned out, they couldn't.
Once the match kicked off, Wenger's side pressed high and hard from the start—applying full-pitch pressure on Barcelona.
They charged forward with the intent to win standing up, not on their knees.
But the energy only lasted 15 minutes.
David Villa slipped a perfect through ball. Messi burst into the left channel of the box and coolly chipped the keeper.
1–0, Barcelona.
Wenger was livid. He jumped off the bench and yelled instructions at his players.
Luckily, Arsenal steadied themselves.
Especially the defense and midfield.
Alex Song and Koscielny were both excellent.
Song's tireless pressing and interceptions shielded the back line.
Koscielny made key tackles and shut down runs from Messi, Villa, and Pedro.
Barcelona continued to create chances—but always fluffed the final shot.
In the 38th minute, they had a second goal ruled out for offside—Messi again.
By halftime, both teams had taken a similar number of shots, but Barcelona had 70% possession.
Second Half: Arsenal Ramps Up the Pressure on Barcelona
As soon as the second half began, Arsenal continued to apply intensity against Barcelona.
A clear sign of growing confidence: the Gunners began pushing their backline higher up the pitch.
It was a bold, aggressive move.
But it worked.
By the 55th minute, after surviving Barça's initial wave of pressure, Arsenal started to take control.
A critical turning point came when Koscielny made a one-on-one stop against Pedro, denying a clear scoring chance—an intervention that massively boosted the team's morale.
However, Arsenal still struggled to create real chances up front.
Van Persie wasn't quite clicking on the night.
Guardiola sensed the momentum shift—and the danger.
So in the 65th minute, he made the first tactical change.
Seydou Keita came on for David Villa. Iniesta shifted to left wing, while Keita joined Xavi in midfield.
It was a clear signal: reinforce the defense.
Wenger, however, remained unfazed.
He waited until the 70th minute to make his first substitution: Benzema replaced Alex Song.
It seemed like a reaction to Song's fatigue, but clearly, the goal was to boost attacking firepower.
"That was obviously pre-planned. That's why Song burned so much energy in the first 70 minutes," Ferguson observed from the stands.
Yang Cheng nodded. He knew the trick—he'd used it himself many times.
Just three minutes later, the plan paid off.
Clichy sent a diagonal ball from the left, landing at the edge of the box.
Benzema shielded it from Puyol, held him off, turned, and delivered a perfect through pass.
Van Persie made a run in behind Piqué, received the ball, and slotted it calmly past Valdés.
1–1!
The Emirates erupted as Arsenal fans roared.
Yang Cheng and Ferguson exchanged glances and grinned.
"Game over," their expressions said.
From that moment on, Arsenal took full control of the match.
They began pressing Barcelona back, dictating tempo and forcing mistakes.
Though Arsenal's midfield was down to just Fàbregas and Wilshere, it was more than enough.
The attacking trio's relentless pressure on Barça's midfield meant that the backline didn't need extra cover.
It was the same strategy Barcelona usually used.
Now Arsenal were turning it against them.
In a wave of continuous attacks, Fàbregas found Nasri, who dribbled past three defenders and delivered a brilliant assist.
Arshavin curled the ball into the far corner from the left edge of the box.
2–1!
Arshavin, the known Barça-slayer, was at it again.
Even as the match neared its end, Arsenal kept attacking, still testing Barcelona's fragile defense.
The Spanish champions looked rattled—desperate.
When Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai blew the final whistle, Arsenal players stormed the pitch, celebrating wildly.
2–1!
A poetic scoreline.
"Barça's going to need new center-backs," Yang Cheng said with a smirk.
With the current backline, Barcelona wouldn't survive another season—especially against Real Madrid.
And if they had the misfortune to meet Bayswater Chinese Club in the Champions League next season?
"They won't just suffer. They'll feel helpless," Yang Cheng muttered.
"Puyol's already 33. Abidal's turning 32," Ferguson noted.
"Especially Puyol—his decline is obvious."
Indeed, players like Puyol had glaring weaknesses.
He was only 1.78m tall.
Short center-backs can still be great—but only within the right system.
Look at Cannavaro—small, older, and yet the 2006 World Player of the Year.
But Barça's tactics were top-heavy. All offense, little defense.
Every time they attacked, their fullbacks bombed forward—leaving the defense exposed.
And this Barça wasn't even the same as the one that faced Bayswater in 2009.
Two years had passed. Many of the players had aged—and slowed down.
"You'd better be careful," Ferguson said with a chuckle.
"Why's that?"
"The whole of Europe knows which center-back Guardiola wants most."
He meant Thiago Silva.
Guardiola had repeatedly praised him publicly.
"Think about it. You've got Thiago Silva, Pepe, and Kompany. Who else would they even try to poach?"
It was a valid point.
Yang Cheng grinned and leaned closer to Ferguson.
"Our revenue this past season hit £385 million. That's €480 million. You really think Barça can afford to pry him away?"
Ferguson's eyes went wide.
He stared at Yang Cheng, speechless.
This club is a financial monster.
Could they really surpass Real Madrid to become the highest-earning club in the world?
Yang Cheng clearly thought so—and was proud of it.
"And you still pay your players like misers?" Ferguson finally shot back, trying to find comfort somewhere.
So what if they had high revenue?
They were still stingy with wages!
"At United, we treat our players well—sign with us, and you get a pay raise, a luxury car, marry a rich model, and live the dream!"
Yang Cheng shrugged.
"What can I do? Our new stadium still has a £200 million funding gap. We've got to be frugal. But once it's built and the debts are cleared…"
"I'll outspend United with both hands."
Ferguson had no comeback.
Bayswater's new stadium was the envy of every club in Europe.
He had visited Queen's Avenue earlier that day. The exterior was nearly complete.
It was simply breathtaking.
From afar, it gleamed like a jewel.
Up close, it was a modern coliseum.
And the location? Absolutely prime.
…
Arsenal won the Champions League—standing tall and fearless.
A 2–1 victory over Barcelona earned Wenger and his Gunners universal acclaim.
Ever since he became Arsenal manager, Wenger had dreamed of this trophy.
And he never imagined he'd finally win it after abandoning his ideals.
Letting go of that psychological burden had led him to the prize he wanted most.
It left him reflective—and deeply emotional.
Especially when he saw Yang Cheng and Ferguson after the match.
Yang Cheng even made a point to greet Guardiola.
Though their teams had clashed bitterly on the pitch, off it, relations were friendly.
Yang Cheng and Guardiola were on good terms.
He offered a few words of comfort.
And wouldn't you know it—Ferguson was right again.
Guardiola asked Yang Cheng directly if Barcelona could sign Thiago Silva.
Was that a joke?
Of course, Yang Cheng refused.
Thiago Silva, Pepe, and Kompany were central to his long-term plans.
And besides, Bayswater no longer needed to sell to survive.
Now it was about sustaining elite competitiveness.
But Yang Cheng had noticed something: Europe's center-back crisis was back.
In the Premier League, only Bayswater, Arsenal, and City had solid center-back depth.
United had decent options—but their rotation needed an overhaul.
Liverpool lacked a true world-class defender, though their back line was solid.
Chelsea? Severely lacking.
Real Madrid? Also lacking.
Barcelona? Absolutely desperate.
Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, Juventus and Inter in Serie A—all of them were short on quality center-backs.
And that's not even mentioning Ligue 1's newest powerhouse: Paris Saint-Germain, now backed by serious ambition.
After the Champions League final, while the world praised Wenger, Catalan media shifted focus to Barcelona's transfer plans, especially their search for reinforcements.
Of the top ten summer transfer targets reported by the media, there were some familiar attacking names—Diego Forlán, Dani Güiza, Giuseppe Rossi—as well as midfielders like Fàbregas and Pastore.
But four of the ten were center-backs, highlighting just how desperate Barça was to reinforce their defense.
Thankfully for Bayswater Chinese Club, Catalan reports stated that Barça had already been rejected in their pursuit of Thiago Silva, meaning none of Yang Cheng's three center-backs were on their list.
Top of Barça's list?
A player Yang Cheng had encountered before—Rakitskiy from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Just 22 years old, the Ukrainian defender wasn't especially tall (1.80m), but had great passing range, solid free-kick ability, and could even play as a defensive midfielder.
Next on the list was PSG's young captain Mamadou Sakho.
Third, a recommendation straight from Johan Cruyff himself: Jan Vertonghen of Ajax. Cruyff had reportedly recommended the Belgian defender to Barça multiple times.
But the fourth name shocked Yang Cheng—Mehdi Benatia from Ligue 1's Nice.
Why had he suddenly come onto Guardiola's radar?
Simple—he posted an 85.2% pass success rate in Ligue 1 last season, the highest among the four.
When Yang Cheng saw the report, he was stunned.
He immediately called Nice sporting director Emmanuel Pellin for more information.
What he heard next surprised him even more.
It wasn't just Barça that wanted Benatia…
…
After the Champions League final, Ligue 1 still had one final round to play.
In mid-May, Nice had already defeated PSG 1–0 in the Coupe de France final.
Then, on May 29, the day after the Champions League final, Nice beat Lorient 2–0 at home, edging out Lille by two points to win the 2010/11 Ligue 1 title.
Yang Cheng, Xia Qing, Adam Crozier, and others were all in attendance at Nice's stadium to witness the club's historic victory.
In another match played simultaneously, PSG—now backed by Qatar—drew 2–2 with Lille at home, sealing the title for Nice.
Even if both teams had ended level on points, Nice would've won the league on goal difference.
The city of Nice erupted in celebration.
They had waited over half a century to taste Ligue 1 glory again.
The entire city—and even nearby towns—were swept up in the excitement.
The following day, French media exploded with coverage, including praise and gratitude for the Chinese consortium behind the club.
And of course, admiration for Bayswater Chinese Club.
Officially, the two clubs were merely strategic partners.
But without Bayswater's help—without the arrivals of Matuidi and Kanté, without all the transfers, without Ronald Koeman—how could Nice have possibly mounted a title challenge?
Matuidi was named Ligue 1 Player of the Season thanks to his phenomenal performances.
While Nice was still reveling in the championship, Yang Cheng, CEO Martin Harrison, and Emmanuel Pellin held a closed-door meeting.
Why?
Chelsea, Bayern, Barça, PSG, and Juventus were all circling Benatia.
It wasn't unexpected.
When Ligue 1 players shine, top clubs from other leagues immediately swoop in.
Even clubs like Sevilla were known to poach talent from France.
"So far, three clubs have contacted us directly—Barça, PSG, and Chelsea," Pellin explained.
"Also, to comply with UEFA's youth development regulations, PSG has launched a sweeping recruitment plan across Ligue 1."
"Aside from Benatia, they're targeting Matuidi, Clerc, Anthony Mounier, and goalkeeper Ospina."
"They're also looking at big names like Pastore, Thiago Motta, and Cavani. PSG is loaded now—they want to build a super team."
Pellin looked both excited and resigned.
From a sporting perspective, the rise of such a mega-club was a nightmare.
But from a business standpoint, it was a dream come true.
PSG raiding Nice made perfect sense.
They needed French players to balance the squad.
And Matuidi and Clerc were France internationals, Mounier had represented France U21s—these were big names in the domestic scene.
And while they were internationals, their price tags weren't outrageous.
Take Clerc—a national team right-back—valued at just €8.5 million, and already 28.
Mounier, at 23, was younger, but his valuation stood at just €8 million.
Ospina, 22 years old, was estimated at €9 million.
Benatia? Just €10 million.
The most expensive of the bunch? Matuidi, of course.
He had joined from Bayswater for €20 million, and had since won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France, becoming team captain and player of the season.
That's Ligue 1's reality.
With PSG and other giants ready to raid, Nice had two choices:
Hold onto key players for one more season, make a run in the Champions League, and hope their value increases.Sell now, negotiate higher fees while their stock is high.
But the first option carried risk.
Players might not agree to stay.
Champions League exposure might not actually increase value—it could even reveal their weaknesses, leading to a drop in value or zero interest.
Yang Cheng wasn't worried about Benatia or Matuidi.
But Mounier and Clerc?
They had looked good this season within Koeman's tactical setup.
But could they replicate that in Europe?
Pellin and Harrison agreed.
Benatia and Matuidi—the core players—must not be sold.
The rest? If they could fetch decent prices, they'd sell.
But that came with its own issues.
Take Clerc—he was at least national team quality.
If they sold him, where would they find another right-back in such a thin market?
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