Chapter 34 – Gotta Pay More!

Chapter 34 – Gotta Pay More!

With his experience from his past life and all he'd heard about Gianni Paladini, Yang Cheng never doubted that this guy was a pure football investor.

The moment Paladini mentioned Martin Rowlands, Yang Cheng guessed that QPR's £7 million bank loan must have gone through—otherwise, they wouldn't be moving on transfers so quickly.

That was the difference between investors and operators.

Paladini wasn't in it for the long haul—he wanted to get QPR promoted to the Premier League as fast as possible, then use the club's London location to flip it at a high valuation.

If QPR made it to the top flight, their market value would at least triple.

And once the price tag went up, any debt or loans could be easily glossed over.

Who could guarantee the next owner wouldn't also be an investor?

In this kind of situation, Paladini didn't care whether renting Loftus Road to Bayswater Chinese FC affected the club or the fans.

It was none of his business.

So Yang Cheng wasn't about to care either.

But he put on a shocked and slightly flustered expression.

"Martin Rowlands? No, no, Gianni—he's one of our most important players!

You know this. He was the League Two MVP last season. He's our very own Lampard!"

"We can't sell someone like that. He's our anchor in the Championship."

His reaction didn't surprise Paladini—in fact, it was exactly what he expected.

Which only made him feel even more confident.

"He's been excellent, no question. But you know, we were actually the first ones to talk to him before you snatched him away.

A season later, he's revived his career, and we regret not closing the deal.

That's why we're determined now. Ian Holloway sees him as essential for our Premier League push."

Ian Holloway, QPR's head coach.

"It's not possible. We can't lose Martin Rowlands," Yang Cheng replied firmly.

But then he shifted the tone slightly.

"Just recently, Crystal Palace—newly promoted to the Premier League—asked about him.

Relegated clubs Wolves and Leicester also sent inquiries. Even Charlton are keeping tabs…"

As he spoke, Yang Cheng watched Paladini's face carefully.

"But we didn't hesitate. We rejected all of them.

He's just too important to us."

"Last season, he was directly involved in 30 goals. His value to us is greater than Lampard at Chelsea, greater than Gerrard at Liverpool."

Lin Zhongqiu, sitting beside Yang Cheng, had been anxious when Paladini brought up the offer.

But as Yang Cheng spoke, he began to feel… something was off.

He wasn't just emphasizing Rowlands's importance.

He was hyping him up.

Comparing him to Gerrard and Lampard?

Calling him the team's soul and engine?

There was only one conclusion:

The price just went up.

Sure enough, when Yang Cheng started name-dropping other clubs, Paladini started to shift uncomfortably.

Charlton were in the Premier League. Palace had just come up. Wolves and Leicester were fresh from the top flight.

These teams would be offloading big earners and looking for high-value replacements.

Martin Rowlands, a breakout star from the lower divisions, was exactly the kind of player they'd want.

"Mr. Yang, we're talking about cooperation here.

Let's not bring other clubs into it," Paladini said smoothly.

Then, smiling, he looked over at Yang Cheng, who was now wiping sweat from his forehead in feigned anxiety.

"Don't worry. Our offer will be sincere.

If you're willing to let Martin Rowlands go, we'll rent Loftus Road to you for just £500,000 a year.

All food and beverages will be provided at cost."

At that, Yang Cheng's eyebrows relaxed, a look of interest lighting up his face.

Even Lin Zhongqiu was a bit moved.

As mentioned before, Premier League ticket packages always include food and drinks.

For clubs that rent stadiums, concessions are usually an extra charge—controlled by the host team.

For reference, QPR's prices were:

Pies: £3Drinks: £2

That was standard across most London clubs.

With 5,000 fans per match, that's £25,000 per game.

Multiply that by 23 home matches, and you're looking at almost £600,000 a season.

Not counting merchandise or additional concessions.

Sure, the retail price is high, but the actual cost is likely half or less.

So £500,000 per season for a 19,200-seat stadium was a very reasonable deal.

Paladini knew his offer was generous, which was why he had the confidence to push for Rowlands.

…

"Ah Cheng, you're not seriously considering selling Martin Rowlands, are you?"

On the way home, Lin Zhongqiu asked worriedly.

They'd just secured promotion. Was this really the time to risk falling back down?

Yang Cheng glanced over and burst out laughing.

"Remember this, Uncle Lin.

In our club, there's only one irreplaceable person…"

He pointed to himself, brimming with confidence.

"That's me!"

Lin Zhongqiu was taken aback.

If he hadn't lived through this wild, magical season, he would've thought Yang Cheng was mad.

But now… he couldn't argue.

Martin Rowlands was a solid player—sure.

But that's it.

At best, a starting-caliber Championship midfielder.

Last season, he looked brilliant because he was playing behind Ribéry and a powerful striker. His late runs and passing were amplified.

But in the Championship?

The level of competition would be far tougher.

And their defensive problems from last season still hadn't been solved. That was Yang Cheng's top priority for the summer.

The back line needed upgrades.

A reliable center-back was a must.

Yang Cheng already had someone in mind.

As for the midfield:

Huddlestone wasn't a pure destroyer.Modrić had finally adapted to League Two, but now he'd need to adjust again to the Championship.

Still, Yang Cheng had complete faith in the Croatian.

While Martin Rowlands may have looked like a star on the surface, his standing within Yang Cheng's plans had already been shaken.

In Yang Cheng's mind, he was never the most important player.

That title belonged to Ribéry and Modrić.

As for who would replace Martin Rowlands, Yang Cheng had long had someone in mind—a player that would shock everyone.

The transfer fee would be low, he was ready to play, extremely talented, and with proper development, he'd become a world-class midfielder.

And most importantly—he was cheap.

Beyond midfield, the right flank also needed reinforcements.

Steve Jenkins had already begun to fade by the second half of last season—his age was catching up.

Kevin Foley had made solid progress, but Yang Cheng still wanted a top-level right-back.

The right wing, too.

Leeds United was drowning in debt, but still hadn't declared bankruptcy. Would they sell Aaron Lennon?

If Yang Cheng could sign Lennon, it'd be a dream.

A right-sided dagger to stretch the field, overlap and whip in crosses—that would make Ribéry explode on the left.

Besides that, the team needed depth.

Several players were falling behind, including Chambers, Baptiste, Holdsworth, and Lee Williamson. They couldn't keep up with the club's progress.

In the Championship, they simply couldn't be relied on.

Yang Cheng would have to bring in a new batch.

Fortunately, after last season's performance in League Two, many players still had resale value.

…

Running a football club was no small task.

In fact, it was far bigger and more complex than most fans could imagine.

It wasn't just about the eleven players on the pitch and the head coach—it was a vast, specialized, and increasingly sophisticated organization.

During his past life managing Manchester City, Yang Cheng had built out a staff of 300 people.

Covering numerous departments, each with distinct responsibilities—working in harmony toward the same goal.

Since his arrival in this life, Yang Cheng had been committed to building a modern operational structure for Bayswater Chinese FC.

Not just on the administrative side—but on the football side as well.

Just like any modern enterprise, both admin and sport revolved around three key elements:

Selection (recruitment)DevelopmentPathway creation

From a football perspective:

How do you identify the best-fit talent?After signing them, how do you train and develop them?During development, how do you design a sustainable progression pathway?

This applied not just to players, but to staff, the team, even the entire club.

Behind that system stood a wide network of collaboration—youth development, scouting, medical, nutrition, psychology, data analysis, and more.

And all of that required someone to connect, coordinate, and manage it.

Yang Cheng had been planning this since last year.

When he went to Cambridge United to sign Dave Kitson, he coincidentally ran into an old acquaintance—Dan Ashworth, head of the club's elite youth academy.

In Yang Cheng's previous life, Ashworth had played a pivotal role in England's youth revival and national team success.

He was the mastermind behind the influential "England DNA", a document that redefined English football.

Back then, Ashworth was the youth director at Cambridge United, and he and Yang Cheng had hit it off.

But when Yang Cheng invited him to join Bayswater, Ashworth had his doubts.

The club didn't even have a youth academy—or a training facility.

But once Yang Cheng secured the land, he called Ashworth again with a heartfelt second offer:

Come lead the youth department and oversee the integration of the Hendon and Park Royal academies.

Ashworth turned down an offer from West Bromwich Albion.

But he still didn't say yes to Yang Cheng.

Not until Bayswater secured promotion to the Championship, bought the land, and pledged to invest £20 million. Only then did Ashworth commit.

After securing Ashworth, Yang Cheng headed north to contact Mike Rigg, head of Sheffield Wednesday's youth academy.

In Yang Cheng's past life, Rigg was the founder of the UK Sporting Directors' Association, and the two had worked together at Manchester City. His ability was unquestionable.

Yang Cheng offered him the role of Chief Talent Officer—in charge of recruitment, internal communication, and building incentive systems.

Inside the club, Yang Cheng created a new role: Development Coach.

As the name implies, this person would design individual training plans and oversee team development.

The role was rare in Europe, but Cardiff City had one.

So Yang Cheng poached Mark Crook from Cardiff.

He also recruited Gary Worthington, an old acquaintance from Manchester City, to run the scouting department.

A former player who retired in 1994, Worthington had spent years working in youth development at Leeds United.

In Yang Cheng's previous life, Worthington joined Chelsea in 2005, then moved to Manchester City in 2010, where he stayed until Yang's reincarnation.

He was extremely capable.

Now, with a promotion and a raise, he became Bayswater's head of scouting.

Yang's first assignment?

"Go talk to Aaron Lennon."

With his four core youth hires in place, Yang Cheng called a meeting.

He unveiled a blueprint for youth development—including training plans and long-term vision.

On the execution side, Yang introduced a three-step system:

Plan. Execute. Review.

This framework would later be adopted by many top clubs and proven to be highly effective.

As for the training philosophy, it needed no explanation:

Technical abilityAttacking footballPossessionCreativity

In terms of training methods, Yang demanded more innovation.

Instead of the typical "coach commands, players obey" model, he wanted players—especially young ones—to have more autonomy.

"I want training that teaches players to make decisions on their own in real match conditions!"

While Yang was busy restructuring the youth system, he also made a breakthrough on his first summer signing.

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