Chapter 411: Buying Inter Miami and Becoming Messi's Boss!
To avoid being bothered by various clubs, Lin Quan decided to leave Europe and go on vacation in North America. During his time there, he visited several companies he had invested in, listened to reports from professional managers, and invested additional funds in a few companies that had just gone public last year.
Lin Quan didn't need to oversee these investments personally as he had professionals handling them. For the time being, he didn't plan to sell these shares because their prices were expected to rise before the bubble in the internet sector burst. Besides internet companies, he also bought some shares of Tesla, owned by Elon Musk. At this time, Tesla's stock price was still relatively low, averaging just over $100 per share.
Lin Quan knew that once Tesla's Gigafactory in Shanghai was completed and operational, their stock price would soar to over $2300, even surpassing Apple's market value at one point. This, of course, was a bubble, so it was crucial to sell precisely at the peak. He didn't remember the exact peak price, so he set a sell target at $2000. When Tesla's stock hit that price, he instructed the institution managing his shares to sell them in batches.
Wall Street's financial institutions were highly advanced and offered excellent services, making these transactions hassle-free. However, the annual management fees were substantial. After handling his investments, Lin Quan visited some old friends. The Major League Soccer (MLS) season in the U.S. started early, from March to November, unlike the European leagues, attracting many fans during the European offseason.
In recent years, MLS teams had been importing numerous top players from Europe, mostly those nearing the end of their careers and looking to cash in. For MLS, having big-name players, regardless of their age, was beneficial. Without the pressure of relegation, teams primarily focused on making money rather than competing. These star players boosted ticket sales and merchandise, making it a lucrative strategy for club owners.
Many top European players had played in MLS, including legends like Pelé, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, David Beckham, Alessandro Nesta, and even current stars like Lin Quan's national teammate David Villa, clubmate Frank Lampard, Liverpool's legendary captain Steven Gerrard, Kaka, and Andrea Pirlo.
Lin Quan visited New York City FC, a club located in New York, where he had three friends: David Villa, Frank Lampard, and Andrea Pirlo. Except for Lampard, the other two had come here following Lin Quan's advice. Villa was the first player in the club's history. Yes, it was a club less than a year old!
On May 25 last year, with the cooperation of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour and the New York Yankees, a new football club was established and successfully joined MLS. To strengthen the new team, they aggressively signed players in the transfer market. David Villa, a World Cup champion, became New York City FC's first player, significantly boosting their profile. Following this success, they signed Lampard, who spent a year on loan at Manchester City. This summer, Pirlo joined from Juventus, further enhancing their strength. This season, they were determined to make a big impact.
"Wow, 18 goals in one season. You're still going strong!" Lin Quan was impressed by Villa's form. In his first year at MLS, Villa scored 18 goals in 30 appearances, a remarkable feat for a 33-year-old.
"Ha, the level here is a bit lower than in La Liga. The defensive pressure isn't as intense, so it might be easier for a poacher like me," Villa modestly replied, not overly proud of his achievement. Compared to the top European leagues, MLS was still far behind. His performance here wouldn't stand out as much in Europe.
"If that's the case, you could play here for a few more years. It's good to earn a bit more for your retirement," Lin Quan suggested, not asking about Villa's salary, but assuming it was probably higher than what he earned at Atlético Madrid.
"Yes, that's what I'm thinking too. But I also plan to learn some coaching skills and get a coaching license so I can work with the youth teams at Sporting Gijón after I retire, assuming they want someone of my mediocre level," Villa joked. He came from the youth academy at Sporting Gijón and played there for 11 years. Grateful for the club that discovered his talent and launched his career, Villa wanted to give back after his retirement.
"That sounds great. Who knows, maybe we'll meet on the pitch again someday," Lin Quan said enthusiastically, fully supporting Villa's decision. Spanish football places a strong emphasis on technique and tactics, making their players well-suited for coaching roles, especially top players like Villa.
Most well-known coaches in football were once professional players, even someone like Mourinho had played, albeit not very successfully. As they chatted, Lampard arrived, and Lin Quan greeted him warmly. The two had played together for a year at Manchester City, and although Lampard didn't get much playing time, he had impressed whenever he played, especially with his long-range shooting, which even Lin Quan admired.
After playing alongside Lin Quan for a year, Lampard was deeply impressed by his abilities. In all his years of playing, he had rarely seen anyone as talented as Lin Quan. Back when he was at Chelsea, facing Lin Quan's Manchester City felt like hitting a brick wall – tough and unyielding.
At that time, like many Chelsea players, Lampard was furious with Lin Quan. However, after being loaned to Manchester City and becoming Lin Quan's teammate, all he could say was, "This is amazing."
Having such a strong teammate made victory seem much easier. Last season, he won his second Champions League trophy, and it happened at the twilight of his career. Lampard couldn't help but sigh, thinking if Chelsea had recruited Lin Quan earlier, their journey to winning titles wouldn't have been so difficult.
After catching up with Lampard and Villa, Lin Quan planned to leave, but they informed him that there was a game the next day and invited him to stay and watch. Since he was already there, Lin Quan wanted to see firsthand the level of Major League Soccer (MLS), so he happily accepted their invitation.
New York City FC indeed resembled Manchester City. Their jerseys looked almost identical, with the same colors, so much so that if you didn't look closely, you might think it was Manchester City! Given that both clubs were owned by Sheikh Mansour, it was understandable.
According to Villa, Melbourne City FC in the Australian A-League was also under the City Football Group. He wondered if their jerseys were similarly designed.
Lin Quan intended to watch the game discreetly, but his fame didn't allow for that. Not long after sitting in the stands, fans around him recognized him. They quickly came over to take photos, shake hands, and ask for autographs.
Naturally, this commotion on the stands was soon caught by the cameras. When the camera focused on Lin Quan, the crowd erupted in cheers.
"It's Lin!"
"Oh my God, it really is him!"
"Lin? Where?"
Compared to the yet-to-start match, the fans' attention was completely drawn to Lin Quan. As the current top player in football, his presence overshadowed all the players on the field. For New York City FC fans, his attendance was a pleasant surprise.
They stood up and applauded, chanting Lin Quan's name in unison. Lin Quan had to stand up and wave, acknowledging their enthusiastic welcome.
Perhaps due to his old friend's presence, Villa performed exceptionally well in the match. Shortly after the start, he scored with a pass from a teammate. In the second half, after the opponent equalized, Villa stepped up again, scoring another goal to help New York City FC win 2-1 and defend their home ground successfully.
When Villa scored, Lin Quan, like a regular fan, joined the cheers, calling out Villa's name and applauding him. The camera crew captured this moment and displayed it on the big screen above the stadium.
Seeing Lin Quan enthusiastically cheering for him, Villa couldn't help but smile and gave a thumbs-up in Lin Quan's direction, responding to him from afar.
After leaving New York, Lin Quan headed to Florida, where he met another football legend—David Beckham.
"Lin, I'm planning to establish a football club and join MLS. Are you interested in joining?"
Beckham had invited Lin Quan last year, but at that time, details about the team's spot and location hadn't been finalized, so nothing came of it. Now that these issues were resolved, Beckham extended the invitation again.
Lin Quan found Beckham's offer intriguing. While owning a club wasn't as profitable as investing in internet companies, Beckham's club was set to make a significant impact in the future—they would sign Lionel Messi!
Yes, the club Beckham was planning to establish was Inter Miami. If Lin Quan invested in Inter Miami now, he would become the club owner, and when Messi joined, Messi would essentially be working for him. The idea was very tempting.
"Mr. Beckham, what do you need me to do?"
Lin Quan knew Beckham didn't lack money and had found partners. Establishing an MLS club didn't cost much. For example, the City Football Group only spent $100 million to set up New York City FC. Based on that, Inter Miami might cost just over $100 million. With Beckham and his partners' assets, money shouldn't be an issue. So, Lin Quan was curious about why Beckham was so keen on having him join.
"Hehe, don't you think having your name associated with us could save a lot on advertising?" Beckham said with a smile. He valued Lin Quan's massive influence in football. As the world's top player, winning back-to-back Premier League and Champions League titles, a World Cup, and numerous individual awards, Lin Quan's presence was unparalleled.
Though Beckham's fame was high, it had faded since his retirement. Unlike five years ago, his current influence wasn't as strong and would continue to decline as fans gradually forgot about retired stars. However, Lin Quan, still in his prime, had at least ten more years at the top, during which his influence and status would only grow.
Beckham offered generous terms, allowing Lin Quan to invest just $1-2 million to gain a 20% stake in the new team. Who could refuse such an offer?
Thus, Lin Quan happily agreed with Beckham, becoming one of the new club's owners.