Chapter 343: Visiting Ferguson

Chapter 343: Visiting Ferguson

Under the guidance of the real estate agent, Bruno and his group entered the villa. Driving in, they followed an S-shaped path surrounded by well-arranged greenery. The path ended at a large circular green space about twenty meters in diameter, creating a beautiful landscape.

The main structure of the villa was a three-story European-style building with an elegant white exterior, occupying over 800 square meters and exuding a grand atmosphere.

Inside, the first floor had many open areas, including an open-plan living room, kitchen, dining room, guest bedroom, and a lounge and relaxation area for entertaining guests. There was also a 25-meter-long indoor heated swimming pool and a spa center. All spaces were designed to integrate with the surrounding gardens, making the interior bright and spacious. The second floor housed seven bedrooms, a study, and a game area, with terraces offering views of the garden from all sides.

"The entire project uses a green, sustainable design concept. Every room faces the garden, and no space faces the road or neighbors. The design uses eco-friendly materials and incorporates passive strategies for solar radiation, natural light, and wind. It utilizes terraces, water bodies, natural ventilation, and a water circulation system to harness the local microclimate."

The villa's large size, excellent design, and high-quality materials made it a perfect combination, which Bruno loved. The only drawback was that it was slightly far from Old Trafford and the Carrington training ground, about 20 kilometers away. However, this wasn't a big issue since it was only about a twenty-minute drive.

"What do you think?" Bruno asked Vanessa.

Vanessa also liked the villa very much. She loved the environment of Wilmslow and the design and concept of the villa, especially the surrounding gardens, which made living there feel like living in a garden.

Although the price of six million pounds seemed a bit high, it was nothing for her and Bruno now. Vanessa, with a net worth of over fifty million pounds, was wealthier than Bruno, but once Bruno completed his transfer to Manchester United, his net worth would surpass hers.

After all, based on the current negotiations, Bruno's weekly salary at Manchester United would exceed 300,000 pounds, with a hefty signing fee. Plus, his endorsement contracts would ensure an annual after-tax income of over 20 million pounds.

Seeing Bruno and Vanessa both liked the villa, Mendes smiled and whispered, "If you like it, leave it to me to negotiate."

Bruno's eyes lit up, knowing Mendes was a skilled negotiator. He asked, "Jorge, do you have a plan?"

Mendes didn't answer directly but brought up another matter. "After Ronaldo transferred to Real Madrid, his villa has been on the market but hasn't sold. He bought it in 2008 for 3.9 million pounds, listed it for 4.5 million pounds in 2010, and after four years without a buyer, he rented it to Luke Shaw two years ago."

Bruno knew about Ronaldo's villa. Mendes had previously asked if Bruno wanted to buy it, but he declined. Now he asked, "So what's your point?"

Mendes smiled, "Given the current market, selling such luxury properties is tough. So the price can be negotiated."

Bruno and Vanessa exchanged a smile and nodded, "Okay, leave it to you."

Though they weren't short on money, saving some where they could was still wise. The money saved could be used for charity instead of going to wealthy property owners.

Sure enough, after some haggling between Mendes and the real estate agent, Bruno secured the villa for five million pounds, saving a million pounds.

After agreeing on the price, they quickly signed the contract, making the villa Bruno's personal property.

This was the first house Bruno had ever bought in both his lifetimes. Reflecting on the five million pound price tag, he couldn't help but feel emotional.

In his past life, he couldn't afford a small 60-70 square meter apartment. When he first came to this world and transferred to Novara, he only had 50 euros. Four years later, he could buy a six-million-pound villa without batting an eye. Life truly was unpredictable!

After settling the house, Bruno didn't make a big deal about it. He looked for a renovation company to start decorating the villa and sent messages to Kanté and Maguire, informing them of his plans. His current situation couldn't be publicly disclosed, so he couldn't meet them to avoid attracting paparazzi, which might complicate negotiations.

Although Bruno's transfer was nearly confirmed, there were still some details to work out regarding sponsorship contracts and his personal terms. Sponsorship negotiations were particularly tricky.

Player endorsements often conflicted with team sponsorships, creating a delicate balance of interests. Jassim and Giàretta couldn't meet Bruno directly due to intense media scrutiny. Any secret meeting would be quickly exposed, potentially disrupting negotiations.

For personal terms, Mendes had secured a weekly salary of 300,000 pounds for Bruno, the highest in the Premier League, equating to nearly 19 million euros annually—more than six times his salary at Udinese. Additionally, Bruno would receive substantial bonuses for appearances, goals, titles, and personal accolades.

Bruno's salary would be the highest in the Premier League, surpassing Rooney's 260,000-pound weekly salary, which had been the league's top wage. However, in global football, Bruno's salary wasn't top-tier, not even in the top three.

Currently, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were tied for the highest annual salary at 22 million euros, followed by Gareth Bale at 21 million euros. Newly transferred to Shanghai SIPG, Hulk had a salary of 19.3 million euros, with Bruno at fifth with 18.7 million euros.

In terms of image rights, Bruno didn't compromise and signed a complex profit-sharing agreement with Manchester United. Any sponsorship deals secured by the club's commercial department during his tenure would be shared equally, while those signed by Mendes or Bruno himself wouldn't be shared.

Even so, Manchester United's commercial director Ed Woodward was all smiles, having a clear plan to further monetize Bruno's commercial potential.

To avoid attracting attention and disrupting negotiations, Manchester United didn't arrange for any current executives to meet Bruno. Instead, they had Sir Alex Ferguson, who lived in Wilmslow, meet him.

When Bruno learned of this, he was surprised. Firstly, he hadn't known Ferguson lived in Wilmslow, making them neighbors. Secondly, Manchester United arranged for such a legendary figure to meet him.

As a lifelong Manchester United fan, Bruno knew the influence Ferguson had on the club. No one could match Ferguson's impact, not even Ronaldo or club legend Bobby Charlton. The man who built the Manchester United dynasty held unmatched sway at the club.

Manchester United's decision to have Ferguson meet Bruno demonstrated their sincerity. After Jassim bought Manchester United, Ferguson didn't hold any official position but, along with Bobby Charlton, served as a global ambassador for the club.

Ferguson's influence wasn't defined by his title. Bruno couldn't let Ferguson come to him, so he immediately agreed to visit Ferguson at his home.

When Bruno arrived, Ferguson was very welcoming and joked that when he heard Bruno was joining Manchester United, he almost wanted to take Mourinho's job.

Ferguson, representing Jassim, discussed the current situation with Bruno and expressed Manchester United's plans. They were confident in wrapping up contract negotiations within the next one to two weeks and hoped Bruno would prepare for the transition.

"The entire city of Manchester and even all of England are eagerly awaiting your arrival. We believe it will be an unprecedented fan event," Ferguson said.

Bruno smiled and thanked the club for their support.

In the Premier League, Serie A, and Bundesliga, clubs generally didn't hold press conferences for new signings. Typically, club photographers would take a few photos, distribute them to the media, and make an official announcement on their website.

For example, at Manchester United, even a player like Ibrahimović didn't get a separate press conference. The only player with this privilege was Bruno.

This practice was the same for other top clubs like Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal. Only in La Liga did clubs hold fan events for major signings.

When Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009, 80,000 fans at the Bernabéu witnessed his arrival.

To show their importance of Bruno, the new FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, Manchester United decided to hold a grand fan event at Old Trafford for his arrival.

(End of Chapter)

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