Chapter 363: Transfer Window Opens, Manchester City Eyes Kimmich, Rüdiger, Kanté, and Other Young Talents
As Chelsea also won their match this round, Manchester City's game against Arsenal did not help close the gap between the two teams. The gap remained at three points, and with City set to face Chelsea away next, Guardiola decided to rest many of his key players during the midweek FA Cup match against Middlesbrough, fielding a semi-reserve lineup instead.
Unexpectedly, Manchester City lost 2-0 away to Middlesbrough and were knocked out of the FA Cup. This result caused quite a stir, with many questioning whether Guardiola's methods were indeed unsuited for the Premier League, as Mourinho had previously suggested.
Mourinho seized the opportunity to mock Guardiola, especially with their teams set to face each other in the next round. Engaging in psychological warfare to unsettle City's mindset could significantly improve Chelsea's chances of winning.
"I've always said Guardiola's style only works in La Liga. In another league, it just doesn't. The loss to Middlesbrough is proof!" Mourinho said. "In the next game at Stamford Bridge, I'll personally teach Guardiola how to play football in the Premier League, the world's top league!"
Initially, people were skeptical about Mourinho's claims. However, considering Manchester City's recent performances and current form, many started to believe Mourinho's words. City seemed to be in a slump, and facing Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge—one of the toughest places to play—was not promising.
Guardiola didn't bother to respond to Mourinho's trash talk, knowing full well from their La Liga days that Mourinho excelled in psychological games. Engaging would only play into Mourinho's hands.
However, the recent matches did expose some issues within City's squad. With Yaya Touré away at the Africa Cup of Nations, City's midfield was lacking depth. Additionally, there were numerous problems in their defense that needed addressing.
Therefore, with the transfer window still open, Guardiola began looking for new signings. First, he sold defender Mangala, bought from Porto in the summer window, for €23 million. Mangala had a poor half-season with City, frequently making costly errors. Additionally, he struggled to adapt to the weather and food in Manchester, making it hard for him to integrate into the team. Both parties agreed to part ways, with City taking a €7 million loss on his transfer fee.
With already limited defensive options, Mangala's departure made it imperative for City to sign a new defender. However, finding a good defender wasn't easy, especially with Paris Saint-Germain inflating the market. Given the exorbitant fees for defenders like David Luiz, it was clear that getting a quality defender would require a significant investment.
Guardiola set his sights on two Bayern Munich defenders: Boateng and Alaba. Despite being famously outmaneuvered by Lin Quan in a past match, Boateng had excellent defensive awareness. His fall in that instance was due to his mind keeping up with Lin Quan's speed, but his body couldn't. For an average defender, Lin Quan would have easily gotten past them on the first move. Boateng's ability to think quickly was commendable, even if his body couldn't always keep up. Besides Lin Quan, Boateng performed well against other players. His experience in the league and Champions League had honed his skills, showing great promise.
As for Alaba, Guardiola saw immense potential in him during his time at Bayern. Alaba, not yet 23, was incredibly talented but slightly inexperienced. He was strong, fast, and agile, capable of both attacking and defending. Guardiola saw him as a future top left-back. City's right-back Zabaleta was strong, but left-back Kolarov was weaker defensively despite his attacking prowess. In the previous match against Arsenal, it was Kolarov's side that Arsenal exploited to score twice. As a result, City often rotated between Kolarov and Clichy. Guardiola wanted a more balanced left-back to solve this issue once and for all.
Like Wenger, Guardiola preferred buying young talents. These players had more room for development, were more manageable, and could potentially become the team's backbone for years. If they didn't work out, they wouldn't cost much and could still be sold. Since he just joined City, there was less pressure for immediate results, allowing him to focus on building a team to his liking.
Thus, as the transfer window opened, City immediately submitted a bid to Bayern, offering €80 million for both players. This was a significant offer, but Bayern didn't even blink, rejecting it outright. With the Bundesliga only halfway through and the Champions League still in the knockout stages, Bayern couldn't afford to lose two key defenders. Heinkes, back from retirement, had ambitious plans for Bayern and wasn't about to let them go.
After Bayern's rejection, Guardiola dropped interest in Boateng and made a €40 million offer for Alaba alone, hoping it would be more acceptable. Despite the high price, Bayern refused again. Bayern's general manager, Hoeness, even stated that as long as Guardiola was at City, Bayern wouldn't conduct any business with them. Clearly, relations had soured following Guardiola's departure from Bayern.
With Bayern out of the question, Guardiola turned to other clubs, targeting players like Carvajal from Real Madrid and Hummels from Dortmund, hoping to secure their main defenders. However, clubs either refused due to their ambitions or took advantage of the situation to inflate prices, making it impractical for City to proceed.
A string of rejections left Guardiola frustrated. "Buying players during the winter break is really tough!" he sighed, collapsing onto his couch after a long day.
Lin Quan, returning from a football session with his brother Marius, overheard him and asked, "Still haven't secured a defender?"
"No, it's not that easy!" Guardiola shook his head. "Good defenders are as rare as gold. Those we want are either too expensive or unavailable. Should we buy players who might turn out to be liabilities?"
Lin Quan nodded in agreement. "How about I give you some suggestions?"
"You?" Guardiola looked at Lin Quan, puzzled. Did he really have knowledge in this area? But with nothing to lose, Guardiola decided to listen. "Alright, go ahead."
"Have you followed the matches in the second division of the Bundesliga?" Lin Quan asked.
Guardiola nodded, indicating he had.
The German leagues are well managed, and whether it's the Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga, or even 3. Bundesliga, their finances are generally healthy. This financial health allows them to operate steadily, and the large football population base provides a constant stream of talent. Many teams, including Bayern, often loan young players to 2. Bundesliga teams to gain experience, making the 2. Bundesliga teams quite strong and the matches enjoyable to watch.
"Do you remember RB Leipzig's right-back Joshua Kimmich?" Lin Quan asked.
Guardiola thought for a moment and then nodded, "Yes, I do. The kid has a high football IQ, excellent defensive positioning, and a great cross!"
Guardiola recalled the memory fragment of Kimmich, a player who had caught his eye. If a player impressed him once, he usually wouldn't forget them.
"Kimmich is only 19 now, still very young. You could buy him to groom as a successor to Zabaleta. His market value isn't too high, probably between €7-10 million. By the time he's ready, Zabaleta will likely be retiring, making for a perfect transition!"
"Do you really rate him that highly?" Guardiola was surprised to hear Lin Quan say that Kimmich could be Zabaleta's successor. Guardiola knew Zabaleta's quality well, one of the few defenders he trusted completely on City's backline.
"It's not just me; Bayern also rates him highly. Considering Lahm's age, Bayern will probably make a move for him this summer. If you don't want to miss the chance, now is the last opportunity to act. Once Bayern shows interest, do you think you can outbid them?"
Having managed Bayern, Guardiola deeply understood Bayern's immense influence in the Bundesliga. For most German players, playing for Bayern significantly increased their chances of being selected for the national team. Bayern's invitation was almost impossible to refuse. Many players, upon learning of Bayern's interest, would even lower their transfer fees to join Bayern. This was why it was hard for other Bundesliga teams to resist Bayern's poaching, leading to Bayern's dominance in the league. The good players were all taken by Bayern, making it hard for other teams to compete.
Initially, Guardiola wasn't too concerned, but Lin Quan's words made him wary. It was no secret that Bayern was looking for Lahm's successor. Born in 1983, Lahm wasn't getting any younger and probably had only two or three seasons left. Bayern would surely find and groom a replacement soon. Kimmich, with his outstanding talent, would definitely catch Bayern's eye sooner or later.
Determined, Guardiola decided, "Alright, I'll have someone make an offer to Leipzig!"
"Make sure it's discreet. Don't let Bayern know. Once they intervene, it will be hard to get the player," Lin Quan reminded him.
"Yes, I'll be careful!"
Following Guardiola's instructions, Manchester City submitted a €5 million bid to RB Leipzig. For Leipzig, this was a significant amount. They had bought Kimmich from Stuttgart for only €500,000, and now they could make ten times the amount after just a year.
Feeling a bit surreal, Leipzig cautiously raised the price to €7 million, fearing they might scare off the buyer if they asked for too much.
To their surprise, Manchester City didn't haggle and directly agreed to the price, leaving Leipzig stunned. They felt they might have underpriced the player, thinking Manchester City might have agreed to a higher amount.
After reaching an agreement, City promptly transferred the money to Leipzig, impressing them with their speed and generosity. They regretted not having more players to sell to City.
Kimmich quickly arrived at Manchester City, passing his trial and medical examination. Guardiola was very satisfied with the 19-year-old, believing that with proper training, Kimmich could become a key player for City's defense.
Having seen the success of Lin Quan's suggestion, Guardiola now had great faith in him. After completing Kimmich's transfer, he eagerly sought more advice from Lin Quan.
"The team still needs a center-back, a midfielder, and a forward. Do you have any good recommendations?"
It turned out Lin Quan did.
"For center-back, Stuttgart's Rüdiger is good. His price should be reasonable, and he recently suffered a severe injury. You could probably get him for under €15 million."
"And for midfield, I know a very strong defensive midfielder."
"Oh? How strong?" Guardiola asked, intrigued.
"At his peak, he could reach the level of Makelele."
Guardiola's eyes widened in disbelief. Being a contemporary of Makelele, he knew just how formidable Makelele was, capable of playing as a single pivot. Without him, the attack-heavy Real Madrid might not have won the Champions League. It was no wonder Casillas once said he most missed Makelele. After Makelele left, even with stars like Zidane, Ronaldo, and Beckham, the Galacticos quickly declined without a solid defensive foundation.
"His name is N'Golo Kanté, a Frenchman currently playing for Caen in Ligue 1," Lin Quan revealed.
(End of Chapter)