Chapter 101: Sky-High Signing Fee
Werder Bremen has always been known for their robust style of play, daring to tackle being their team's trademark.
In the previous match against Schalke 04, after their midfielder Noyster maliciously fouled De Bruyne, Werder Bremen players took turns ruthlessly targeting him, eventually forcing him off the field.
In this match, Olic was playing the villain again, aiming to harm the only core of his own team.
How could this be tolerated?
It couldn't!
So, even before Olic could strike again, Werder Bremen's counterattack came.
In the 33rd minute, Schmidt took the initiative, delivering a fierce tackle that brought Olic down.
The latter let out an exaggerated scream, rolling on the ground clutching his leg as if he were dying.
The referee, seeing his agony, showed Schmidt a yellow card.
Schmidt didn't protest but, passing by Olic, gave him a fierce glare.
This foul made Olic behave himself for quite a while. After all, everyone fears being knocked down or worse, losing their life.
If they don't mind fouls and cards, and they are determined to kick you, would you still dare to commit the crime against the wind, risking your leg?
Winning or losing is the team's affair, but the legs are one's own...
Without Olic's malicious fouls, Lin Quan on the field became difficult to contain once again.
In the 35th minute of the game, he replayed the 45-degree curved pass from the previous match against Schalke 04.
The ball, with an extremely unscientific trajectory, flew past the Wolfsburg players, precisely finding Werder Bremen's striker Arnautovic.
The latter was very surprised at how accurately the ball found him, but the quality of the pass was exceptional. By the time the ball reached him, its speed had already slowed down.
Arnautovic didn't need to control the ball; he could shoot directly.
He didn't waste his teammate's brilliant pass, directly shooting with one swing of his leg. The ball pierced through the hands of Wolfsburg's goalkeeper Benaglio and flew into the net.
After scoring, Arnautovic ran straight to Lin Quan, squatting in front of him, gesturing for him to ride on his back, then carrying him towards the sidelines to celebrate.
More than half of the credit for this goal goes to Lin Quan!
Without his precise pass, Arnautovic wouldn't have had such a comfortable shooting opportunity.
"Lin, how did you manage that pass just now?"
"Could it have been luck?"
Teammates also ran over, curious after the celebration. They wanted to know how Lin Quan managed to make that incredible pass.
Can one learn this?
If they could learn it, they all wanted to!
In offensive play, the most feared thing about through passes is having defensive players on the passing line. As long as the opponent stretches out a foot, the ball cannot get through.
But Lin Quan's pass just now perfectly solved this problem. His passes could curve, and that exaggerated curve made defending players only watch helplessly as the football flew past them, unable to intercept it.
If they could all learn this move, then in the future, Werder Bremen might be full of experts in curved passes.
Not only the players participating in the match wanted to learn, but also De Bruyne watching the live broadcast of the game at home.
After seeing Lin Quan perform the unbelievable pass again, he widened his eyes, wishing he could rush to the field immediately and learn from him on the spot.
"How did he do that?"
"How can he make such imaginative passes?"
De Bruyne held his head, wishing he could replay the scene of Lin Quan's pass ten or a hundred times...
The game resumed, and Wolfsburg, falling behind, threw even more troops into the attack.
They couldn't afford to lose; losing would push them into the relegation zone.
Even if they couldn't win this game, getting a draw would be good. The only thing they couldn't accept was losing at home.
"Run, run, all of you, keep your spirits up!"
Their coach, Felix Magath, was famous in the Bundesliga for his training fanaticism.
He particularly emphasized physical training for the team, with the most famous being having players hold a very large solid ball for strength training in various muscle groups.
In addition to this, he liked to have players climb mountains, run in the forest...
Under such high-intensity training, teams coached by Magath had a much stronger physical reserve than other teams.
Therefore, his tactic required players to actively run and fiercely compete, attempting to break down opponents with this aggressive style.
Perhaps this tactic worked at the beginning, but after being used frequently in the Bundesliga, everyone knew how to deal with them.
Just like in this match against Werder Bremen, you like to run, don't you?
Then I'll play possession tactics, increase the number of passes, and let you run your fill.
With Lin Quan threading passes in midfield, and Fritz and Junuzovic intercepting and sweeping in the defensive midfield positions, Werder Bremen's possession play was not exactly like Barcelona's, but it was still effective against Wolfsburg, a team fighting relegation.
Wolfsburg's players were helpless; they didn't want to run because they couldn't get the ball, but instead, they would be toyed with by the opponents.
But the coach on the sidelines kept shouting at them, telling them to run.
There was no choice but to grit their teeth and run.
As a result, they ran for dozens of minutes in vain, without even catching a single ball.
Instead, Werder Bremen scored again in the 64th minute of the second half, sealing the victory.
As the game neared its end, the fans at the Volkswagen Arena started leaving early.
The game was too ugly; their players were simply being walked by the opponents, and they were afraid of bursting their lungs if they watched for another second.
Magath sat on the coaching bench with an ugly expression. After consecutive losses, he could smell the scent of danger.
The club had been in contact with Schuster recently, seemingly intending to hire him to replace him.
This season, not only was Wolfsburg's performance poor, but the atmosphere in the dressing room was also very bad.
Many players in the team had conflicts with Magath and were very dissatisfied with his devilish training.
If his devilish training could bring better results, then perhaps the players could endure it.
But his devilish training didn't bring anything, only making the players feel tortured.
In this situation, the players naturally didn't want to support him.
They preferred to change the coach and the playing style.
Wolfsburg's troubles had nothing to do with Werder Bremen. After winning the away game, their league points reached 30, leading Bayern Munich by one point with one less game played, temporarily topping the Bundesliga points table, becoming the new leaders.
Although Werder Bremen didn't stay at the top for long, three hours later, Bayern Munich slaughtered Hannover 96 with a score of 5-0 at home, reclaiming the top spot.
But this is after all the first time there has been a change in the top spot since the start of the Bundesliga season.
As a result, major German media outlets have reported on the matter.
The media has praised Werder Bremen's excellent performance this season, believing that with their six consecutive victories, they have a real chance of toppling Bayern Munich and snatching the league title from their grasp.
Moreover, when Lin Quan achieved such good results while leading the team alone in the absence of Debala due to injury, the media also expressed their disbelief.
"The selection for the Bundesliga's Best Newcomer of the Season hasn't even started yet, and it's already over. I don't think anyone can take this award away from Lin Quan!"
A football legend wrote in Bild:
"When Debala was absent due to injury, Lin Quan appeared in the midfield, and perhaps initially, people didn't expect him to perform well in that position.
But in these two matches, Lin Quan answered people's doubts with four brilliant assists: in the midfield, he is still the top player! Considering that he played as a forward for the Spanish national team, we have reason to believe that he might be able to play any position in the midfield and forward.
It's hard to believe he's not even 17 yet! To be honest, even though I've been watching football for many years, I've never seen a player like him before.
This means that we may be witnessing the birth of a legendary generation."
Although the German media has praised Lin Quan countless times before, this report still sparked widespread discussion.
The reason is simple: the winter break is approaching!
The arrival of the winter break means that the winter transfer window is about to open.
And for many top clubs aiming to sign Lin Quan, this is undoubtedly an opportunity they won't miss.
...
As Lin Quan's agent, Pere has been extremely busy during this time.
His phone has been ringing almost twenty-four hours a day, with so many teams wanting to sign Lin Quan this winter.
Not only are those well-known top clubs calling, but even some small and medium-sized clubs are calling with a try-it-out mentality.
Anyway, the buyout clause at Barcelona isn't expensive, just five million euros!
Whether it works out or not, it's worth a try, there's no cost anyway.
If by any chance the other party is interested in their team, they'll make a fortune.
Pere's influence in the agent industry is not strong enough compared to the top agents, so facing inquiries from major clubs and a large number of small and medium-sized teams, he patiently explains and communicates on every call.
This has made him familiar with these clubs, and whether this transfer can be successful or not, he has finally established contact with these clubs through this opportunity.
In the future, when operating transfers for other players, he won't have trouble finding connections.
For this reason, Pere is very fortunate to have signed with Lin Quan.
If it weren't for Lin Quan, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to contact so many clubs.
So after he finished his work, he flew to Germany specifically to report to Lin Quan on the progress of his work during this time.
"The current situation is like this: a total of nine top clubs have invited you, hoping to take you away during the winter break. The others are some small and medium-sized clubs, which I think you wouldn't be interested in, so I politely declined on your behalf."
Lin Quan nodded and picked up the list to take a look.
At the forefront of the top clubs is Real Madrid from La Liga, promising a starting position and willing to offer Lin Quan an annual salary of 7 million euros.
This salary is not too high among top players, but for a young player like Lin Quan, it's already top pay.
Lin Quan glanced over the remaining clubs, seeing AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich.
Among these clubs, Bayern Munich caught his attention:
"What are the conditions offered by Bayern?"
Lin Quan temporarily has no interest in other teams. Given Pep Guardiola's move to Bayern, there is a high probability that his next destination will be Bayern.
The Bundesliga is suitable for young players to improve, and he has been playing here for half a year, already adapting to the pace of the game here.
Before he reaches adulthood and his physical development is complete, he doesn't plan to take risks in other leagues.
First, different leagues have different styles, and suddenly switching styles may lead to adaptation issues, which is not conducive to quickly earning system points.
Secondly, Guardiola is good at coaching and using young players, and he can learn a lot under him.
Moreover, Bayern's dominance in the Bundesliga is so strong, and in recent years, it has been the peak period for Bayern's lineup.
Going to Bayern to play, earn points, win honors, and incidentally grow, are all crucial for Lin Quan at this age.
He had discussed this with Pere before, and the latter was also clear about this.
So when he heard Lin Quan's question, Pere immediately brought out the intended contract from Bayern:
"They hope to sign you for five years, with an annual salary of 6 million euros, and an additional signing bonus of 5 million euros."
Upon hearing this, Lin Quan frowned.
"What's the wage level within Bayern?"
"The wages of five players in Bayern are higher than yours. The highest is Ribery with 8 million euros, followed by Schweinsteiger with 7.7 million euros, then Robben, Gomez, and Lahm, all with 6.5 million euros."
"Your national team teammate, Martinez, has a salary of 4.5 million."
Lin Quan nodded. Looking at it this way, what Bayern is offering isn't too low.
Their wage expenditure certainly can't match Real Madrid's, after all, Real Madrid is the most successful club in the world, and Bayern can't compete in terms of commercial development.
Last season, Real Madrid's wage bill was about 45 million euros higher than Bayern's, a quarter more.
With a similar number of players in the squad, Real Madrid players earn more, which is normal.
These salaries are all after-tax salaries. Calculated based on pre-tax salaries, Lin Quan's annual salary has already exceeded 10 million euros, which can be considered as a millionaire.
"It's probably difficult for Bayern's wages to increase further. If it's any higher, it may affect the stability of their internal wage system. However, regarding the signing bonus, I can try to negotiate for you. After your contract with Barcelona ends, if you join Bayern as a free agent, it can save them a lot of transfer fees.
This transfer fee can be paid to you in the form of a signing bonus, which can be considered as additional compensation for you."
Pere's words immediately piqued Lin Quan's interest. He had read some relevant reports before.
The estimated transfer fee for him by the outside world is at least 40 million euros or more. If all this money is paid to his account in the form of a signing bonus, wouldn't he be making a fortune?
Just thinking that Guardiola worked so hard for so many years and couldn't even come up with 20 million euros.
And as soon as he signs, he immediately receives 40 million euros. Lin Quan couldn't help but smile.
"Ahem, Bayern probably won't offer that much. 20 million is probably what they'll offer. If it's more, they probably won't be willing to pay."
Pere's words made Lin Quan a little unhappy. It's not that he's greedy or anything, but the other party's approach seems a bit disrespectful to him.
"Why? Does Bayern think I'm not worth that price?"
"No, they wouldn't underestimate your value, but they might think that after signing a contract with Pep, it would be easy to finalize your contract. In this case, their psychological price wouldn't be too high, and it would probably be difficult to achieve a signing bonus of 40 million."
Lin Quan was a bit dissatisfied, not because he's greedy, but because the other party's approach seemed somewhat disrespectful to him.
"What if I join Real Madrid for free? How much is Mr. Florentino willing to offer me as a signing bonus?"
"Fifty million euros!"
Pere didn't hesitate, he answered directly.
Lin Quan looked at him in surprise, it seemed that the other party had already had contact with Mr. Florentino privately.
No wonder he put Real Madrid's name at the forefront, but he didn't know how much Florentino had given him privately.
"Ahem, he promised me that if he could facilitate this transfer, he would give me an additional 5 million euros as a bonus."
The commission for professional player agents is usually ten percent, but Pere and Lin Quan's contract commission is only five percent.
Even so, if Lin Quan signs with Real Madrid, Pere can still get 2.5 million euros from this 50 million euro signing bonus.
In this case, the additional 5 million euro commission offered by Florentino is naturally very attractive to him.
No wonder he put Real Madrid in the first place. From his personal interest perspective, facilitating Lin Quan's transfer to Real Madrid is the most profitable for him.
Lin Quan stared at Pere for a few seconds, somewhat sighing at the power of money, even his uncle was almost tempted.
"If you don't want to go to Real Madrid, I can immediately call Chairman Florentino to reject his invitation."
Pere felt a little embarrassed by Lin Quan's gaze. Although he really wanted to earn this money, if Lin Quan himself wasn't interested in Real Madrid, he wouldn't go against Lin Quan's will.
"No need, just don't answer them for now. I don't plan to transfer this winter break, so I'll reject all invitations from other teams. Wait until the end of the season, and after my contract with Barcelona expires, then we'll talk.
As for the invitations from Real Madrid and Bayern, you can continue to negotiate with them.
You don't need to spend too much effort on Real Madrid's side. I'm probably not going anyway.
Mainly for Bayern, you need to find a way to negotiate the signing bonus. My bottom line is 30 million euros. For the contract, try to limit it to within 3 years. I don't want to sign a long-term contract with Bayern. In addition, a buyout clause can be added to the contract, with an amount not exceeding 150 million euros."
Lin Quan has a clear idea about his contract matters, and Pere just needs to negotiate according to his instructions.
Anyway, it's still a long way from the end of the season, no need to rush, just negotiate slowly.
Lin Quan believes that with his increasingly good performance on the field, Bayern will surely compromise.
(End of this chapter)