Chapter 469: Recommending Mbappé to Guardiola
After being rejected by two clubs consecutively, Barcelona realized that acquiring their desired players wasn't as easy as they had imagined. Therefore, they resorted to their traditional method—contacting the players privately and starting with them.
By convincing the players themselves to join the team, negotiating with the player's current club would become much easier. If the player is very eager to join Barcelona, they might even lower the transfer fee. In some cases, players with a strong desire to join Barcelona might even pay part of the transfer fee themselves.
However, times have changed, and Barcelona's allure isn't as strong as it used to be. Previously, many players they brought back were products of their own youth academy, such as Piqué and Fàbregas. But now, none of the players they are eyeing have come from La Masia.
Thus, playing the emotional card isn't very effective. To attract these players, Barcelona needs to promise better treatment and higher status within the team—tangible benefits. But offering such terms is challenging for Barcelona.
Most of the players they are interested in are the key players of their current clubs. If they were to transfer to Barcelona, their status would inevitably be secondary to Messi's and they could not replace Messi's position in the team. Not everyone is willing to play a supporting role, even if the person they are supporting is a football king.
Neymar's departure wasn't just because Paris Saint-Germain offered better conditions but also because he felt overshadowed by Messi at Barcelona, without receiving enough attention from the club, fans, and media. This dissatisfaction prompted him to move to PSG to become the main star and prove himself. Many young, talented players have similar thoughts and may not want to come to Barcelona to face such an ordeal.
Thus, Barcelona's strategy completely failed. After numerous attempts, very few players showed interest in joining Barcelona. The negotiations with the clubs weren't smooth either. It seemed that other teams had a common understanding, viewing Barcelona as a big spender and targeting their nearly 200 million euros of transfer funds, which they had from selling Neymar.
"Barcelona's recruitment seems to be going very poorly, doesn't it?"
Lin Quan and Guardiola, who were vacationing in Barcelona, kept a close eye on Barcelona's actions in the winter transfer market. They had anticipated that Barcelona would make significant moves, but they didn't expect them to be so eager. Submitting offers as soon as the transfer window opened only revealed their desperation, inviting other clubs to demand high prices.
"Yes, they're a bit too impatient and made their moves too early. The players they want are crucial to teams aiming for league titles, Champions League spots, and other major objectives. The selling clubs won't easily let go of their core players unless Barcelona offers significantly more than the market value to compensate for their loss."
If Barcelona were targeting young, promising players, it might have been easier since these players aren't as critical to their teams. However, Barcelona's targets were all key offensive players, and selling them would severely impact their teams' performances in the second half of the season.
"Just think how shortsighted Bayern's management was to sell Kroos during the winter break! It still infuriates me!"
Guardiola was exasperated. In his first season at Bayern, the club had sold Kroos to Manchester City for 50 million euros without his consent, which caught him off guard and contributed to their Champions League failure. Although Kroos wasn't the team's attacking core, his importance was undeniable. Losing him had significantly weakened Bayern's midfield.
"For a club as rich as Bayern, losing a non-core player like Kroos had a huge impact. Imagine what it's like for other clubs?"
"Haha, so you should actually thank Bayern's management. Without them, Manchester City's midfield wouldn't be as strong as it is now."
Lin Quan teased Guardiola, who laughed in response.
"Yeah, I should really thank those idiots at Bayern!"
Compared to Barcelona, Manchester City's winter transfer plans were much simpler. They aimed to strengthen their existing squad rather than making major changes, adding players to certain positions as backups. For instance, due to frequent injuries to David Silva and Agüero this season, Guardiola wanted to buy a substitute for them to avoid being left shorthanded during their absences.
For David Silva, Son Heung-min could cover his position. Although their roles and functions differed, Son's excellent performance had satisfied Guardiola. Therefore, buying a winger was optional, but a central forward was necessary. Currently, Jovetić and Iheanacho didn't meet Guardiola's standards.
These two had potential but not enough to become key players at Manchester City. They might secure starting positions at other clubs, but at City, they were only bench players with limited playing time and little chance of becoming regular starters in the future.
Guardiola wanted a substitute striker stronger than these two, and not too old, so they would have more value for development. There were many young talents in football, and Guardiola had several candidates in mind.
However, Neymar's transfer had caused a ripple effect that Guardiola hadn't anticipated. Clubs demanded exorbitant prices for the young players he was interested in after receiving City's offers, hoping to profit greatly.
"Ridiculous! Asking 40 million euros for a 19-year-old kid! They must be crazy!"
Guardiola was furious. He was only looking for a backup, and the player was just 19 years old. Even 30 million euros would be too much, but the club refused to budge from 40 million, displaying an attitude of take it or leave it.
"There's a term called inflation. Neymar and Pogba's transfers have stimulated the market, causing a new wave of spending and indirectly leading to a surge in player prices. The times have changed, and it's impossible to find cheap and good players like before!"
Lin Quan had foreseen this. Just like the rising cost of living in Europe, the transfer market's inflation was inevitable.
Furthermore, over the past few years, the broadcasting revenue for major leagues has increased significantly.
This increase in income has provided the major clubs with ample resources to engage in competitive spending.
"This is truly insane! If I had that much money, I'd rather buy a more immediately impactful player!"
Lin Quan agreed with Guardiola's sentiment, but they couldn't keep delaying the matter of a backup striker. With European players' prices skyrocketing, it was time to look for talent in overseas leagues.
"There's a young player named Jesus in the Brazilian league who is performing well. He could be a good option for the forward position. You should keep an eye on him."
Lin Quan remembered that Jesus was already on Manchester City's scouting list and would eventually transfer to Manchester City. Though not the perfect prototype for a center forward, he had considerable skill and would definitely be a solid backup. With time, they could further develop him and perhaps sell him for a profit later, or upgrade the team's forward lineup. Alternatively, they could use him for a few years until a top striker like Haaland matured to replace him.
"Brazilian league? Which team does he play for?" Guardiola vaguely recalled hearing about him before.
"Palmeiras. He was born in 1997, not yet 19 years old. If you bring him in as a backup, he probably won't complain!"
He wouldn't just not complain—joining a major European league is a dream come true for young players from the Brazilian league. And Manchester City, being recent Champions League winners, had a significant appeal in the overseas market. Many players were eager to join Manchester City because of its success and Guardiola's reputation.
Guardiola nodded in agreement. A younger player was better, being more adaptable and less likely to resist the coach's plans.
"By the way, there's another promising player in the French league. Are you interested?"
Thinking of Haaland, Lin Quan immediately thought of Haaland's future main competitor—Mbappé.
"Oh? What position does he play?"
"Winger!"
"Winger? What's his name?"
"Kylian Mbappé!"
On January 9th, during the 20th round of the French league, Monaco hosted Ajaccio. This match was relatively low-profile and didn't attract much attention. However, there were two unexpected guests in the stands: Manchester City's coach, Guardiola, and the team's star player, Lin Quan. With the Premier League ongoing and Manchester City having just finished a match, they were not there on vacation but to scout players.
"Is that the Mbappé you mentioned?"
From the stands, Guardiola perked up when he saw a young player on the sidelines in a Monaco jersey, ready to play.
"Yes, that's him!"
"This kid is so young! From his profile, he's only seventeen?"
"Yes, just turned seventeen, so he's only a substitute with very limited playing time."
Guardiola was puzzled, wondering if Lin Quan misunderstood his needs. He indeed wanted a backup striker, but not this young. A seventeen-year-old couldn't handle professional play at this level. Of course, Lin Quan was an exception, as he had shown promise from a very young age.
"You should watch his performance first before deciding. Besides, if you really want to buy him, Monaco might not let him go for less than 40 million; he's their treasure!"
Guardiola was surprised at Lin Quan's high regard for this player. Being Monaco's treasure meant the kid had potential, so he decided to watch and see.
Mbappé, just having turned seventeen, was still quite raw compared to his future self at twenty-five. He was still a bit frail, and his footwork was somewhat unrefined. However, he had one outstanding quality—speed.
"So fast!"
Seeing Mbappé sprint down the wing, leaving defenders in the dust, even a prepared Guardiola was astonished. He immediately thought of Thierry Henry, who had once ruled at Highbury. Although Guardiola had briefly coached Henry when he joined Barcelona, even at thirty, Henry's speed on the field was still impressive.
"Fast, isn't he?" Lin Quan smiled, seeing Guardiola's surprise.
"But speed isn't his only weapon. He has another skill that I'm not sure he'll showcase in this match."
"Oh? What's that? You've got me curious!"
Guardiola was excited. Speed was common among wingers, but it didn't necessarily make a great winger. However, with the right talent and skill development, speed could be a significant asset.
"His ability to change direction with the ball is very strong. It's his other secret weapon!"
Mbappé's technique wasn't exceptional, especially compared to his future Paris Saint-Germain teammates Neymar and Messi. But it didn't hinder him from being PSG's most threatening player because his strengths were so pronounced that they compensated for his weaknesses.
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