Chapter 219: Motta’s Replacement

Motta had no objections to José's stance. The reason he had taken the initiative to meet with José was precisely to express that he would not resort to any tactics to force the club's hand. José, on the other hand, made his position crystal clear—if anyone wanted his player, they had to pay real cash. Unless the full release clause was met, no one should even think about taking Motta away!

José hadn't even been this firm when it came to Luke's transfer because he had already prepared for Luke's departure. Given Mallorca's midfield creativity, compensating for the loss of a forward wasn't too difficult. However, Motta wanting to leave was something José absolutely could not tolerate. First, because he had no contingency plan, and second, because Motta's position was incredibly difficult to replace!

For over a season now, Motta had been Mallorca's midfield orchestrator. While he didn't rack up many direct assists or goals, his ability to link up play was crucial. To put it bluntly, his role at Mallorca was similar to what Guardiola had been for Barcelona—quietly influential, the brain and soul of the team.

It was precisely because of these qualities, coupled with Barcelona's alarming gap in their traditional deep-lying playmaker role, that the Catalan club set their sights on Motta. Guardiola had left Barcelona a year ago, and while young Xavi had shown promise, he hadn't been able to fully replace him. Other midfielders like De la Peña, Zenden, and Arteta had all struggled to establish themselves in the first team. Suddenly, Barcelona found themselves lacking in this key position. In that context, Motta, who had flourished at Mallorca with a playing style remarkably similar to Guardiola's, became their ideal target. Technically, positionally, and stylistically, Motta was a classic deep-lying playmaker. His superior physique and work rate even made him a more well-rounded option than Xavi.

Among Barcelona's defensive midfielders at the time, Petit had long been discarded due to poor form, Cocu was aging, Xavi was still young, and Gerard—who had been brought in for a hefty sum—had never rediscovered the form he had shown at Valencia. Like the other Valencia midfielders who had moved away, he had completely failed to live up to expectations.

That's why Barcelona wanted Motta, and their interest created a major headache for José.

José did have a few potential replacements in mind, but filling such a specialized role wasn't as simple as buying a player of similar ability. A role player can immediately contribute as long as he fits into the system, but a core playmaker takes time to develop chemistry with the team. It had taken José half a season to build the squad around Motta. If Motta left now, everything would have to start over from scratch.

That was why José took such a hardline stance in negotiations with Barcelona. His message was clear—no installment payments, no player swaps. If they wanted Motta, they had to pay the full release clause. It wasn't even that much—just $25 million, not even half of what they had paid for Figo.

Barcelona, of course, didn't want to be taken for a ride. However, ever since Figo's departure, their performances had been on a steady decline. The record-breaking transfer fee they received had already been spent, and club president Joan Gaspart found himself in a dire financial situation. His reputation was at an all-time low, and he desperately needed results to boost his chances in the upcoming presidential elections.

Barcelona had recently terminated Rivaldo's contract, freeing up significant wage expenses. Their main transfer priorities were midfield and goalkeeper reinforcements. They had already signed German goalkeeper Enke, brought in Mendieta on loan after his miserable spell at Lazio, and promoted youngsters like Valdés, Iniesta, and Oleguer from the reserves. But these additions weren't enough.

At this point, Barcelona had set their sights on two key targets: Boca Juniors' "last classic playmaker," Juan Román Riquelme, and Motta. Coach Antic believed that with these two technical midfielders, Barcelona could finally fill the void left by Rivaldo and provide consistent service to strikers Kluivert and Saviola.

Gaspart knew that if he failed to deliver Antic's requests and Barcelona didn't win the league, it wouldn't just be Antic getting the sack—he himself would be out the door as well.

Fortunately, as a club with nearly 200,000 members, Barcelona still had the financial means to raise funds, even if it took some time.

Knowing that Gaspart was working on gathering money, José didn't sit idle. If Gaspart was making financial moves, then Motta's departure was just a matter of time. That meant José needed to find a suitable replacement immediately.

Finding the right replacement wasn't easy, but it wasn't impossible either.

Pirri, Mallorca's chief scout, recommended a young midfielder from Real Sociedad—Xabi Alonso. Alonso was nine months older than Motta and had established himself as a key player for Sociedad last season, primarily playing as a defensive midfielder. While he had mainly been used as a ball-winning midfielder, his playmaking talent was beginning to shine through. However, Sociedad had been struggling in recent seasons, often fighting relegation. A highly ambitious player like Alonso wasn't exactly thrilled with that situation.

Real Sociedad had been in financial trouble for years, and with big clubs spending more due to increased Champions League revenue, smaller teams were finding it harder to compete. Now was the perfect time to strike.

Sociedad had already decided to make Darko Kovačević's loan move permanent, but Lazio, who owned the striker, were in financial crisis themselves and were willing to sell him for just $8 million—far less than the $15 million they had paid for him the previous summer. However, Sociedad still couldn't afford the fee.

That's when José made his move.

He offered $8 million for Xabi Alonso.

Sociedad rejected the bid. They didn't want to lose Alonso, but they wanted Kovačević even more. The Serbian forward had scored eight crucial goals in the second half of the season, playing a vital role in their survival. To have any chance of success in the new season, Sociedad needed to keep him.

Initially, Alonso himself didn't want to leave. His entire family were Sociedad fans, his father was a club legend who had won two La Liga titles with them, and his older brother Mikel also played for the team. However, after a private conversation with José, Alonso changed his mind.

José used the same pitch that had convinced Torres—he talked about career prospects, financial benefits, and the opportunity to win trophies. He told Alonso that staying at Sociedad as a pure ball-winner had no future. José saw his potential as a deep-lying playmaker, someone who could dictate the game just like Motta. With time to develop chemistry with his teammates, Alonso could eventually become the Spanish national team's midfield maestro, just like Guardiola once was.

Most importantly, Sociedad was a club fighting for survival with no financial backing. Mallorca, on the other hand, could challenge for the league title and showcase Alonso's talents on the Champions League stage.

These words struck a chord with Alonso. He had been impressed by Motta's performances when Sociedad faced Mallorca last season. Seeing how much influence Motta had on the game, he had already wondered—what if he were in Motta's position? Could he shine just as brightly?

"Xabi, I won't lie to you," José said. "You might not be a starter immediately. But with Motta leaving, you'll have plenty of opportunities to prove yourself. You'll be a key part of Mallorca's future, and I'll do everything I can to develop you. Motta spent two years in my youth team, building his foundation. If you're patient, you'll surpass him one day."

José's honesty impressed Alonso. He appreciated that José wasn't making empty promises about an immediate starting role. He knew that if Mallorca saw him as Motta's successor, they would be careful in integrating him, ensuring he didn't lose confidence through early struggles.

But with Motta gone, how could Mallorca function without making Alonso the starter?