Manchester, next morning.
"Blaise, can you get the newspapers outside?" Blair was once again wearing the floral apron a couple sizes too small for him while cooking breakfast. "It's the post matchday edition, I can't miss it!"
Blaise, who was already heading to the door, smiled. He knew he won't be happy with what's inside the papers, but his father loves reading from there even with the rise of digital media. He's always old-fashioned like that.
"Coming up, pops!"
"I'm almost done cooking, so call your friend after." He did so while chopping up fruit.
"Nah, don't worry, that guy can come down by himself!" Blaise dashed out and returned with a stack of broadsheets at hand. "Throw in some bananas in that drink, pops!"
Blair's hearty laughter reverberated throughout the ground floor of the house. "Done. I already know you'll ask for that. So, call him real quick and get down here!"
"Alright… whip up something nice for us, Dad!"
Upstairs, Cameron heard the short father and son exchange as he was about to exit the guest room. His face remained a blank mask, but his hands had curled up into fists.
"Yo, Cam, breakfast's ready. You should remember that my dad whips up great food."
"I do."
The Sheffield duo got to the dining table filled with both healthy and unhealthy breakfasts. Of course, the unhealthy, and mouth watering food is only for Blair…
"Oho! You two, eat your fill! You need these nutrients for the day's post-match video analysis." Blair sipped on jasmine tea after he spoke. "Woah. Do you two know there's a takeover bid for your club, and they're mulling about it?"
Both Blaise and Cameron had their eyebrows knitted together upon hearing what Blair said.
It was not something Blaise was looking forward to, and was even annoyed since it was something that slipped his mind entirely. In his first life, in the autumn of 2013—which was at the end of the transfer window— he forgot— a prince of an oil-rich country took over more than half the club's shares, becoming the majority shareholder of the League One club.
Oil money came flowing in afterward, thanks to the ambitious new leadership.
The good thing about it was that Sheffield managed to avoid overspending to push for promotions. The new ownership invested wisely on facilities, training ground upgrades, even youth academy upgrades. Transfers came, for sure, but they did not overpay, nor overspend on overrated players.
After the first full season in charge, Sheffield got promoted to the Championship, and then after a three-year toil in the second division, they returned to the promised land.
The takeover seemed to have come a bit later during this life, though.
"Who's trying to take the club over, Mr. Atkinson?" Cameron was genuinely curious about this. Before he joined his former club's crosstown rivals, he took a look at the club ownership's background. He thinks it's important to also consider this when choosing a club.
He found out that the club isn't in any financial trouble, so they aren't really in a desperate position to sell… so why are they thinking about selling?
"According to this paper, it's a consortium led by an Arabic prince. There's no name listed here, so most likely speculation."
Since he's not privy to Blaise's past life knowledge, he said. "There's no way they'd go through with that. It's about to be January… and we might be put into a transfer embargo!"
"I'm quite sure the club board received a massive offer or something… because if not, they'll just throw it out the window." Blaise drank a whole cup of the mixed berries and banana shake his father made. "If it does happen, I hope the new management won't be inept… or else we're done for…"
"You two young lads shouldn't worry about politics and adult power games right now. You both should focus on being the best footballer, and person you can be!"
The trio ate their breakfast in discussion about many things. For Cameron, this was a whole new experience, having been raised in a family that wasn't all that close. Blair fawned over the many news bites he received in several publications, including a particular news bite that also interested the young lads.
"Oh, look at this, you two! Transfer rumors: Sheffield Blades on the hunt for an attacker."
"Seems like they won't be looking at me anytime soon." Cameron, an attacker, said in a serious, pretty aggressive tone. "I'll show them I'm worth the punt."
"That's some nice fighting spirit there, Cameron! I'd love to see you in the first team from the stands soon, lad." Blair's hearty laughter affected Cameron's psyche.
"Take those rumors with a grain of salt, mate." Blaise added, wanting to calm his friend down. "They are rumors for a reason."
"Finish up, you two. You're gonna be late for uhh… what do you call those again?"
"Post match video analysis training." Cameron said.
"That's way too long. But go on, finish up."
Half an hour later, when the two youngsters had left, Blair returned to reading the final newspaper he had. It had a massive front page headline spread, that read: "FA Cup 3rd Round draw today: Where will the Prem giants land?"
"Oh, fuck. How come the other papers don't have this? Those fucking scam tabloids."
***
The winter transfer window is only half a month away.
As such, rumors swirl around English football like a frenzy every day. Most of it is nothing more than that, but some rumors have been gaining massive attention from the footballing community.
One such rumor had appeared on an English footballing website known for making big rumors about transfers. It had spread like wildfire after being shared on various social media platforms, sports forums, and football news websites.
"Report: Several Premier League teams are interested in signing promising League One youngster Blaise Atkinson from Sheffield United."
To many casual English football fans, the name was unheard of. But to the many lower league aficionados, or those people that enjoy the lower leagues, this is a name that is quickly rising to the mainstream.
This rumor was not a shock to many lower league armchair experts. They know that with the Premier League in the midst of an upheaval, most teams would want to establish themselves through young homegrown talent.
Blaise Atkinson might've only had a short spell currently in Sheffield, but it was already shaping up to be a fantastic one. If they also include his burgeoning popularity, charismatic personality, and his talismanic midfield displays that are far above his age, it's not surprising that the big fish are lurking.
Just an hour after the first rumor went live, a legitimate news article dropped from a trusted newspaper, with a headline that read: "Man City boss on Atkinson rumors: 'There's definitely interest on our side.'"