Chapter 81: Ronaldinho Falls into My Trap

Although Ronaldinho isn't quite the same as he was before, after a few days of observation, José was able to identify some of his standout qualities.

For instance, his natural feel for the ball was exceptional. Ronaldinho's ball control was remarkable, and despite not being particularly strong, he was stable and could hold his ground in physical duels. His remarkable ball sense meant he didn't need to focus too much on maintaining possession, allowing him to better observe his surroundings. This was a rare talent—one that wasn't easy to come by.

José also noticed that Ronaldinho had an impressive vision on the training ground. During attacking drills, he seemed to always keep track of his teammates' runs—indeed, the very same Ronaldinho who would later become famous for his "pass to the east, shoot to the west" style of passing, fooling defenders with his deceptive plays...

"If you're the real deal, I'll have to bring you with me," José thought to himself.

Meanwhile, things weren't going as smoothly for Silva. Although Ronaldinho was regarded as Brazil's brightest football prospect in recent years, and despite not winning the Olympic gold medal that summer, his achievements in the Copa América and Confederations Cup had made him a well-known figure globally. Such a player wouldn't be easily released by Grêmio.

However, the past year had seen little interest in him, which made Grêmio feel somewhat insecure. After all, despite winning the Copa América and the Confederations Cup, and performing well in the summer, Ronaldinho had spent two and a half years at Grêmio without any serious inquiries—an affront to their pride!

This reality led Grêmio to wonder if European clubs were waiting for Ronaldinho's contract to expire before making a move. After all, at just 22 years old, he would be entering his peak years.

Rather than risk waiting another year and ending up with nothing, Grêmio was willing to settle for whatever they could get now. They were at a natural disadvantage when negotiating with European clubs...

José had timed his visit to Brazil well. Most other leagues wouldn't even begin their winter break until January, but José had made his move a month earlier. Without any competition, Silva was able to better leverage his negotiating skills.

At first, Silva stuck firm on a four-million-dollar price tag, nearly causing an argument when the opposing side found the offer insulting. Slowly, the price crept up, and when it reached $6.5 million, Silva refused to budge. The other side, however, stood firm at $10 million, leading to a standoff.

After two days of deadlock, Grêmio softened their stance and lowered their demand to $8 million. This was already in line with José's expectations, but Silva skillfully secured an additional $500,000, ultimately settling on a transfer fee of $7.5 million.

José was pleased with the result. Historically, although Ronaldinho's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain had cost only $4.5 million, Grêmio had been unsatisfied and haggled for additional training fees, ultimately receiving $6 million more from PSG. The actual cost of the transfer came to over $10 million, and Ronaldinho wasn't allowed to play in Ligue 1 until the 2001-2002 season.

José was aware of this and preferred to pay a little more now rather than risk dealing with complications later. It wasn't just about paying more—it was about making sure Ronaldinho could play in the second half of the season. A delay would be a major loss for Mallorca, especially considering how crucial Ronaldinho would be for José's tactical setup.

Having resolved the club negotiations, the next step was to secure the player himself.

In a café in Porto Alegre, José met with Ronaldinho and his brother, who was also his agent, Assis.

Assis was several years older than Ronaldinho. After their father passed away from heart disease when Ronaldinho was just eight years old, Assis took on the responsibility of supporting the family. He had once been a player for Grêmio and had even been part of the Brazilian national team, but a serious injury ended his career. Afterward, he focused all his hopes on his younger brother, becoming Ronaldinho's agent when he signed with Grêmio at 16. Assis cared for Ronaldinho like a father, embodying the saying "the older brother is like a father."

José knew that if he wanted to win over Ronaldinho, he would first need to win over Assis. The bond between the two brothers was strong, and Ronaldinho had often said that if Assis hadn't been injured, he would have been the better player.

"Mr. Assis? Hello, I'm José Alemany, the technical director of Mallorca," José said, extending his hand. Assis was a strong, competent man, and though he limped slightly due to his injury, he didn't seem at all awkward.

Assis shook José's hand. "Hello, Mr. Alemany. I'm Assis, Ronaldinho's agent."

"Nice to meet you both." As Assis and Ronaldinho sat down, José noticed how Ronaldinho helped his brother pull out a chair for him before sitting down himself. "These two brothers have a deep bond. Ronaldinho truly respects his brother," José thought to himself.

Though José was thinking all this, his face showed nothing but calm. He continued, "I've come to Brazil hoping that Ronaldinho will join our team at the start of the winter break."

"Ah, Mallorca? We've heard of your club, especially your performance last season in the UEFA Cup," Assis said, nodding. "We know that your team is strong, and we agree it's a good choice. But Ronaldinho wants to know what role you see him in. He's already 20, and he needs to play regularly."

"That's a very reasonable request," José said with a slight smile, considering his words carefully.

While José thought, neither Assis nor Ronaldinho said anything, quietly waiting.

"First, we're offering a salary of $800,000 per year, with a five-year contract. The salary will increase by 10% each year. Regarding image rights, the club will share advertising profits equally with the player, but any individual contracts the player signs will be entirely his own," José explained.

Assis nodded slightly, seeming satisfied with the terms. Though Ronaldinho wasn't yet earning as much as the top players in Spain—such as Figo and Rivaldo, who each made $5 million a year—Assis knew that for a player like Ronaldinho, who was just beginning to make a name for himself in Europe, the salary was a significant increase over what he was earning at Grêmio.

The $7.5 million transfer fee also included a $750,000 signing bonus for Ronaldinho, a benefit Assis had negotiated when Ronaldinho first signed his professional contract with Grêmio. Assis had no major complaints, though the five-year contract was a longer commitment than he would have liked.

"Perhaps the contract length is a bit too long," Assis said.

"You know, Ronaldinho is just over 20. For such a young player, we want to make sure he stays with us for a while. The longer contract also ensures stability for him. And if he performs exceptionally well, we won't hesitate to offer him a raise," José replied with a smile.

Assis glanced at Ronaldinho, who nodded approvingly, and so Assis didn't press further on this matter. He then turned to José—there was more to discuss.

"As for the role within the team... I'm sure you know that Mallorca is a mid-tier team, but we have ambitions to rise higher. Ronaldinho will be an important attacking player for us, and based on my observations over the past few days, I'm confident that he will have a starting position," José said.

"With all due respect, you're just the technical director, aren't you? Wouldn't this decision be up to the head coach?" Assis smiled.

"Ah, perhaps you don't know—I was the head coach last season when we won the UEFA Cup," José said, pointing to himself with a grin.

"Wait, you're the guy who injured himself while lifting the trophy?" Ronaldinho blurted out, and then quickly covered his mouth, embarrassed.

Assis patted his brother on the shoulder, signaling him to calm down. José, however, wasn't bothered and shrugged, "Yep, that was me. My main role is as head coach. Technical director is more of a hobby. And by the time the winter break comes around, I'll be the head coach."

Assis and Ronaldinho exchanged a look and smiled. With that, there was no need for further persuasion.

"I think this should be fine," Assis said, standing up and extending his hand to José. "As long as Grêmio agrees, Ronaldinho is ready. Right, Ronaldinho?"

Ronaldinho flashed a grin, showing his two front teeth, and nodded shyly, "Me? Of course, no problem..."

José stood up and shook Assis's hand. "No issues on my side. We can sign the contract tomorrow, and it will officially take effect on December 1st."

As he looked at Ronaldinho, José's heart was filled with joy.

Ronaldinho was in his grasp! And with him, that other player... Sorry, Rijkaard, but for now, I'll have the two most important players on your team for a few years...