"I had already guessed that you would treat me to dinner."
In Alder Ridge, the same restaurant where Gao Shen invited Ferguson to dinner last time, Gao Shen met the Manchester United coach again.
He seemed to be in good spirits and didn't look like he was suffering at all.
In the season that just ended, Manchester United came up empty-handed.
"How did you guess it?" Gao Shen asked directly without being polite.
Ferguson burst out laughing, as if he were watching a Tathagata watching Sun Wukong do somersaults, "I've guessed from the beginning that these tricks of yours are not new at all."
Speaking of this, Ferguson was confident.
"Blow, just keep blowing." Gao Shen didn't believe it even to death.
"Is that Guardian reporter outside Old Trafford a friend of yours?" Ferguson asked, changing the subject.
Gao Shen shook his head, "I don't know."
His attitude was very sincere and confident, because he really didn't know her and it wasn't arranged by him.
"If he's not your friend, it must have something to do with you." Ferguson doesn't care, he is yours anyway.
In fact, Gao Shen took the initiative to invite him to dinner, which is the best proof in itself.
From beginning to end, it's an operation.
There are not too many things like this, it can even be said that they happen all the time.
It’s not like Ferguson himself has never fallen into this trap and suffered such losses.
Some of them were eaten by him on his own initiative, which was regarded as a transition of benefits, while others were eaten by him unluckily and taught him a lesson.
"To be honest, I think the one I regret the most right now is Ken Bates." When Ferguson said this, he couldn't help laughing. "That old guy spent his whole life scheming others, and was as shrewd as a ghost. In the end, he was plotted by you.
Already."
"Stop it!" Gao Shen quickly waved his hand, "I have no plans against Ken Bates."
"Then you admit to plotting against Queens Park Rangers?"
"I didn't, don't accuse me wrongly."
"Sometimes, I really wonder how the brains of those rich people grow? How come they think they can play so well despite being in a field that I'm not familiar with at all?" Ferguson said he couldn't understand.
Just like Tony Fernandez.
There is nothing wrong with investing in Queens Park Rangers. The purchase price was high and the Italians made money, so that's right. After all, they are now a newly promoted team from the Premier League and their worth is extraordinary.
But the problem is, after taking over the club, he invited a Datuk's son to manage the team, and then continued to hand over the team to an Indian son-in-law. Didn't he ever think that something would happen?
Poaching people and burning money all require basic laws.
In European football, there are many examples of people who do not know what is going on and go bankrupt.
Why are they so confident?
Gao Shen also couldn't understand, because in the next few years, many Chinese rich people will go abroad to engage in football.
Maybe what the rich see is not the losses from running the club, but something else.
Who knows?
Anyway, Gao Shen himself has no money.
"This time I sold Jonathan Howson and made 10 million pounds. It only cost 15 million pounds to acquire Leeds United..."
"It's thirty million pounds." Gao Shen corrected.
"Okay, thirty million pounds, that's worth it, okay?"
Gao Shen smiled, but did not object to this statement.
To some extent, it is indeed worth it.
But the problem is that it took him, Fernando Lucas and others several months of operation to barely sell Jonathan Howson for a high price of 10 million pounds. It is not easy no matter how you look at it?
Besides, Jonathan Howson's performance in the British Championship last season was indeed outstanding and remarkable. Otherwise, teams such as Queens Park Rangers and Norwich City are not stupid. How could they pay this price?
It's like Schmeichel, who has been famous for many years. Now that Gao Shen has made a price for Tottenham, Tottenham still have to be careful and cautious. Is it easy?
However, Ferguson is right, the most important thing is that Queens Park Rangers happened to encounter a swindled boss.
"To be honest, I really don't understand your transfer operation this year." Ferguson raised his head and looked at Gao Shen and asked.
"Is there anything else you can't understand?" Gao Shen didn't believe it.
Ferguson smiled and said, "I don't understand why you are specifically targeting relegated teams to poach them?"
"Cheap and cost-effective." Gao Shen explained.
Many teams have relegation clauses when signing contracts with players.
Moreover, generally speaking, after a team is relegated, its income will drop sharply, which requires them to sell players in exchange for funds.
Therefore, Gao Shen is right, poaching from relegated teams is really cost-effective and cheap.
But the premise is that you must be able to dig out real gold like Gao Shen.
"Then how are you sure that they can all succeed?" Ferguson asked.
Gao Shen shook his head, "I'm not sure. I think someone like Paulinho is pretty good, but his worth is also high, 1.5 million euros. I still feel bad for him."
"The Brazilian midfielder?"
Gao Shen nodded.
"Is it strong?"
"Let's open a blind box." Gao Shen said with a smile, "How about you give me Lingard and I'll sell you for 20 million pounds within two years?"
Ferguson was really stunned.
With his understanding of Gao Shen, he certainly knew that Gao Shen would never be aimless.
Is that Brazilian midfielder really that strong?
But soon, Ferguson let out a heavy breath.
He believed Gao Shen's words, but this was no longer something he could decide.
In today's Manchester United, his power is constantly being weakened.
On the one hand it's because of my grades, and on the other hand it's because of my age.
Everyone knows that Ferguson is almost 70 years old. How long can he last on the front line?
"You don't look like a good person, I won't be fooled by you!" Ferguson laughed.
But he felt quite uncomfortable in his heart.
If he had caught up in earlier years, he would have agreed directly and even had to get Gao Shen to sign the agreement.
Why?
Because the people Gao Shen really likes are generally not bad.
…
As the two of them were eating, the topic naturally turned to Leeds United.
At present, the outside world does not have a high evaluation of Leeds United's transfer operation. Even after selling Jonathan Howson at a high price, the White Rose's situation has become even more worrying.
After all, the higher the player's worth, the greater his role and contribution to the team, not to mention that he is a national brand.
More importantly, Gao Shen seems to be specifically targeting relegated teams, which is a bit outrageous.
Gao Shen said this was purely coincidental.
"Just wait and see, there's more." Gao Shen said that he was also speechless.
He actually didn't want this to happen, but it happened to be a coincidence. What could he do?
"What's more? You're not really looking at the relegated teams in various countries to poach, are you?" Ferguson also thought it was really exaggerated.
But Gao Shen said helplessly that I didn't mean to do it.
The Championship and the Premier League are different.
The Premier League has only 20 teams and plays 38 rounds, but the English Championship has 24 teams and plays 46 rounds. Plus the League Cup and FA Cup, the game field is larger than the Premier League.
This provides a certain guarantee for the thickness of Leeds United's lineup.
However, Ferguson also brought good news, that is, Manchester United has agreed to Leeds United's offer for Paul Pogba.
Although Pogba is indeed talented and talented, his net worth is not high, only one million pounds.
The most important thing is that there is only one year left on his contract, and Manchester United cannot promise to give him a starting position. As a result, he does not want to renew the contract now, so Manchester United is willing to sell it at such a price.
Two years ago, they lured Pogba from Le Havre, France to Manchester for a compensation of 87,000 pounds. Now he sold it to Leeds United for 1 million pounds. Manchester United made nearly a million pounds.
Why not?
"Thank you!" Gao Shen picked up the boiling water glass and bumped it with Ferguson's red wine glass.
Lafayette is still true to his word.
Of course, this deal is not actually a loss for Manchester United now.
After all, the Red Devils have never focused on cultivating young players, especially as competition in the Premier League becomes increasingly fierce, it is even more difficult to train young players.
"You have to find a way to convince him to join Leeds United, but I believe that if you come forward, it will not be a big problem, and I also very much look forward to him being able to play and have the opportunity to return to Manchester United in the future." Ferguson said full of hope.
Perhaps, this can be regarded as his selfishness.
After all, he was the one who personally went to France to convince Pogba's family, so he naturally hoped that the French midfielder could be played.
"Don't worry." Gao Shen nodded.
"Well, ten million pounds is in my hand. It's not even warm yet, and it's all gone in one go."
Hearing Gao Shen's muttering, Ferguson became happy, "You specialize in copying the results of relegated teams, why did you spend so much money?"
"Old Jazz, you don't know how expensive it is. It cost me two to three million pounds just to renovate that training base. You have never seen such a bad ground. It doesn't even have geothermal heat. The football field in northern England is so expensive."
Team, there is no geothermal heat, can you believe it?"
Hearing the profound complaints, Ferguson got excited.
"It was not the base camp of Leeds United originally. They just wanted to make a transition there. Who knows..."
Yes, if you make a transition, you will transition yourself.
"Two days ago, after a comprehensive evaluation, the Elland Road stadium planned to carry out minor renovations, launch some small stations and shops to serve fans, and increase some match day income. As a result, the budget was submitted, and it was more than one million pounds.
.”
Ferguson was even happier and even drank two more glasses of wine.
In fact, running a club is like this, you need to spend money everywhere.
Not to mention 10 million pounds, even 30 to 50 million pounds, if you don't plan carefully, you will be squandered and you will be completely broke in a short time.
Therefore, over the years, most of the rich people who have rushed into European football have been fooled into a mess, and finally left the game in disgrace, leaving behind the rumor that a European football club does not make money.
But what about actually?
If we really didn’t make money, would there be so many people coming in one after another?
Professional football is an industry. This industry, like other industries, has some industry rules and thresholds. Some people make money, and naturally some people lose money.
So far, Gao Shen has definitely not made any money, but it is not a loss, but as long as the team can continue to operate steadily, even be promoted to the Premier League and successfully avoid relegation, then his current investment will be nothing at all.
He has had such confidence since he decided to acquire Leeds United!
