"Alright, proceed with the contacts as per the list."
Juninho D'Alessandro smiled. "Let the clubs name their prices directly."
"Understood," Ryan nodded, still slightly dazed, before turning and leaving the office.
Communication in this era wasn't as fast as it would be in the future, so negotiating with the clubs was a bit more complicated. Still, it didn't take long.
That same afternoon, Ryan returned to Juninho's office, visibly shaken and gripping the list Juninho had handed him earlier. His hands were trembling.
"These clubs all said the same thing—these three players are their future stars."
Ryan stepped forward, eyes fixed on Juninho.
"Not for sale?" Juninho raised an eyebrow. That was surprising. He knew these players would be transferred in the coming years anyway.
"Not quite," Ryan shook his head. "They're open to selling—but at a high price."
"Oh?" Juninho nodded, immediately understanding the game.
"How much are they asking?"
Ryan exhaled slowly. "Ibrahimović: 8 million euros. Ronaldinho: 10 million. Vidić: 4 million."
Juninho did a quick mental calculation. "Twenty-two million euros total. That's fine. Inform them we agree to the fees, and arrange for the players to visit Morecambe tomorrow."
Although the clubs were on board, Juninho knew the players themselves might not be immediately convinced. But since none of them were superstars yet, their clubs could easily persuade them to attend at least one meeting.
"Got it," Ryan nodded, walking out with a shell-shocked expression, mumbling, "Twenty-two million… twenty-two million…"
That amount of money could've kept Morecambe afloat for four or five full seasons.
And yet the new owner was about to spend it all in one swoop.
The audacity.
Once Ryan was gone, Juninho turned his attention to the upcoming season. It was May 16th. The summer transfer window would officially open in two days.
If everything went smoothly, he'd have three future world-class stars joining Morecambe before the window even opened.
But beyond that, the entire squad needed a major overhaul.
Most of the current players were only suited for non-league or lower-tier football. Even the team's so-called "core" would likely have to go.
With the €10 million budget he'd allocated to Ryan, Juninho would bring in a batch of solid League Two and League One-quality players to build the foundation.
People might underestimate €10 million, but this was the year 2000—back then, transfer fees for lower-division English players rarely exceeded a million.
The upcoming British Parliamentary League season (the fourth tier of English football) was scheduled to begin in mid-June.
The league had 22 teams, playing a double round-robin format—42 matches in total per club.
The top team would earn direct promotion to League Two.
Second through fourth would enter the playoffs.
But Juninho wasn't interested in fighting for a playoff spot.
His goal was clear—win the league. Take the title.
And this wasn't the only competition Morecambe would compete in.
As a fourth-tier side, Morecambe also qualified for both the FA Cup and the League Cup.
Although they'd have to start from the earliest rounds and couldn't skip any, it still gave the club a rare opportunity to test themselves against higher-level opponents.
Juninho looked forward to those challenges.
With that thought, and no official training scheduled—since the current players would be mostly replaced soon—Juninho decided to leave the club and head back to his rented villa.
Let the old coach manage the players for now. Once the squad overhaul was complete, he'd formally step in.
"Time to go home and wait for Zlatan."
---
The next afternoon.
While Juninho was relaxing at home, Ryan gave him a call.
"One of the players has arrived," he said. "He's black."
Juninho's eyes lit up. "Ronaldinho."
He hailed a taxi and rushed back to the club.
He hadn't expected Ronaldinho to be the first to arrive, especially since Gremio was located so far away. But the Brazilian club was known to be cash-strapped. Once they heard Morecambe was offering €10 million up front, they likely jumped at the chance.
Soon enough, Juninho entered the office and came face to face with a slightly awkward, youthful-looking Ronaldinho, accompanied by a middle-aged man—his agent.
Neither looked particularly enthusiastic. In fact, their body language suggested skepticism.
"Welcome," Juninho stepped forward with a warm smile. "I'm Juninho D'Alessandro, owner of Morecambe Football Club."
He shook hands with both men and took a seat across from them.
Before Juninho could even speak, the agent scowled and cut in.
"Why would a team from the fourth division be this desperate to buy my client?"
Clearly, the man had his doubts.
He didn't see Morecambe as an opportunity.
But Juninho wasn't fazed.
He'd expected this.
---