Chapter 412: Lin Quan Signs Former Teammate Xavi
The population in Miami is quite diverse, with Mexicans, Cubans, and immigrants from various European countries all living together. This melting pot brings not only a rich cultural diversity but also an abundance of delicious food.
After finalizing things with Beckham, he, being a gracious host, took Lin Quan to a high-end restaurant for a meal. Enjoying Beckham's top-tier hospitality after receiving his benefits made Lin Quan feel a bit guilty, so he thought about contributing more money.
"Mr. Beckham, wouldn't this be a bit unfair? Should I invest a bit more to avoid causing any trouble with the other investors?"
"Don't worry, I'll handle the other partners. They will definitely be thrilled to have you on board!"
Despite Beckham's reassurances, Lin Quan insisted on investing more. Eventually, Beckham agreed, and Lin Quan invested an additional $25 million. This amount was just enough to cover the cost of purchasing a team slot in the MLS.
Back in 2007, when Beckham joined the LA Galaxy, he had an agreement with the MLS to secure a slot for an expansion team. This slot was valued at $25 million, a price Beckham earned through five years of service in the league.
Initially, Beckham and his partners planned for the new club's registered capital to be $100 million, with the total cost, including the slot, coming to $125 million. Now, with Lin Quan's additional investment, the total registered capital reached $150 million. Based on the agreed shares, Lin Quan ended up owning 35% of the shares, making him the largest shareholder of Inter Miami, on par with Beckham.
However, making a profit from football investments isn't usually expected. Beckham and his partners were involved out of love for the game, not for financial gain. Lin Quan shared this sentiment but knew that the club could be profitable in the future, at least not running at a loss.
Since this was now his club, Lin Quan, as the major investor, planned to use his foresight to recruit some talent.
"Do you have any plans for recruiting players for the new team?"
Given that Beckham had initiated the creation of Inter Miami, Lin Quan refrained from making any blind suggestions and first sought to understand Beckham's plans.
"I have some connections in the UK and know a few notable players. I plan to persuade them to join our team."
Having spent nearly a decade in North America, Beckham was well-versed in the local dynamics. His high-profile move to the LA Galaxy had greatly boosted the MLS's reputation, turning it into a prime destination for top-tier players looking to wind down their careers while still earning well.
Other teams followed the LA Galaxy's example, spending big to bring in star players, thus increasing their own profiles and leveraging the stars' fame to drive ticket and merchandise sales. This strategy was highly profitable and rarely led to losses. Unlike the major European leagues, the MLS has no relegation, so teams didn't have to worry about their investments going to waste if they performed poorly. Furthermore, the league's strict salary cap limits made it difficult to lose money.
However, this salary cap also presented challenges in recruiting new players. According to the MLS rules, in 2015, the salary cap for each team was $3.5 million. Note that this was the total salary cap for the entire team, not an individual player. With a squad of around 20-30 players, the average annual salary was less than $150,000.
For perspective, this annual salary was roughly equivalent to Lin Quan's daily earnings. To attract international stars, the league did provide some exemptions. Each team could have three designated players whose salaries wouldn't count towards the salary cap. Additionally, unlike European leagues, MLS players could be traded like commodities without their consent, similar to the NBA.
This policy had faced criticism, such as when Henry's teammate, Cooper, was traded without warning, which led Henry to criticize the MLS for its lack of respect for players. He argued that treating players as commodities would deter top talent from joining the league.
The main limitation on the MLS's competitive level was salary. Loosening or eliminating the salary cap would significantly increase the league's attractiveness to star players. Moreover, due to the low average salaries, most talented local players preferred to move to Europe, where even average players in the top leagues could earn much more.
Lin Quan remembered that in 2012, when he played for Werder Bremen, an average Bundesliga team, the average salary was over €1 million, more than ten times that of an MLS team. Given such a disparity, any decent player without a designated player spot would likely prefer to leave for Europe.
Beckham mentioned some names he planned to recruit, and as someone familiar with the Premier League, Lin Quan recognized many on the list.
Most of the players Beckham mentioned were stars in the Premier League, but many of them were past their prime. These players couldn't secure big contracts in the top European leagues and were likely looking to earn money overseas. They were relatively well-known and could attract fans while still being skilled enough to stand out in the MLS. Plus, since they were mostly free agents, signing them wouldn't require paying transfer fees, saving a lot of money.
However, after hearing Beckham's list, Lin Quan frowned. To him, these players didn't seem impressive enough. Their fame was modest, and many had been hyped up by the British media, which is known for exaggerating players' abilities. A player slightly better than average could be called a star, an ordinary star could be called a top player, and a top player could be called a superstar. But once these players left the UK, they often didn't live up to the hype. Few British players who moved abroad had made a significant impact. Even big names like Beckham and Michael Owen hadn't surpassed their best days.
Lin Quan had someone in mind who had far greater skill, experience, and influence than the players on Beckham's list.
"Mr. Beckham, you played midfield and were at Real Madrid. What do you think of Xavi's abilities?"
Beckham was momentarily taken aback. Wasn't this about recruiting new players? Why was Xavi being mentioned? How was Xavi? That didn't even need asking. At his peak, especially after Zidane retired, Xavi was arguably the best midfielder in the world. He had won two World Cups, two European Championships, one Confederations Cup, three Champions Leagues, seven La Liga titles, and 28 other trophies. His skill and influence were beyond question. Anyone familiar with football would acknowledge Xavi's greatness.
Wait, Xavi was Lin Quan's national teammate, and Lin had just seen Beckham's list. Could it be that Lin was suggesting...?
"You want to persuade Xavi to join us?"
Beckham realized Lin Quan was considering recruiting Xavi.
"Exactly. What do you think? Does it sound feasible?"
Lin Quan smiled.
Beckham laughed, "If we can get him, of course, it's feasible! It's Xavi! His international influence is immense!"
In Beckham's mind, apart from not being as handsome or tall as him, Xavi surpassed him in every other way. Recruiting Xavi would have an even greater impact than New York City's combination of Villa and Lampard. Villa and Lampard were great, but Xavi's status, skill, and achievements were on another level. Barca's success over the years had created a global fanbase for their stars. As a midfield maestro and key assistant to Messi, Xavi had a huge profile.
Even if Xavi's skills had declined with age, he would still dominate in the MLS. Compared to current international stars in the MLS, Xavi would instantly become the league's top attraction, drawing massive attention and significantly boosting Inter Miami's profile.
Lin Quan nodded. As a football fan, he knew how influential Xavi was.
"In that case, I'll call Xavi and see how he feels about it."
Lin Quan immediately called Xavi.
At that moment, Xavi was in Qatar, negotiating with Al Sadd SC.
"Mr. Xavi, if you join our club, we're willing to offer this amount."
The representative from Al Sadd held up one finger, indicating €10 million.
Xavi's last salary at Barca was €7.5 million, the fifth highest at the club, behind Messi, Neymar, Iniesta, and Suarez. Xavi could have renewed his contract for a pay raise, but he knew his performance was declining and didn't want to be a burden. Leaving would allow Barca to invest in nurturing new talent.
Barca's youth academy, La Masia, had produced many top players, including Xavi himself, Iniesta, Busquets, Pique, Fabregas, and, of course, Messi and Lin Quan, two superstars. This success made Barca and its fans believe that producing world-class players was almost guaranteed. With so many talented prospects joining La Masia, investing in the academy was a sound strategy.
Xavi wasn't ready to retire yet and wanted to play a few more years while earning some money. He chose the Qatar league because the Qatari people were heavily investing in football to promote the 2022 World Cup. Playing there meant he wouldn't face issues like Drogba's unpaid wages in China. Plus, Qatar wasn't far from Europe, making it easy for Xavi to travel back to Spain.
As Xavi was about to sign with Al Sadd, his phone rang.
"Sorry, let me take this call," Xavi said, recognizing Lin Quan's name on the caller ID. He smiled and excused himself.
"Of course, take your time," the Al Sadd representative replied, confident that Xavi was almost theirs. He began daydreaming about the bonus he would receive for signing such a high-profile player.
However, when Xavi returned, his first words shattered the representative's hopes.
"Sorry, Mr. Mohammed, but I can't sign with your club."
(End of the chapter)