Aldrich sat quietly in the living room, his expression tinged with resignation.
Mourinho had left without a word of farewell.
Their conversation had seemingly ended on a sour note.
As someone with experience, Aldrich understood. For Mourinho, this was his first head coaching role at a club. The last thing he'd want to hear was doubt about his decisions.
Mourinho was savoring the authority of being a head coach. Perhaps, on his way to negotiate, he had been brimming with enthusiasm.
That was why Aldrich had initially avoided delving deeply into the reasons behind his decisions.
Yet Mourinho insisted on listening. Unsatisfied with what he heard? Who could be blamed?
Aldrich had simply spoken the truth. He couldn't hand over a player just because it was Mourinho, the future world-renowned coach.
The future was the future; the present was the present. Circumstances were clearly different.
Aldrich bore responsibility for the players. Loaning decisions required the utmost caution. Mourinho's early coaching career didn't start smoothly—he didn't even last long at Benfica. Handing Viana over to him would have been downright irresponsible.
Setting Mourinho aside, Aldrich turned his attention back to the list Nagy had provided.
The document detailed recommended players for transfer or loan. For those suggested for loan, Nagy and his team had also compiled suitable clubs based on each player's characteristics and the target clubs' situations.
The summer transfer window was never a quiet time in football, and it was even less so for a major club.
While Henry's transfer saga remained unresolved, Millwall had internally received new transfer requests from players.
"How much did Manchester United offer? Two million? Ha! Tell them it's five million, and we'll talk."
Aldrich was managing transfers from home. Youth team defender Richardson had submitted a transfer request, and United had quickly followed with a £2 million bid. Clearly, some backdoor dealings had already taken place.
Richardson, just 17, had only joined the club last year. Selling him for £2 million was already a significant profit.
Given that United desperately needed defenders, Aldrich guessed Ferguson was eager to secure promising young talents to seamlessly integrate into the first team in the future.
Millwall, however, had no shortage of young defensive talents. Compared to Richardson, Mexès and Lescott exhibited far greater potential.
Perhaps it was Richardson's status as a homegrown player or United's hesitance to invest heavily in unproven talents. If they were bidding for Mexès, a defender already capped by France's youth teams, they'd need to start at £5 million—anything less would be an insult.
Within two days, Richardson's transfer to Manchester United was finalized for £3.5 million.
On the same day, Wenger called Aldrich.
The Professor had his eye on Millwall's youth players.
With Seaman aging, Arsenal was scouting for his successor. They'd set their sights on Millwall's third-choice goalkeeper, Richard Wright—a player who had never featured in a senior match for the club.
Wright had been with Millwall for six years, progressing through youth and reserve teams. While he contributed to the youth team and reserve squads' impressive records, he had never been expected to shine in the first team.
He had even been the goalkeeper for England's U21 national team in earlier years.
Despite these achievements, Aldrich never placed high hopes on Wright. With Butt, only 26, anchoring the position, there was no urgent need to groom a successor.
Arsenal, however, seemed confident in Millwall's reputation for producing quality players. Wright's age suggested that, if he could step into Seaman's shoes, Arsenal wouldn't need to worry about the position for another decade.
Wenger wasn't stingy, offering £3 million—a generous bid for a goalkeeper who had never played top-flight football.
Wright wasn't the only target, though. Wenger was also interested in Jeffers, a 19-year-old forward who had been listed for transfer.
The coaching team believed Jeffers lacked a future at Millwall. At 19, despite his talent and potential, failing to secure a place in the top flight soon could spell the end of his career at that level. Loan moves didn't appeal to Jeffers anymore, so a sale was the only option.
In their phone conversation, Aldrich and Wenger struck a deal: Wright and Jeffers, a package deal to Arsenal for £8 million.
No sooner had Arsenal departed than their fiercest rivals came knocking on Millwall's transfer door.
Tottenham Hotspur made an offer that Millwall simply couldn't refuse: £8 million for Ledley King.
Aldrich hesitated for a moment before deciding to let him go. The center-back position in the first team had no shortage of options. With Christoph Metzelder and Andrea Barzagli as backups and the ever-reliable versatile Neil willing to play wherever needed, there was no reason to overcrowd the squad. For King's age, £8 million was a solid deal.
Elsewhere, Matthew Taylor transferred to Portsmouth for £1 million, and German midfielder Balitsch returned to the Bundesliga, joining Bayer Leverkusen for £3 million.
In the closing stages of the transfer window, Aldrich struck a significant deal with Robson. Jermaine Jenas, Scott Parker, and Kevin Nolan were sold as a package to Newcastle United. The Magpies paid £12 million upfront with additional performance-based clauses that could bring the total to £16 million.
Robson, having stabilized Newcastle last season, now had higher ambitions. While picking up Millwall's surplus players might seem unremarkable, context matters. Leeds United's big-spending spree last season earned them a spot in the Champions League qualifiers. Millwall's cast-offs weren't necessarily bargain-bin quality—they just didn't fit the current team's plans.
These young players in their early 20s had limited chances to shine at Millwall. The first team already had equally young but more talented prospects. Waiting for their turn here would only waste their potential.
Before leaving, players like Parker and Jenas paid a visit to Aldrich to bid him a heartfelt farewell. They didn't hold grudges against the club for selling them. Millwall had always emphasized character alongside talent. For these players, their lack of success in internal competition meant they had to find opportunities elsewhere.
With gratitude, they listened to Aldrich's final advice: focus on the game, give their best on the pitch, and remember that success could be found anywhere. Though Aldrich's words were simple, they carried weight, leaving a lasting impression on them.
With the sales concluded, Millwall took stock. Without spending a penny on incoming transfers, the club had brought in nearly £80 million this summer.
Andy van der Meyde: £15 million.Claude Makélélé: £28 million.Youth and reserve players: £35.5 million, with an additional £4 million in performance-related add-ons.
As summer training camp loomed, the transfer market was in full swing. Most clubs had already secured their targets, leaving minimal room for surprises. For those without deep pockets, renting players was often the only way to make last-minute adjustments.
Millwall's first-team roster remained unsettled, with Aldrich struggling to convince two players to stay on as substitutes: Joaquín and Vicente, Spain's "Angels on the Wings."
The pair weren't eager to leave Millwall but craved more playing time, especially in high-stakes matches.
Meanwhile, Valencia, the team Millwall had defeated in the Champions League final, was experiencing a seismic shift.
Valencia, known for boasting one of Europe's best midfield partnerships, was now facing the inevitable fate of being dismantled. Like Millwall before them, clubs at their level often saw their brightest stars plucked away after making a name for themselves.
López transferred to Lazio for $32 million.
Gerard, who had initially joined Valencia from Barcelona for almost nothing, was recalled by Barcelona, netting Valencia a profit of $24 million over three years. Meanwhile, Moratti secured Farinós from the Mestalla for $18 million.
Valencia's midfield—once considered among the best in Europe and the backbone of their counter-attacking system—was now gutted.
Flush with cash, Valencia sought reinforcements and submitted a £20 million bid to Millwall for Vicente and Joaquín. When this was rejected, they upped the offer by £4 million, bringing it to £24 million, but Millwall remained firm.
As the preseason loomed, Valencia coach Héctor Cúper, faced with limited options, urged the club to explore loan deals instead.
Vicente and Joaquín had little interest in a permanent transfer. Valencia's reputation as a stepping-stone club—where stars were often sold off—wasn't appealing. However, a loan move seemed different. Valencia had finished third in La Liga last season and would compete in the Champions League. The two players saw an opportunity to develop their skills and return to Millwall stronger, ready to vie for their place.
After consulting with his coaching staff, Aldrich agreed to the loan requests. With the players recently having signed contract extensions, there was little risk of them not returning.
Simultaneously, Millwall continued loaning out players from their reserve team. The likes of Carrick, Squillaci, Drogba, Mexès, Hangeland, Crouch, Defoe, Viana, and Evra were sent to clubs across various leagues. While most remained in France or England, a handful ventured to the Netherlands.
With these arrangements finalized, Aldrich barely had time to breathe before the club's summer training camp and transfer activities took center stage.
Having retained their key players, except for the departed Makelele—whose position was naturally filled by Gattuso—Millwall's transfer strategy was straightforward. Their focus was on contract renewals. While they lagged behind in acquiring new players, this was no concern. Millwall rarely competed for established stars in bidding wars. Their priority was on identifying future talents and avoiding the frenzy over current household names.
Tomorrow marked the start of Millwall's preseason preparations. Players were set to return from their vacations, except for those who had participated in the European Championship knockout rounds. These individuals had been granted extended leave.
Unexpectedly, Aldrich received a call from Adam that day.
"Boss, Florentino Pérez, the new president of Real Madrid, is in London. He's invited you to dinner tonight at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant."