Chapter 420: Major Powers Prepare, Arsenal Sets New Record
Unlike Kanté and Navas, who were about to leave, Milner did not visit Lin Quan. He had already decided to leave before the season ended. Like Navas, Milner wanted to leave because he couldn't secure a starting position. He wanted to join a team where he could be a starter.
Milner was a versatile player in Manchester City, capable of playing as a winger, midfielder, or full-back. Such players were highly valued by Guardiola. Last season, Milner played 49 games across all competitions, scoring 9 goals and providing 8 assists. His statistics were impressive, and his attendance was very high. However, most of these were as a substitute, with only a third of the matches as a starter.
When Guardiola learned that Milner had rejected Manchester City's contract extension and planned to leave, he sincerely tried to persuade him to stay. After a conversation, Guardiola realized that Milner had made up his mind and could not be retained. Milner was a very calm and intelligent player. He analyzed Manchester City's squad and knew the strength of players in each position. He realized that it would be difficult to secure a starting spot and would remain a super-sub. But this wasn't what he wanted; he wanted to be a starter and play in midfield, which Manchester City couldn't offer.
So, despite Manchester City's offer of a £160,000-per-week contract, Milner chose to reject it and accepted Liverpool's offer. His decision was not motivated by money, as Liverpool offered him only £125,000 per week, about a quarter less than Manchester City's offer. For a player with a clear career plan, Guardiola could only wish him well at Liverpool.
Milner's versatility and hard work made him a valuable asset, and his English nationality was a significant advantage in the Premier League. His free transfer to Liverpool was a huge gain for them. Klopp was very pleased with this signing, which went smoothly and gave him confidence in his future at Liverpool.
However, Liverpool was still weak, and all three lines of the team needed strengthening. After signing Milner to bolster the midfield, Liverpool began looking for suitable forwards and defenders. Soon, they signed Hoffenheim forward Firmino for €41 million. Klopp wanted to buy better players, but good forwards were hard to find. He wanted to sign Bayern's Lewandowski, but Bayern demanded €80 million, which Liverpool couldn't afford. So, they turned to smaller clubs like Hoffenheim.
After signing a forward, Liverpool still needed to strengthen their defense. Klopp eyed Manchester City's young defender Van Dijk, who performed well in the Premier League and Champions League, showing great potential. Klopp offered €35 million, but Guardiola rejected it outright, labeling Van Dijk as non-transferable. Guardiola had veto power over Manchester City's transfers, and if he didn't want to sell someone, they wouldn't leave, even if the player caused trouble. Van Dijk was happy at Manchester City and had no intention of leaving. With Demichelis retiring, Van Dijk had secured a starting spot, and the club was planning to offer him a new contract with a £150,000 weekly salary. For a 24-year-old player, this was very high, so Van Dijk was grateful and had no intention of leaving.
Liverpool's failed attempt to sign Van Dijk left Klopp disappointed, so he bought Southampton's right-back Clyne for €17 million. Clyne's offensive capabilities suited Klopp's attacking tactics. Klopp wanted to implement his attacking football style from Dortmund at Anfield. He also bought an 18-year-old defender, Joe Gomez, from Charlton for €5 million. Gomez had potential and could be a good investment for the future. Klopp, with his frugal habits, also signed a young forward from Burnley for €8.3 million.
Seeing Klopp's frugality, Liverpool's management gave him more money and signed Aston Villa's forward Benteke for €46.5 million. Klopp was furious: why didn't they provide the money earlier? With €87.5 million earlier, he could have signed Lewandowski from Bayern! Instead, the money was split, bringing in two forwards, one of whom Klopp didn't even want. Klopp believed that Benteke and Firmino combined couldn't match true top forwards like Suárez and Lewandowski. Nonetheless, Liverpool spent €120 million on new players this summer.
Compared to Liverpool, Manchester United was even more active in the transfer market this summer. They signed Pogba from Juventus for €89 million, Martial from Monaco for €60 million, and Depay from PSV for €35 million. They also signed Schneiderlin for €35 million and Darmian for €18 million. In total, Manchester United spent €260 million on transfers this summer. Even after accounting for player sales, their net expenditure was still €150 million. Since Ferguson's retirement, Manchester United had been spending heavily in the transfer market every year. If it weren't for their financial strength, other clubs would have gone bankrupt by now. Continuously spending large sums on transfers without improving the team's performance would be a great disservice to their fans and the club.
So, even after leaving Chelsea, Mourinho didn't feel any less pressure; if anything, it felt even greater.
"Cleaning up this mess at Manchester United isn't going to be easy," Mourinho muttered as he looked over his player list, rubbing his forehead.
Although a lot of money had been spent, he doubted this squad could beat Manchester City. Unlike Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City were fierce city rivals. Their derby matches were crucial, with neither side willing to lose.
Mourinho feared that if he led Manchester United to lose to City in the Manchester derby, he would be drowned in the criticism of Red Devils fans worldwide. This Manchester United wasn't the broken team of a decade later; during Ferguson's era, they had amassed a vast global fan base. Despite recent declines and losing some of their glory-hunting fans, United still held significant worldwide influence, far greater than the chaotic team of the subsequent decade. The fans hadn't lost hope yet; they still held high expectations for the team.
But what would it take to meet these expectations? Beating City? Winning the league? Or perhaps leading United to another Champions League triumph? Each of these goals was harder than the last, especially with City in the mix. Even achieving the first goal seemed nearly impossible.
Reflecting on Chelsea's collapse last season, Mourinho realized that beating City directly in their two matches would be crucial for winning the league. Even if they couldn't beat City, they mustn't lose to them. Last season, Chelsea was double-defeated by City, leading to a late-season tie that caused their downfall. Had Chelsea managed to avoid one of those losses, the season's outcome would have been entirely different.
Manchester City's home ground, the Etihad Stadium, was notoriously tough to play at. Mourinho had no expectations of winning there. He planned to adopt a defensive strategy during away games to avoid losing. At Old Trafford, he needed to fortify defenses even more to prevent a City victory. However, he wondered if parking the bus at home would get him booed by his own fans.
...
While other Premier League giants were splashing cash in the transfer market, Arsenal fans could only watch enviously. This summer, Wenger was exceptionally patient, making no signings as if he intended to save the money in the bank for interest. When journalists asked why he wasn't buying players, Wenger stated that the best players were already in his squad.
Wenger did have targets, including PSG's Cavani, Real Madrid's Benzema, and even City's Lin Quan. Arsenal needed a top striker to lead their attack, a fact well known to all. Since failing to sign Suárez last year, Wenger had scouted many forwards, but none joined due to various reasons.
Seeing Suárez's phenomenal performance at Barcelona last season made Wenger regret not budging on the £40 million fee and instead offering £40 million plus one pound. With Suárez's ability, he could have transformed Arsenal's attack. Although their midfield was strong, their frontline was lacking, which made Wenger desperate for a proven top striker.
Many top forwards were available: Cavani, Suárez, Lewandowski, Benzema, Higuaín. However, these players commanded high fees, starting at €70-80 million, a steep price for a frugal club like Arsenal. Reluctance to spend big led Arsenal to miss out on Higuaín and Suárez, watching them join other teams.
Wenger felt conflicted. Used to being thrifty, he found it hard to spend large sums. Yet, he knew at his age, his tenure at Arsenal was limited. He hoped to win another major title before retiring, not just the FA Cup or League Cup, but the Premier League or even the Champions League.
Without a super-strong squad, Arsenal had no chance at these titles. So, Wenger was torn: should he continue being thrifty, or go all out and spend Arsenal's savings on a top striker? He found out PSG's price for Cavani was €75 million, Real Madrid's for Benzema was €90 million, and Bayern's for Lewandowski was €85 million.
Any of these forwards could significantly boost Arsenal. However, their prices would shatter Arsenal's transfer record of €50 million. If these players failed to adapt to the Premier League, like Di María at United, Arsenal could suffer severe financial losses. Wenger's cautious nature made him hesitant to make such a big decision, and as the transfer window closed, Arsenal still hadn't signed anyone.
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