I sat in my office with Luis Gonçalves, our Sporting Director, as we prepared for one of the most important discussions of the season. Luis, whom I had brought on board from Shakhtar Donetsk, was here to help steer the club in a bold new direction. The task ahead was clear: rebuild the squad into a competitive force capable of meeting our ambitions.
I started the conversation by laying out the framework for the transfer window. "We have a transfer budget of £150 million for the season," I said, leaning forward in my chair. "That doesn't include the transfer of Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace, which is already in motion. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the current squad, Luis. How many players do you advice me to keep, and which positions do you think need urgent reinforcements?"
Luis took a moment to gather his thoughts before replying. His expression was serious, reflecting the weight of the decisions we were about to make. "To be honest," he said, "we need a big overhaul. A lot of the players in the squad right now aren't good enough for where we want to go. I'll provide a list of those I think should leave, but we need reinforcements in almost every area. Specifically, we'll need a backup goalkeeper, two left-backs, one right-back, two center-backs, at least two central midfielders, two attacking midfielders, three wingers, and one or two strikers."
Hearing the extent of the changes required didn't surprise me, but it did make the challenge ahead feel very real. "Alright," I said with a nod. "That's a big shopping list, but we'll do our best to deliver. Before we dive into new targets, though, take a look at the document in front of you. We've already secured several signings."
Luis picked up the document and began reading through the list of players we had brought in. His face quickly shifted to one of pleasant surprise. The names included Dani Carvajal from Bayer Leverkusen for £6.5 million, Virgil van Dijk from FC Groningen for £2.5 million, Joshua Kimmich from VfB Stuttgart for £1 million, Kingsley Coman from PSG for £3.5 million, Leroy Sané from Schalke for £800,000, Riyad Mahrez from Le Havre for £500,000, Gianluigi Donnarumma from ASD Club Napoli for £250,000, Ousmane Dembélé from Rennes for £800,000, and Kylian Mbappé from Clairefontaine for just £100,000. The total came to an incredible £15.95 million.
"This is impressive," Luis said, his tone brighter now. "Some of these players can step right into the first team. With this group already secured, we won't need to focus on certain positions anymore. For example, we don't need a right-back or goalkeeper, and we can reduce the number of center-backs we're targeting. The wingers are sorted, too. This means we can focus on getting just one more center-back, some midfielders, and a striker."
I smiled, pleased to see Luis feeling optimistic. "That's great to hear. I've also been thinking about some high-profile players who could make a big impact. I'm considering Kroos, Eriksen, Özil, Kevin De Bruyne, Marquinhos, and Lewandowski. What do you think of those names?"
Luis raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed by the ambition behind the targets. "Kroos and Eriksen would be excellent additions," he said. "We'll also need someone with strong defensive qualities, so Marquinhos would make sense as well. As for Lewandowski, De Bruyne and Özil, signing them won't be easy, but they'd be incredible for the team."
I nodded, acknowledging the challenges. "I've already been thinking about how to approach the Lewandowski deal. My idea is to offer a swap deal—Van Persie plus cash. That might convince his club to let him go."
Luis thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "That could work," he said. "It's a solid plan, and I'm not opposed to it."
"Good," I replied. "I'll handle the Lewandowski deal personally. While I'm away, I'll send out our transfer team to work on the other targets. In the meantime, you can oversee the outgoing transfers. You'll have the full support of the staff to help you get it done."
With that, we wrapped up our meeting. As I left the office and headed home to prepare for my trip to Germany, I felt a mix of excitement and determination. The vision for the club's future was starting to come together. There was still a lot of work to do, but with a clear plan in place and Luis by my side, I was confident that we could turn this team into something truly special.