Chapter 101 Cut Hu Messi's Teammates! Su Luo Appointed Luxurious Lineup!
Union Berlin Office
Assistant coach Hofstadter hurried into the coach's office with a stack of materials. As soon as he opened the door, he suspected he had stepped into another world. The room was so smoky that he could barely see.
"Cough, cough! Can't you smoke without opening a window?" Hofstadter exclaimed.
"Uh, sorry, I forgot," Neuhaus, the head coach, replied.
Hofstadter quickly opened the window, feeling the fresh air clear his lungs. Otherwise, he genuinely feared they'd both get lung cancer.
Neuhaus and football director Shaffer sat there, cigarettes in hand, looking over player profiles with worried expressions. The ashtray on the coffee table overflowed with cigarette butts, and ashes scattered everywhere.
The reason for their concern was simple: the team seemed to be falling apart. Neuhaus had hoped to build on their championship success, make some key reinforcements, and strengthen the squad to compete on all fronts. But now, the starting lineup they had barely assembled was unraveling.
Fortunately, Su Luo had made it clear he wouldn't leave for Real Madrid, even with an annual salary offer of one billion. Without that assurance, Neuhaus would have been in despair.
"Is it true we can't keep Jack?" Neuhaus asked.
"Yes, I spoke with him personally. He's determined to return to England," Shaffer sighed.
"Then we'll be short on the left wing. Forsberg will have to move back to the left, giving up the wing corridor to the left-back. But this tactic demands too much from Laxalt," Neuhaus remarked.
"We don't have a choice. Any decent winger starts at over 30 million, and we can't afford that," Shaffer replied.
"How much did Manchester City offer for Grealish?" Neuhaus inquired.
"45 million pounds. Paris offered 50 million euros, but he won't go," Shaffer said.
"Alright, if he wants to leave, we can't keep him. We can use that 45 million pounds to buy someone useful," Neuhaus mused. "But we still need to fill the vacancies in midfield and right-back."
Neuhaus frowned, knowing Sabitzer and Terry Peel also wanted to leave. They were key players in the starting lineup. Relying solely on Naby Keita wouldn't be enough to cope with top competition. Bayern had already offered 15 million for Sabitzer, and Tottenham had raised their offer to 13.5 million, though it wasn't the 20 million the media speculated. Berlin United's championship win had increased these players' values by at least five times since they joined.
The problem was finding suitable replacements. Schaffer and Neuhaus discussed options for a long time, smoking the entire time, but they couldn't come to a solution.
"Wait!" Shaffer suddenly remembered something. "What about the list Su Luo gave us last time? He knows some sort of Oriental mystical divination. Maybe he can help us again?"
Su Luo's advanced list had saved the team when they first got promoted to the Bundesliga. Shaffer believed Su Luo had some magical divination skills.
Neuhaus shook his head with a wry smile. "Even if it's divination, it's Qimen Dunjia, not witchcraft."
Thanks to Su Luo, Neuhaus had some understanding of Chinese culture. This thought gave Neuhaus an idea: why not consult Su Luo again?
Without the funds for extensive scouting, Neuhaus figured Su Luo's insights could be invaluable. Su Luo was the core of the team, and his chosen teammates might complement him better.
Neuhaus quickly sent an email to Su Luo. "Su, can you help us see who's suitable? We'll concentrate resources on those players. Use your own judgment."
Su Luo couldn't help but laugh when he received the email. Neuhaus was addicted to this metaphysical selection process. The problem was, Su Luo did have some future knowledge, and he could predict trends. Although the butterfly effect might alter things, his insights still held some value.
Su Luo had returned to his home in Jiang Cheng a few days ago. Last year, he had bought a three-story mansion with a swimming pool and garden for his parents in the Long Island villa area on the northeast shore of Thomson Lake. He also gifted them a Bentley and a Rolls Royce. After months of decorating and settling in, his parents had moved into the mansion. His mother, Zhen Yuling, even started growing vegetables in the garden.
It was Su Luo's first time staying in his new home since he came back from vacation. He wouldn't stay long, as he needed to go to the capital for programs and commercial shoots. He'd also stop by to see Erica. It was afternoon in Berlin, and he was just about to go to bed when he received the email. Unable to sleep, he picked up his tablet to study the list drawn up by the coaching staff.
Su Luo didn't recognize most of the names on the list. He didn't have a detailed memory of the future, and many players were unfamiliar to him. However, a few candidates stood out.
With Sabitzer, Grealish, and Trippier leaving, the team needed a winger, a right back who could attack and defend well, and a midfielder. One name on the list fit perfectly as a holding midfielder and right back: Joshua Kimmich! The future core of Bayern Munich and a top midfielder delayed by his right-back position. If Su Luo remembered correctly, Kimmich would transfer from RB Leipzig to Bayern Munich for 8.5 million euros this summer. With Bayern focusing on Sabitzer, their interest in Kimmich might wane, giving Union Berlin a chance to swoop in.
After confirming Kimmich, Su Luo turned his attention to another name: Leroy Sane! Though not unknown in the Bundesliga, Sane had already shown his talent in the UEFA Champions League 1/8 final against Real Madrid. At just 19 years old, he became the youngest player to score against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Compared to phenoms like Su Luo, Sane seemed more average, but he was still a rising star. Manchester City had shown interest in Sane before, but they shifted focus to Grealish after Union Berlin's success. With Sane's contract expiring in a year and Schalke 04 not renewing it, Union Berlin had a good chance to bring him on board if they worked hard enough.
Both Sane and Grealish are excellent wide attackers who can pass, shoot, and dribble. Grealish has outstanding skills but lacks explosive speed. On the other hand, Sane's explosive power is among the best in the Bundesliga, paired with devastating speed and a willingness to create opportunities for his teammates.
Sane is currently known for playing as a right winger, but Su Luo knows he can unlock more of his potential on the left. However, with Bayern and Real Madrid keeping an eye on him, Schalke 04 might raise his price.
Su Luo decided to leave the negotiations to the management. He just made the recommendations.
After finalizing the winger candidates, Su Luo turned his attention to the right-back position. It wouldn't be ideal for Kimmich to continue playing as a right-back since it would delay his development as a midfielder.
After searching for a while, Su Luo found a suitable candidate for right back: the French full-back Benjamin Pavard, currently playing for Lille in Ligue 1. Pavard had been relatively unknown and a fringe player for France until the 2018 World Cup. France trailed Argentina 1-2 when Pavard's stunning goal from outside the box made him famous. He moved from Lille to Stuttgart in 2016 for only 5 million euros, and by the time he transferred to Bayern, his value had risen to 35 million. If the club acted now, they could probably secure him for 3.5 million euros, and his future value could skyrocket.
Su Luo smiled kindly. Having been with the team for a while, he saw Union Berlin as his own enterprise. Even if he left the team, he wanted to help the club make a lot of money.
Sane, Kimmich, and Pavard were the key targets for signings this summer. Su Luo also made recommendations for other positions, even though they weren't on the coaching staff's list. He believed these players could be core strengths for the new season.
For example, the future Manchester City left-back Nathan Ake, currently 20 years old, wasn't highly regarded at Chelsea and would be loaned out before joining Manchester City. Then there's Riyad Mahrez, next season's Premier League MVP and a hero in Leicester City's miracle run. Antonio Rudiger, who would become the core of Real Madrid's defense, was just injured at Stuttgart and should have been sold to Roma for 4 million euros. Now was the best time to intercept the future world-class central defender!
Leandro Paredes, the future Argentine World Cup champion, should have ended up in Serie A with Roma. But with Serie A's restrictions on non-EU players, and the Bundesliga having no such restrictions, Union Berlin could intercept this world-class midfielder for just 4.5 million euros.
After a long time of picking and choosing, Su Luo racked his brains and searched his "future memory" to finalize the list of signings. Following last season's successful signings, they would undoubtedly strive to achieve their goals again.
Su Luo felt like he was playing a "live-action football manager." Seeing future superstars becoming his teammates and fighting alongside him in the Champions League next season was very satisfying.
Realizing it was past 3 a.m., Su Luo quickly put down the tablet and went to sleep. He had to catch a flight to the capital the next day! Besides the commercial endorsements, the most important event was an invitation from CCTV 5 to participate in the program "World Football," a show he had watched since childhood. He never imagined he would one day be one of its guests.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've liked my work so far and would like to support me, your contribution would be greatly appreciated. since this is labor work and I'm not receiving any payment. your support means a lot to me to continue this fanfic. even a small amount, like 10rs. can make a significant difference.
Please consider using UPI id divyrajsinhsodha5167@ybl
Or you can visit my Patreon page:
patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
patreon have 10+ advanced chapters for you guys
Your help will be greatly appreciated.