Seven Hundred and Ninety-Nine Accidents

The past month or so has been like a torment for Ken Bates.

In this patient competition, the eighty-year-old English man with a violent personality had to admit that he lost to the gentle and pleasant Chinese beauty, and had to accept what the other party offered. To extremely unreasonable offer.

His original psychological price was 25 million pounds, no matter how bad it was, he could sell for 20 million pounds.

You know, many League One teams can now sell more than 10 million pounds.

When the Swiss Liebherr family bought Southampton, it also spent 14 million pounds, which was League One.

Nowadays, Leeds United, which ranks in the middle of the English Championship, sells for 20 million pounds. Is it too much?

So, not long after the first meeting, Ken Bates inquired about Su Qing's situation through Kesh Harris.

As a result, when the news was received, the Chinese were clinging to 15 million pounds.

"Mr. Bates, the other party is very firm!" Kesh Harris couldn't help it.

Ken Bates is well-informed and of course knows that this is a negotiation tactic, so he is not in a hurry and continues to wait.

About half a month later, Ken Bates contacted Su Qing again through Kesh Harris, and the news he got was...

"Excuse me, Mr. Bates, I have already returned to China!"

Yes, Su Qing went back to China to go through the resignation procedures.

With the current technology, it is possible to negotiate remotely when returning to China, but Su Qing still showed a dispensable mentality and insisted that she was only willing to pay a purchase price of 15 million pounds.

And in the presence of Kesh Harris, she even directly asked Kesh Harris to help find a team with a purchase price of about this price.

"I hope you understand, Mr Bates, I don't have to buy Leeds United."

Su Qing's demeanor and speech are extremely elegant, but she doesn't give her negotiating opponent any chance to fight back.

"As you all know, I love my fiancé very much, we are getting married this summer, and the reason why I want to buy a club is because I want to know more about my fiancé, his career, his work and his thoughts. "

"Coincidentally,

Leeds United is very close to him, which is the only advantage of Leeds United. "

"In fact, I have also contacted Sheffield United. You can inquire about this. It should not be difficult to find out, because this club is also very close to Cheshire, so I can see my fiancé every day."

"So, I am only willing to pay this price for Leeds United!"

Su Qing uttered the coldest words in the most beautiful voice, making all Bates' calculations come to naught.

But of course the eighty-year-old man will not give in so easily, he is still struggling.

But when the time entered March, Leeds United’s football director Gwen Williams called him, saying that the youth training director had finally been recruited, and members of the club’s board of directors invited Betts to a meeting in Leeds to discuss the restructuring of youth training. Training camp, and a series of matters in the new season.

Gwen Williams is an old acquaintance of Bates when he coached Chelsea. He has coached the Chelsea U18 youth team for nearly 20 years and has cultivated countless talents for the team. He was later promoted to the first team by Bates to assist Gullit , Vialli and Ranieri and others can be described as veterans of the four dynasties.

After Mourinho took office, he was unable to gain a foothold in the first team and became a scout instead.

After Bates acquired Leeds United, he immediately recruited this old acquaintance as the football director, and he has been doing this until now.

He is also Betts' confidant in Leeds United.

As for the director of youth training, it is embarrassing to say.

After Bates acquired Leeds United, he appointed Welshman Dalal Pugh as the director of youth training to take charge of youth training, but in October last year, he suddenly resigned from Gwen Williams on the grounds that the club had already He is in arrears with his salary for three months.

Since November, the youth training director of Leeds United has been vacant. After seeing the situation of Leeds United's youth training camp, many applicants basically retreated.

why?

Because of the U18 and U23 teams, the two most important age groups, Leeds United can't get enough players, plus wage arrears, who wants to stay?

This time it was very difficult. Gwen Williams used his personal relationship to find Chris Sully, a former Chelsea youth player. duty.

Yes, is better than nothing.

In this way, Gwen Williams and the Leeds United board of directors asked Betts to go back to the meeting.

It is said to be a discussion, but in fact it is to solve the matter of money.

Arrears of salary, the transfer budget for the new season, and investment in youth training, all of which require money.

How to deal with it?

These are not coincidences, but because of this time of year, these things have to be dealt with.

Of course, rich teams make ambitious plans, but poor teams, such as Betts and Leeds United, have to wrestle with money, and even Betts dare not show his face.

He had no doubt that if he went to Leeds by himself, he probably wouldn't want to leave unless he paid some money.

There are wolves in front and tigers in back.

Just like that, Bates gritted his teeth, stamped his feet, and agreed!

Fifteen million pounds is fifteen million pounds!

...

As a young man trained by the ministry, Su Qing's resignation still caught the leaders by surprise, but it is not surprising after careful consideration, because the work pressure of the ministry is really great.

Su Qing is not an ordinary person now, she is a high-spirited fiancee who is well-known at home and abroad, if the two get married, then Su Qing's status will be even more extraordinary.

Married to such an outstanding person as Gao Shen, why do you need seniority in the ministry?

Therefore, the leader didn't make too much trouble and asked her to start handing over the business.

After dealing with domestic affairs, Su Qing originally planned to go to Shanghai, but at this moment, she received a call from Kesh Harris, and Ken Bates agreed.

Therefore, Su Qing canceled her trip to Shanghai and asked lawyer Richard Kramer to travel from Leeds to London, and she also flew to London from China. After meeting directly in London, she met with Kesh Harris and Ken Bates Meet.

This time there is an extra lawyer for Ken Bates.

Since the two parties had reached a consensus on the purchase price, the negotiations went smoothly, but there were also some surprises.

Su Qing still insists on hiring a well-known law firm in the magic circle to conduct due diligence on Leeds United. The purpose is to check all accounts and debts, so as to avoid hidden debts after the acquisition, which will not be clear at that time.

Gao Shen will be fully responsible for this cost.

After completing the due diligence, the law firm will issue a detailed report. Ken Bates and the shareholders must pay off all debts and pay all arrears of salaries and expenses before Gaoshen acquires Leeds United for 15 million pounds. .

To put it simply, Gao Shen only paid 15 million pounds, and all other debts and salary arrears have nothing to do with him.

But Ken Bates also brought a surprise message.

"I have contacted other shareholders, and also communicated with the Leeds City government. They all support the acquisition of Leeds United by Chinese capital, but there is a requirement that the acquisition must take Thorpe Arch Training Ground, Elland Road Stadium and the surrounding land were acquired together, and the land outside the Elland Road West Stand was the original Leeds United first-team training ground."

"The total value of these properties is 20 million pounds."

When Su Qing heard the news, her eyebrows immediately frowned.

This made all the men present, including the 80-year-old Ken Bates, feel that this Chinese beauty even frowns in a charming way.

"I can't give an answer to this right now. I need some time to re-evaluate." Su Qing adopted the word dragging tactic.

In fact, in Gao Shen's plan, the stadium and training ground must be bought, and the price is not very expensive.

The purchase price of 20 million pounds, compared with the annual rent of 3 million pounds, as long as the funds are sufficient, it must be more cost-effective, because at that time, the stadium can be expanded and remodeled to increase income.

But before the acquisition, Ken Bates did not have a hard requirement to add these properties.

He also said that this is the request of other shareholders on the board and the Leeds City Council.

The acquisition of Leeds United only cost 15 million pounds in total, and now there is an extra 20 million pounds for no reason, which looks like slaughtering fat sheep.

"Miss Su, don't get me wrong. I can assure you that these properties are definitely worth the money. The reason why I ask you to buy them together is because the properties are owned by private companies. Apart from renting them to Leeds United, they have no For any other use, the annual depreciation charges and other holding costs would be a headache even though there is $3 million in rental income.”

"Whether it is the fan organization or the city government, the reason why they want to merge it into the acquisition is also to ask for peace of mind. After all, you own these properties, which can also prove your determination to operate Leeds United for a long time, can't you?" Harris advised.

The deal has almost been negotiated, and it is time to enter the substantive stage. It is impossible to break it at the door, right?

"That's what I said, but I also need to re-evaluate. After all, it will cost an extra 20 million pounds, which is not a small sum." Su Qing's brows never loosened, and she looked a little dignified.

"In this way, I will send someone to talk to the shareholders and the city government. You will also consider it here. As for the due diligence of the law firm, we will start directly and complete the transaction as soon as possible. What do you think?" Ken Bates It seems a little anxious.

Su Qing knew, nodded and said: "Yes, but at the same time, I hope you can sign a non-disclosure agreement. Before the transaction is completed, don't disclose our identity and specific details to anyone."

Ken Bates thought of Gao Shen's sensitive identity, and immediately nodded in agreement.

The rest was left to the lawyers of both parties to draft the non-disclosure agreement, and the two parties also signed the exclusivity clause.

This also proves that the two parties have reached a preliminary consensus, and the next step is to start due diligence.

From Ken Bates' attitude, Su Qing could also tell that he was in a hurry.

As for properties such as the stadium and training ground, Gao Shen has long been interested in buying them, but now, Su Qing wants to take another look at them.

As Gao Shen said, Ken Bates and others have a wide network of contacts in the UK. Maybe they can get some benefits, or policy considerations?