Millwall's recruitment efforts had become much easier now.
As a top-tier club, as long as they weren't targeting star players from rival big clubs or the key players of mid-tier teams, it wasn't that hard to sign players if they were truly determined.
Not only was the recruitment process smoother, but there was always an endless stream of recommendations flooding in from various sources.
Strong teams from second-tier leagues would also recommend their key stars. For example, Porto had recommended Jader for £25 million. The forward, who was the second-highest scorer in the Champions League last season after Henry, might or might not be worth that price, but Millwall's forward line certainly didn't have space for him.
Aldrich liked young players—that was no secret. It wasn't just European football; even South America would send over players to be recommended, though the numbers were few due to work permit restrictions.
But today, Aldrich had a list from the club's transfer department, which had been filtered and handed over to him.
Flamengo had recommended a player to Millwall, asking for £8 million.
The player was 18 years old, Brazilian, and played as a forward.
In their spare time, the coaching staff would casually watch videos of players recommended by agents or clubs.
After watching this player's footage, everyone had an immediate impression: £8 million might actually be a good deal.
This man is called Adriano, the future king of the Meazza!
Adriano had just joined Flamengo this year and quickly made a name for himself. The Brazilian league had started in April, and by the halfway point of the season, this young guy had already scored seven goals. For an 18-year-old debuting in Brazil's top league, this was enough to make a remarkable impression.
His physical talent ensured he had enough of an edge in confrontations, meeting the tough standards of the Premier League. He had already achieved that by 18.
And from watching his footage, his technical ability was also impressive.
Aldrich sighed softly to himself and rejected Flamengo's recommendation.
Was £8 million for Adriano a good deal? Absolutely!
But he didn't want him. He didn't want to add more South American players, especially Brazilians, to the squad, since they already had Ronaldinho. He was genuinely concerned that if Adriano came here, he and Ronaldinho would become too close, forming a bond that could be troublesome. That would not be a good omen.
Ten years later, Adriano would fall from grace, forgotten by many.
But in the original timeline, six years later, after the World Cup, Manchester United and Inter Milan would have a secret meeting regarding a potential transfer. The buyer was Manchester United, and their target was Adriano. Manchester United offered £60 million plus a star player from their squad—Cristiano Ronaldo!
Moratti rejected the offer...
It couldn't be said that Adriano was worth more than Cristiano Ronaldo at that time, but by then, Ronaldo had become a public enemy in England.
If there was one Brazilian player Aldrich truly wanted now, it would be one name: Kaká!
Unfortunately, even though Andrew had been instructed by Aldrich to reach out to Kaká, the young star's family wasn't enthusiastic. Coming from a middle-class background, they lived comfortably and weren't in a rush to send Kaká to Europe, even though joining European football was a must for South American stars in that era. However, Millwall couldn't guarantee him a first-team spot, and various factors led Aldrich to sigh in resignation.
Most of the other players recommended by clubs were outright rejected by Aldrich, but there were some that worked out.
This summer, Groningen had signed a highly talented young player.
16-year-old Arjen Robben.
Robben had never entered the mainstream youth academies of the top three Dutch clubs, which gave him a bit of a wild, unpolished edge. He honed his skills on his own, and that's how he came up. Afterward, he joined Groningen's youth system, where his unique talent stood out. His teammates couldn't keep up with his pace and skill level, and naturally, he became even more of an individual.
Teams are the mainstream, but there are always individuals who can rival an entire team, heroes who fight alone. Countless such figures have risen to fame after succeeding, only to be forgotten and ridiculed after failure.
Robben stood out as a lone warrior in his age group competitions. When he managed to net 10 goals in a single match all by himself, what was the response from the outside world?
A prodigy!
It's that simple. No one would accuse him of being too individualistic, lacking tactical discipline, or ignoring team cooperation.
Robben entered the first team of Groningen from their youth academy, but before he even played his first official match, the club realized they would not be able to keep this talent for long.
To avoid a situation like when Millwall picked up Van der Meyde from Ajax for free, Groningen smartly recommended the player directly to Millwall.
Robben had no objection to the transfer. Why stay in Groningen? Let's be realistic. A Dutch talent's goal is to conquer Europe, not dominate Dutch football. If a Dutch genius can't leave the country, it can only mean one thing: that talent has been lost, like the tragic story of a fallen star.
Groningen made everything public, and since Robben had a contract, he was safe for the time being. This meant that if other clubs wanted him, they would have to compete for him. If anyone tried to contact the player privately, it would be a disgrace, and Groningen could take the matter to UEFA or even FIFA.
With Robben not having played an official match, other clubs were still watching from the sidelines.
Are there many Dutch talents? Certainly.
But will a 16-year-old talent still be a talent 10 years from now?
Who knows?
No club would easily bet on a 16-year-old player, especially without top-tier league experience.
Millwall was one that dared.
Groningen's asking price was £10 million.
Millwall paid £200 initially, with the agreement that Robben would continue playing for Groningen for two years. After two years, at age 18, Robben would transfer to Millwall, who would then pay another £6 million.
Groningen and Millwall reached a deal that many in European football would consider quite odd.
Millwall is paying a deposit before even finalizing the purchase of the player?
Curiously, it wasn't Groningen who seemed most eager about the deal, but Robben's father, Hans. He is also Robben's agent and made the trip to London specifically for this.
At first, Millwall's offer was to buy Robben outright and then loan him back to Groningen for two years.
However, the deal collapsed when Hans was unhappy with the terms Millwall offered in the contract.
In recent years, Millwall's first-team salaries had soared, but the youth team's wages had been steadily dropping. This wasn't a case where a player's salary went from £500 a week to £300 in the next contract. Back when Aldrich was luring talents with English pounds, they could offer £1,000, £3,000, or even more a week.
Now, Millwall's youth team players, at 16, earned as little as £50 a week, with the highest being just £300.
Millwall offered Robben £600 a week, which was considered a good salary for the entire 16-year-old youth team.
The club couldn't give a high salary to a player who hadn't even played in a professional league, which in this case didn't mean just top-tier leagues.
Millwall used to be a small club, with just a few players. Everyone got roughly the same treatment, so it wasn't an issue.
But now it's different. The youth team has over 100 players, which creates a wage system issue, reflecting the team's standing.
The rule in football is to prove yourself first, and then earn rewards that match your performance.
Hans rejected Millwall's contract but still hoped Robben would play for Millwall in the future. At Millwall, he would gain fame faster and earn more, after all, Millwall was one of the most prominent teams in Europe.
Thus, the agreement with a deposit and buyout was formed.
Hans' plan was to have Robben stay in Groningen for two years, gain some solid experience in professional football, and then renegotiate with Millwall. By that time, they would be in a stronger position. Would Millwall still dare to offer him a £600-a-week salary?
For Groningen to secure the remaining £6 million and avoid returning the £2 million advance from Millwall, they faced two critical objectives over the next two years. First, they had to ensure Robben's progress was significant enough to keep Millwall interested. If Millwall opted out after two years, the £2 million would effectively be a free bonus for Groningen. Second, if Millwall retained their interest, Robben's transfer had to go through, or another club needed to bid more than £10 million. In the latter case, Groningen could repay £2 million to Millwall and still earn a hefty £8 million profit, avoiding any hidden losses from the deal.
The night before Millwall was about to leave for their pre-season training in Asia, Aldrich had already finalized the list of summer signings and handed it over to the club's transfer department.
13-year-old Joe Hart, 15-year-old Glen Johnson, and Leighton Baines were all discovered during the Millwall Charity Shield.
Aldrich also instructed the club to focus on scouting a promising young player from Everton's youth academy in Merseyside, a chubby kid from a poor family. His entire family were die-hard Everton supporters, and Aldrich had the club prepare a contract with a £500-a-week wage, which would rise to £1,000 a week once the player turned 16.
For middle-class families, this amount might seem trivial.
But for a family in poverty, the annual income of over £10,000 was a huge deal—it could change a lot, really.
This chubby kid was Wayne Rooney.
Millwall moved quickly to seal a deal with Ligue 2 side Le Havre for Sinama-Pongolle's transfer. As Pongolle was still under 16, the club agreed to a £2 million buyout fee with Le Havre. Pongolle would stay with his current team until he reached adulthood, with the transfer set to take effect during the first transfer window after his 18th birthday.
Late that night, Aldrich was about to call it a day. His new house was still under renovation, so he was still living in the community apartment. He expected to move into his new home by September.
Ding dong.
The doorbell rang.
He walked downstairs to open the door and found Henry standing outside.
"Boss, sorry for disturbing you so late."
Henry had wanted to visit Aldrich two days ago, but Andrew suggested he wait a few days. The media storm around him had been intense, and it was better not to make an appearance—it would only amplify the negative press.
Millwall was about to depart for Asia the next day, and Henry had come tonight to clear the air with Aldrich.
Aldrich invited him inside, and as he went to pour some water, he casually remarked, "I already know what happened, Thierry. I'm glad you want to stay."
As Aldrich returned with the cup of water, Henry's face showed a bitter expression as he replied, "Boss, you're mistaken. It's not that I want to stay—I never even thought about leaving."
Aldrich placed the cup in front of Henry and sat down on the sofa, nodding thoughtfully.
He had to admit, Henry's words brought him both relief and excitement.
"Thierry, do you hate me for what I said?"
Aldrich wanted to clear the air, not leaving any lingering resentment.
Henry picked up the cup and said honestly, "I did feel a brief moment of anger and panic. But after calming down and understanding the situation, I think I can understand how you felt, boss. I'm sorry. My agent caused a lot of trouble for the club, and I take responsibility for it. Please accept my apology."
Aldrich arched an eyebrow, a sly smile on his face. "Do you need me to apologize?" he asked lightly.
Henry returned the smile. "Whatever you feel like," he said with a shrug.
Standing up straight, Aldrich leaned closer to Henry and said with a smirk, "Thierry, I'm not going to apologize because I'm speaking the truth. If you go to Juventus, you'll rot in Turin. You'll be destroying yourself. If you're determined to do that, I'd rather be the one to destroy you."
He lightly poked Henry's chest with his finger, his smile widening. "But you haven't thought of leaving, have you? That's good because deep down, you know it too. Stay here at Millwall with me, Thierry. Together, what kind of history could we create? You don't know, and neither do I. Because it might just be greater than anything we've ever dreamed of."
Henry placed a hand on his forehead, laughing softly as he lowered his head. Aldrich laughed too, his voice light and genuine.
Two men, a master and his disciple, had finally reconciled.