Chapter 409: Ronaldo Feels Defeated and Plans to Leave Real Madrid
Returning to Camp Nou, Lin Quan felt much more at peace. After repeatedly eliminating Barcelona in the Champions League, especially shattering their treble dreams last season, Lin Quan no longer harbored such strong hatred for Barcelona. Now, he regarded them as just another club, with no special feelings.
In this match, Lin Quan's performance was as outstanding as ever, showcasing his superior skills. Leading a young Spanish team, they triumphed 6-0 at Camp Nou. Lin Quan achieved both a hat-trick of goals and assists, being involved in all six goals.
This phenomenal performance left the Barcelona fans in awe.
"Truly the gem of La Masia, Lin is incredibly strong!"
"With Lin's strength, once we bring him back to Camp Nou, Barcelona will thrive!"
"Hehe, I can already see the start of the Dream Four era for Barca!"
During the match, the fans frequently cheered and applauded Lin Quan's brilliant plays. After the game, when the Spanish team did a lap of honor to thank the fans, many Barcelona supporters stood up and applauded, even displaying banners and signs. Some fans directly shouted:
"Lin, come back!"
"Barca is your home!"
"Camp Nou is the best place for Catalans!"
This move by the Barcelona fans made the Manchester City supporters extremely anxious.
"Damn, they're trying to steal our player!"
"These guys are trying to poach from us!"
"Lin mustn't fall for it. Barca has bad intentions; don't go back!"
"Exactly, Barca already has Messi. If Lin goes back, how will they decide who the top player is?"
"Even if Messi agrees to step aside, can Barca's salary structure handle both their high wages?"
Manchester City fans comforted themselves with various reasons, but deep down, they were unsure of Lin Quan's decision. After all, Fabregas left Arsenal to return to Barca, even paying his own transfer fee. This showed how strong Barca's pull was for La Masia graduates.
Many eyes were on Lin Quan, waiting to see how he would respond. In the Camp Nou box, newly elected club president Laporta also watched Lin Quan with anticipation. He had promised Barca members to bring Lin Quan and Guardiola back.
Guardiola was relatively easier to bring back due to his deep affection for Barca and good relations with Laporta. Once his contract with Manchester City ended, Laporta was confident he could convince Guardiola to return. But Lin Quan was a different story. He had never played for Barca's first team and likely felt no attachment to the club. Moreover, Rosell's past actions probably left Lin Quan with a negative impression of Barca.
Lin Quan might reject Barca's call, which would be a significant blow to Laporta. If he couldn't fulfill his promise, disgruntled Barca fans might launch a no-confidence vote against him.
So, Laporta silently prayed, hoping Lin Quan would return to Barca.
Facing the fans' pleas, Lin Quan acted as if he hadn't heard them, making no response. Though he had let go of his hatred for Barca, he wasn't going to rush back at their beck and call. He wasn't Fabregas.
Furthermore, Barca had passed their peak. In Lin Quan's memory, after winning the Champions League in 2015, their performance declined yearly. With many Dream Team III veterans leaving, their strength diminished significantly.
Neymar, who once supported the team, left for PSG, feeling he wasn't respected or could become the main player at Barca. This departure severely hurt Barca, leaving them far from their former glory. Since 2017, Barca had mostly relied on Messi. The 2018-2019 season was Barca's last glimpse of greatness, with Messi carrying the team.
In the Champions League semi-finals that year, Messi led Barca to a 3-0 home victory against Klopp's Liverpool, raising hopes of reaching the final. However, at Anfield, Liverpool staged a miraculous 4-0 comeback, nullifying Barca's efforts.
Now, with Barca missing out on the Champions League, Lin Quan wondered if this would affect Neymar's potential transfer. Qatar seemed determined to sign a superstar this summer, possibly prying Neymar away.
Lin Quan believed Neymar, who chose to move to Saudi Arabia at his peak for money, might be tempted by PSG's offer. PSG was wealthier than even Manchester City, making it a likely move.
While Lin Quan pondered, he overlooked another football giant: Cristiano Ronaldo. As Spain played, Ronaldo, done with Portugal's European Championship qualifiers, returned home to meet his agent, Mendes.
"So, what's the news from Real Madrid?"
Upon meeting Mendes, Ronaldo didn't bother to hide his displeasure and immediately asked, "So, what did they say?"
The transfer window was about to open, and both Ronaldo and Real Madrid had grown impatient with each other due to their continued failure to win the Champions League. Since joining Real Madrid six years ago, Ronaldo hadn't even reached a Champions League final. In the early years, they were constantly overshadowed by Barcelona's Dream Team. Once Guardiola left and Barcelona's dominance waned, Manchester City emerged, shattering their dreams once again.
Now, Manchester City had won the Champions League for two consecutive years. With Guardiola at the helm, their strength only increased, and Lin Quan's rise made it seem impossible to defeat them. Under these circumstances, Ronaldo was reconsidering his future at Real Madrid.
Given their past cooperation and Real Madrid being one of the best options, Ronaldo wasn't opposed to staying. However, he wanted a pay raise, and Mendes was negotiating this on his behalf.
Ronaldo's attitude made Mendes frown. He sensed a growing distance between them, likely due to Ronaldo's dissatisfaction with how things had turned out since Mendes moved him from Manchester United to Real Madrid.
During his time at Manchester United, Ronaldo had won a Champions League title. But at Real Madrid, he had won nothing significant, and both his national team and club performances had been subpar. Moreover, Lin Quan's emergence led many to question whether Ronaldo deserved to be considered a top player alongside Lin Quan and Messi. This questioning made Ronaldo anxious and desperate to prove his worth.
Despite understanding Ronaldo's urgency and frustration, Mendes had to deliver the bad news. "Real Madrid refused our request to extend the contract early. They believe there's plenty of time left on your current deal, so there's no rush."
Mendes tried to soften the blow by using neutral terms, but Ronaldo still felt angered by Real Madrid's stance. His contract, signed last summer, paid him 17 million euros annually and was set to last until 2018, by which time he'd be 33 years old. Clubs typically don't offer big contracts to players over 30, and by then, Ronaldo would be unlikely to receive a significant pay raise.
Ronaldo snorted in discontent. Despite Mendes' diplomatic approach, he was furious with Real Madrid's attitude. He didn't want to waste his prime years at Real Madrid without winning titles and was considering a move to Paris Saint-Germain for a higher salary.
"Give them an ultimatum. If they refuse my demands, put me on the transfer list," Ronaldo demanded.
His request for a contract extension was partly to gauge Real Madrid's commitment to him and partly to create an exit strategy. If they wouldn't give him a raise, he'd force his way out.
While money wasn't Ronaldo's primary concern, his pride and reputation were at stake. Before 2013, he had been the highest-paid player in football. But Lin Quan's contract with Manchester City had dethroned him, and rumors suggested Messi's new contract with Barcelona would pay him 25 million euros annually, matching Lin Quan's salary.
For Ronaldo, who valued his status as the highest-paid player, falling behind both Lin Quan and Messi was unbearable. If he could win the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or, he might tolerate the lower salary. But without these accolades and without even a league title in three years, he couldn't stand staying at Real Madrid any longer.
Ronaldo wanted to move to a stronger club, but options were limited. The only clubs matching Real Madrid's stature were Manchester City, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich.
Manchester City and Barcelona were out of the question due to their established superstars, Lin Quan and Messi, respectively. Ronaldo's personality wouldn't allow him to play second fiddle, and neither club would want to disrupt their current stars' status. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, was a top-tier club with deep roots in European football. Under Heynckes, their attacking football had flourished, and they had come close to beating Manchester City in the Champions League semifinals.
Joining Bayern might give Ronaldo a chance to outshine Manchester City, but German clubs generally didn't offer high salaries. Even if Bayern were interested, Ronaldo would have to take a pay cut.
If salary was his main concern, Paris Saint-Germain was an option. They could easily offer 25 million euros or more annually, making them an attractive choice for Ronaldo.
(End of Chapter)