Chapter 210: Making Money While Spending It

"Around ten million dollars. What do you think?" Galliani casually threw out his offer, testing the waters.

José, however, simply chuckled in response. Instead of answering directly, he picked up his cup of tea, took a slow sip, and smiled. "Please, have some tea, Mr. Galliani. You know, in recent years, the Champions League has really been a gold mine for clubs that participate. The revenue we get from just playing in the tournament is astounding. To be honest, last season, after playing through two group-stage rounds and then making it to the quarterfinals, just from broadcast rights alone, we pulled in nearly twenty million dollars. It's really a great time to be in football, don't you think?"

Galliani's brow twitched ever so slightly. José hadn't outright refused his offer, but the message was loud and clear—just playing in the Champions League was already a massive source of income. If letting go of Kaladze meant jeopardizing Mallorca's performance in the tournament, then there was no way they would accept such a deal. The unspoken implication was obvious: ten million dollars was simply too low.

Realizing this, Galliani let out a small laugh. He didn't counter immediately but instead responded smoothly, "José, I believe we can let our people handle the finer details of this negotiation. After all, for men like us to argue over every single lira would be a bit… beneath us, wouldn't you agree? But at the very least, I think we can both acknowledge one thing—we are open to the idea of Kaladze transferring. That much is certain, right?"

José paused for a moment before flashing a knowing smile. Galliani was indeed a master negotiator. With just a few well-placed words, he had subtly made it seem like José had already agreed to part ways with Kaladze, framing it as an established fact rather than an ongoing discussion. However, this was actually exactly what José wanted, so he had no reason to refute it. Instead, he simply nodded in agreement, playing along.

That said, the moment Galliani turned away, José immediately issued strict orders to Mallorca's transfer department: "Drive the price up as much as possible. Bleed them dry. Our release clause for Kaladze is set at twenty-five million dollars—don't let them get off easy!"

With their marching orders clear, Mallorca's negotiators sat down with AC Milan's representatives. They went over every little detail, scrutinizing every figure, and fought for every last cent. Since José had already made it clear that they were in no rush to sell, Mallorca's team held their ground firmly. On the other hand, AC Milan's side, feeling the pressure of time and Galliani's eagerness to finalize the deal, started giving in little by little.

By the time the final agreement was reached, the price was far beyond Galliani's initial offer—nineteen million dollars! While this wasn't quite the full release clause amount, it was still an eye-watering figure for a primarily defensive player. In the current volatile transfer market, it was the kind of deal that only Serie A clubs, with their deep pockets and aggressive spending habits, would even consider.

Reflecting on it all, José couldn't help but shake his head in amusement. Just a year and a half ago, he had bought Kaladze from Dynamo Kyiv for a mere two million dollars. Now, after just eighteen months, he had flipped the player for a profit of seventeen million. If he ever decided to leave football, maybe human trafficking would be a profitable career path…

Galliani, upon seeing the final figure, was visibly taken aback. But instead of complaining, he merely shook his head, smiled, and extended his hand to José. "You really drive a hard bargain, my friend. Just this one transfer alone is worth two full rounds of group-stage broadcast fees!"

José grinned, his expression innocent but his words sharp. "Well, a player of Kaladze's caliber is certainly worth every penny, wouldn't you say?"

With Mallorca and AC Milan finalizing the deal, all that remained was for Kaladze to negotiate personal terms. That process went smoothly. Kaladze, being no fool, understood that haggling over transfer fees was between the two clubs, and he had no intention of getting caught in the middle of that. His focus was solely on securing his own best interests.

For him, joining a club like AC Milan was a dream move. While Mallorca had been on an impressive rise, there was simply no comparing them to a European powerhouse like Milan. Furthermore, financially, Milan had the resources to offer him a significantly better contract. In the end, Kaladze signed a four-year deal with Milan, with his salary doubling—if not more—compared to what he had been earning at Mallorca. The transfer would be officially announced once the market opened on July 1st.

There was one additional condition José insisted on: absolute secrecy. He needed time to prepare for new signings and did not want to risk upsetting the Mallorca fans just yet. Galliani, understanding the situation, agreed readily. After all, with the entire football world currently fixated on the World Cup, announcing the signing now wouldn't bring much attention anyway.

Of course, Kaladze wasn't the only one on the way out. Another departure was already in the works. George had also found a new home—Bolton Wanderers. Known as the "retirement home" of the Premier League, Bolton saw value in his experience and made an offer. While their bid of just one million dollars was on the lower side, José still accepted it without much hesitation. George was already thirty-one, no longer a guaranteed starter at Mallorca, and had contributed plenty to the club's recent success. This transfer was more about securing him a comfortable move rather than making money off of him.

With Kaladze and George gone, and veteran midfielder Engonga retiring, Mallorca's first-team squad suddenly found itself three players short. On top of that, Novo was also looking for a transfer, further emphasizing the need for reinforcements.

José wasted no time. He immediately booked a flight to Madrid with two key objectives. First and foremost, he needed to sort out the shared ownership of Samuel Eto'o with Real Madrid. Their agreement was about to expire on June 15th, and with the date now looming, it was time for serious negotiations.

This time, instead of meeting with Jorge Valdano, José was welcomed by a different face—none other than the legendary "Vulture," Emilio Butragueño. Just six months ago, he had replaced Valdano as Real Madrid's technical director. Florentino Pérez was grooming him as a key figure in the club's hierarchy, and in the future, he would even go on to become one of Real Madrid's vice presidents.

After hearing José's proposal, Butragueño suggested extending the shared ownership arrangement for another year. Real Madrid, after all, was in the midst of pursuing Inter Milan's superstar striker, Ronaldo. However, Inter was refusing to sell, despite Ronaldo's growing rift with manager Héctor Cúper. If the Brazilian phenomenon became unavailable, Eto'o would serve as an alternative option.

José, however, had no interest in being anyone's backup plan. Even if it was Real Madrid, he refused to let Mallorca or its players be treated as mere placeholders. His response was firm: either Real Madrid sold Mallorca full ownership of Eto'o, or they honored the existing agreement and settled the matter through blind bidding.

After some thought, Butragueño decided that buying Eto'o outright wasn't a priority for Real Madrid. The Cameroonian striker had potential, but he wasn't yet at the level of a true world-class forward. Furthermore, given Real Madrid's strict limits on non-EU players, they couldn't afford to waste a spot on him, especially with Ronaldo potentially arriving.

Thus, Mallorca successfully acquired full ownership of Eto'o, but not at the previously agreed price of $4.5 million. Real Madrid pushed for a higher valuation, and after negotiations, José ultimately paid $8 million to secure Eto'o's full rights. In total, counting the previous payments, Mallorca had now spent $12.5 million on Eto'o—a club record-breaking transfer.

But José wasn't done yet. There was one more player he had his eyes on—a familiar face, former Mallorca defender Iván Campo.