Chapter 218: Poached Away

Torres quietly listened to José's words, then let out a deep breath.

"You've said so much already—what else is there for me to say?" After saying that, Torres gave a shy smile. "Mr. José, I think I'd be happy to join Mallorca. Since my departure can bring so much benefit to Atlético, I suppose Mr. Gil will be pleased as well."

As he spoke, there was a hint of sadness in his expression. Leaving Atlético was something he had never considered before. However, failing to help the club achieve promotion last season filled him with guilt—he wanted to do something more for Atlético. When Gil approached him with Mallorca's offer—two established La Liga players plus a cash sum in exchange for him—he was initially angry and heartbroken. But at the same time, he began to feel that perhaps this was the best outcome for both him and Atlético. And now, with José's words striking directly at his heart, he found no reason to refuse. That was why he finally agreed to join Mallorca.

Hearing Torres give his consent, José smiled. "I'm glad you've made this decision. I can promise you—you won't regret it."

"Once I've made my choice, I won't regret it." Torres responded firmly.

José nodded in appreciation. This was the Torres he knew—the young striker who had shouldered Atlético's revival at such a young age, the one who shone brightly after moving to Liverpool, and even the one who struggled at Chelsea but still proved his worth in crucial moments.

Too much pressure at a young age had taken a toll on his physical condition, leading to his decline later in his career. That, at least, was José's theory on why Torres struggled at Chelsea. Therefore, he had no intention of overusing him. Eto'o would remain Mallorca's starting striker next season, while Drogba and Torres would rotate in the second forward position. They had completely different styles, but both could complement Eto'o and add versatility to Mallorca's attack.

The rest of the details didn't require José's involvement. Mallorca's negotiation team spent an entire afternoon discussing with Torres' agent, Martín. In the end, Torres signed a five-year contract with an annual salary of €800,000. This figure was just slightly lower than that of Ronaldinho, Eto'o, and Kaka—proof of how much Mallorca valued him. And rightly so—Torres was regarded as the future of Spain's forward line. He deserved this salary.

Though Mallorca had sold two strikers and only brought in Torres, José felt the squad's attacking lineup was strong enough. Eto'o and Drogba were both durable players who rarely got injured. Torres might need time to adapt, but as long as he wasn't overworked, injuries wouldn't be a major concern. Additionally, Mallorca's second team could temporarily promote up to six players each season. If necessary, José could call up Guiza—though slightly less talented than the current strikers, he was still a reliable option.

In midfield, Pablo García, Marcos, Motta, and Senna provided solid options in the defensive midfield role. Meanwhile, Ronaldinho, Kaka, and Rufete covered the attacking midfield duties. Whether José chose a diamond 4-4-2, a flat 4-4-2, or even an unconventional three-defensive-midfielder setup, he had plenty of choices.

Defensively, the right-back position was well-balanced with the attacking Campano and the defensive Belletti. In central defense, Gamarra had left, but Campo had arrived—ensuring stability at the back. The only concern was the left-back position, where only Capdevila remained. If he got injured, Mallorca could be short on options. However, since full-backs typically required less rotation, Olaresola could serve as an emergency backup if needed.

After carefully evaluating the squad, José noted that six players had left while five had been brought in. Though this left them one substitute short and missing a versatile utility player, it wasn't a critical issue. Unless a major injury crisis occurred, there was no need to stockpile players unnecessarily. Unlike the top European giants, Mallorca couldn't afford to have million-dollar earners sitting on the bench all season.

Satisfied with the squad, José flew back to Mallorca to prepare for the preseason. The full team would report to training on August 1st, with World Cup participants joining at that time. Those who didn't play in the World Cup would begin their preseason camp a week earlier.

The departures of key players like Luque and Kaladze meant that the new signings—Senna, Kaka, and Torres—would play crucial roles in the upcoming season. Preseason training would be vital in integrating them into the team.

Still, José had anticipated this level of squad turnover. It was inevitable. Only star players attracted big offers, and a successful club would always have its talents poached. However, he knew better than to sell off too many first-team players at once. Replacing one or two starters was manageable, but changing half the starting lineup in one go? That would be a recipe for disaster.

When he first took over Mallorca, he had made no major signings, only adjusting the tactics to suit the aging squad's defensive counter-attacking style. The only notable addition was Eto'o, while promising players like Motta and Luque were left in the reserves until the following season. When he returned for a second stint, he brought in Gamarra, Kaladze, Capdevila, Ronaldinho, and Eto'o while promoting Motta and Luque—essentially rebuilding the squad from scratch. But since Mallorca wasn't playing in Europe that season, he had the luxury of time to mold the team, which resulted in a strong finish and a second-place league finish.

The following summer, only two starting positions changed—Rufete replaced Ibagaza, and Van Buyten replaced Nino. This limited squad disruption allowed Mallorca to adapt quickly and maintain a high level of performance throughout the next season.

Two or three first-team changes—this was José's limit. Any more than that, and maintaining the team's competitiveness would become significantly harder.

Just as José returned to Mallorca, feeling confident about the upcoming season, he was hit with a major setback.

Barcelona sent an official request to sign Mallorca's midfield maestro, Thiago Motta.

Even worse, Motta himself came to see José and expressed his desire to join Barcelona!

"Thiago, what's going on?" José asked, clearly irritated. "First Albert, and now you? Is every player trained at Mallorca just waiting for a chance to leave? Look at Ronaldinho—he just won the World Cup, yet he still renewed his contract with Mallorca. Why? Because he knows that a single good season isn't enough. To secure his future, he needs more than just strong performances—he needs silverware. Only then will clubs build their teams around him instead of forcing him to adapt.

"You're the type of player who needs the perfect role to perform at your best. No top Spanish club will use you as carefully as I do. But if you continue performing like this for another two or three seasons, you'll be able to join any team as their midfield leader—just like Guardiola at Barcelona or Redondo at Real Madrid.

"Do you know why Ronaldo became Inter Milan's undisputed main man the moment he arrived? Because he had already won everything at PSV and Barcelona! He had proven his dominance! Thiago, do you think you've already reached that level?"

The 1.87m-tall Motta lowered his head and remained silent. José felt somewhat relieved—at least Motta had the decency to come speak to him in person. Unlike Luque, who had vanished and left everything to his agent, Motta still respected him.

But then, Motta raised his head and spoke firmly. "Boss, I understand everything you're saying. I also want to win trophies with Mallorca. But Coach Antic told me that with Guardiola gone, Barcelona wants me to be their new midfield general. They'll build the team around me. They're even planning to terminate Rivaldo's contract to solidify my role.

"Besides… they're offering me a €2 million salary."

José sighed. He knew Motta had grown up poor. The money was tempting. But still…

"Do you really think Antic can guarantee that?" José asked. "Remember, Van Gaal got sacked because he used too many Dutch players and ignored the local talent. The Catalans won't be patient. If you struggle, they'll turn on you.

"And they're only playing in the UEFA Cup—not the Champions League. Are you sure you want that?"

Motta remained silent but showed no signs of backing down.

"If that's your choice, I won't force you to stay," José said, shaking his head. "But your buyout clause is €25 million. No less. Tell Barcelona—if they want you, they need to pay up. They spent €20 million on Gerard, and you're far better than him."