Chapter 739: Volume 6: Crimson Twilight of the Chinese Sun

Author's statement: All groups, individuals, and events involved in this article are purely fictitious, please do not make mistakes.

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Tang En's attitude towards Sun Jihai was very complicated. At the beginning, I personally persuaded him to go to Nottingham Forest. It is undeniable that Sun Jihai came here because he was Richards' replacement. It may not be fair to Sun Jihai himself to say so, but it is true. But Tang En knew the performance of Sun Jihai who came to the forest team. He was a dedicated professional player. The lack of level and attitude makes up for it. Overall, Tang En is quite satisfied. Except for some Chinese media complaining all day long that Tang En didn't give Sun Jihai the main position, nothing happened.

But with increasing age and frequent injuries, it is an indisputable fact that he has gradually lost his position in the team. Now Sun Jihai couldn't even play as a backup guard, and most of the time he could only play with the reserve team. Even when the forest team was extremely short of players, Twain didn't give him any chance.

During that time, the Chinese media attacked Tony Twain for being unfriendly to Chinese players.

But Nottingham Forest is not a charity. Players who are incapable and unable to keep up with the needs of the team will naturally have to be eliminated. Sun Jihai is not a direct descendant of the team, nor is he an indispensable player. No matter how good his spirit is...he is not the only one with high spirit value in Nottingham Forest.

Next summer, Sun Jihai's contract with the team will officially expire. Tang En no longer planned to give Sun Jihai any new contract, not only that, he decided to sell Sun Jihai this summer. Now there are two English championship teams who are interested in Sun Jihai, and if they manage well, they won't lose too much.

Both Sheffield United and Crystal Palace hope to get the all-round defender from China.

However, they only expressed their intention to purchase, and have not yet made a formal offer.

Just when Tang En decided to wait and see for a while, Evan approached him, hoping that he would reconsider the matter of renewing the contract with Sun Jihai.

Tang En was very surprised when he heard this request.

"What's going on, Evan? I remember we had a common view on Sun Jihai's future."

Evan smiled, instead of answering Dunn's question right away, he talked about Alan's matter. "Didn't you always tell me that the plan couldn't keep up with the changes? You know that Allen has been out looking for sponsors for the project of the new stadium. He found the Arabs first. Arsenal's Emirates Stadium was sponsored by the Emirates. Ten years of naming rights as the price. I think this is a very appropriate price. But..." He spread his hands.

"The Arabs agreed to inject funds into this project, but they demanded that a spokesperson be set up in the clubs to supervise whether their money is spent properly. In fact...you should be able to understand if I don't say it?"

Tang En nodded.

"I don't want to add a high-level administrator who I am completely unfamiliar with in the club, no matter how much money he represents behind him." Evan Dalgety said with a smile. But it made Tang En understand that this man is actually a person with a strong desire for power.

"And China is doing just fine in this worldwide financial crisis. So Allen has his sights set on that..."

When he said this, Tang En finally interrupted: "Have you found the rich man in China?"

"Not yet." Evan shook his head.

It was strange, but Twain felt a little regretful.

"So reconsider the contract with Sun Jihai...Do you want to give some kind of hint to potential investors in China?" Tang En is not stupid, he quickly straightened out the relationship between the two.

"Tang told me that China is very disappointed with their own football. Under such circumstances, the only Chinese fans who can make Chinese fans feel a little proud are Sun Jihai, a Chinese player who is still playing for the Forest team. He is now the only player in China who is still playing in the top European leagues."

Shao Jiayi, who played in Cottbus at the beginning, has been listed for sale by the team and sold to the Bundesliga Second Division. Zheng Zhi is still struggling in the British Championship. Every time there are rumors that a certain Premier League team has taken a fancy to him, but in the end it is just wishful thinking by the Chinese.

As for those young players who had been placed with high hopes... they are not doing well now.

In this context, those Chinese fans can only regard Sun Jihai and Tang as their only consolation.

Tang is the hope of the Chinese coaches, and Sun Jihai...of course not the hope of the players, but he can already be counted as the most successful Chinese overseas players. And it is estimated that for a long time, there will be no latecomers who can surpass his current status-the first Chinese player studying abroad, the first Chinese player to play in the European arena, the first Chinese player to score goals in the European arena, China The first player to win the Champions League, the first Chinese player to win the Premier League, the first Chinese player to win the double crown... Countless "first man" hats were put on his head by enthusiastic Chinese media and fans.

Looking at these achievements, it is indeed worthy of the title of "the most successful Chinese player".

Even if he is old and frail now, and has played very few games, just look at the fact that he is still in the forest first-team roster every year after the start of the new season. For those Chinese fans who have nothing else to ask for, it is the greatest consolation.

Tang En felt very sad. The biggest consolation of this country's football is that they can only play as a second-line substitute in the Forest team, and they are already on the verge of being abandoned by the team.

"I understand." Tang En nodded, "I will reconsider giving Sun Jihai a new contract. But he must accept a salary cut. You know, he is not in my plan for the new season."

What is even more sad is that the greatest consolation has almost no competitive value for the Forest team. The only reason for him to stay is because the club hopes to use him as a cover to attract Chinese funds. From a professional player to a flag hanging in front of the door to attract money.

Evan left with a satisfied smile, while Dunn stared blankly at the faxes of price inquiries from the two clubs on the table.

If he asks the two clubs to make their own bids, how much more can Sun be worth at most?

one million? Or 1.5 million? Maybe... not even a million?

Sun Jihai's sense of presence in the team is very low, perhaps because he is a Chinese and relatively low-key. The living habits are also different from other European teammates. He never goes to parties where there are many sexy girls to set the mood, and he doesn't go to any nightclub to relax. After training every day, I drive home alone to accompany my wife and children, and play with my children on the grass in my backyard. Tang En once accompanied Tang to Sun Jihai's home for a small Spring Festival during the Spring Festival of the year before last. When Tang and Sun Jihai were chatting in Chinese, Sun Jihai mentioned his wish-"Actually, I don't have any wishes. I am alone. People here make money, support their wives and children, how can they do it if they don’t work hard? My wish is to work hard to make money, make more money when I can still make money, and live a good life after I retire. I don’t think about anything else... My teammates are actually very good to me, but I can’t play with them. After all, we are not from the same world.”

His life was so simple that it was a little boring, but he was used to it. Playing at Nottingham is a job for him. His children are already attending school in Nottingham, receiving a British education. But after he retired, Tang En believed that the family would return to China immediately. With the savings of working hard in the UK for these years, I can live a life like any ordinary Chinese.

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Sun Jihai didn't know that surrounding him, the club and China were connected in this way. I don't know that his fate and future have been changed because of these things.

His agent has notified him before that there are two English Championship teams wanting him to join. What Sun Jihai meant was to see what the forest team said. Anyway, there was still one year of contract expiration, so he was not in a hurry to sell himself. Joining those teams for free a year later may attract more buyers by then.

In addition, after the team's vacation, he just came to the training ground to participate in training on time every day, and then drove home after the training. Occasionally receive a few media reporters from China, sign autographs for those Chinese students outside the training ground or other places, and take photos with them. Life is the same as any previous season.

Until one day, Tony Twain called his agent, hoping to discuss with him about contract renewal negotiations.

This news surprised Sun Jihai—he is not a fool, nor is he a hot-blooded boy who likes to fantasize. He knows his place on the team. If Nottingham Forest is smart enough, the best way is to sell him this summer. That way they still get a little money. Otherwise, after a year, they will get nothing. He thinks so on the basis that the team will definitely not renew his contract.

I didn't expect Tang En to talk to his agent about renewing the contract.

In this regard, his agent was not surprised. He vaguely heard that Alan Adams, the club's market subject, was active in China.

He felt that he could get a good contract extension for both Sun Jihai and himself.

Tang En gave Sun Jihai a new contract for two years from this summer, but Sun Jihai had to accept a 50% salary cut.

Sun Jihai's Chinese agent rejected Tang En's contract. He believes that a 50% salary cut is completely unacceptable. Because this contract is not a two-year extension on the basis of the original contract, Sun Jihai can still get 100% of his salary in the new season. Once this contract is signed, he will lose half of his income. This is the main reason for his disagreement.

They can completely reject this contract, and then take 100% salary for one year with peace of mind, and then freely transfer to other teams after the contract expires next year.

But Dunn would never agree to the other party's proposal that the salary standard remain unchanged. The team is now racking their brains to increase income and reduce expenditure, and control expenditure. If Sun Jihai leaves this summer, it will be good for everyone. It happened that Allen wanted to find a local rich man in China who was willing to pay for his new plan, so Sun Jihai became an important player instead. Even so, Twain would not allow a contract with the same salary requirements as before for a second-line substitute player.

He told the other party that Sun Jihai's level was no longer worth his original salary—of course, that's not what he said in the original words, and it would be too hurtful to say that. He said it very tactfully, just giving an example to the Chinese agent. No club in the world would offer such a contract for a player who is about to retire. Even Maldini of AC Milan must accept a salary reduction contract, not to mention A Chinese player?

The agent also made it clear—the club thinks that Sun Jihai is still useful, so it should meet our requirements.

Tang En said that would not work, what was met was a reasonable request, not a wild asking price. How about this, in order to show sincerity, let’s all make a compromise—a 25% salary cut.

This proposal was approved by the other party. So the next step is simple, everyone meets and signs together, and celebrates with a glass of champagne.

Sun Jihai will continue to belong to Nottingham Forest in the next two years. When the contract expires, he will be thirty-four years old. At that time, whether he planned to continue to work hard in the UK or return to China to play for Dalian was not something Tang En should worry about. What's more, maybe next summer there will be several more faxes asking how much Sun Jihai can sell them for, and they will appear on his desk again.

If Allen can really successfully attract Chinese funds, then who will worry about whether Sun Jihai can continue to stay in the team?

Tang En is not a great benevolent person of Chinese football, he has no leisure to cultivate a savior for Chinese football, or establish a banner figure.

After Sun Jihai finished his work, good news came from the other side.

Abanglaho has a showdown with Villa. In a secret meeting with Martin O'Neill, he told the head coach that he wanted to play at Nottingham Forest. The reason is simple, he has confidence in Tony Twain. He thinks going to Nottingham Forest can satisfy his desire to win honors. Tony Twain is a head coach who can lead him to victory and glory, even if he has just recovered from a heart attack.

Martin O'Neill could not convince Abanglaho. This kid was obviously fascinated by Tony Twain's personal charm.

It's time for Villa to seriously consider how much money to bid for Abanglaho...

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Three days later, Nottingham Forest announced that they had brought speedy striker Gabriel Agbonlaho from Aston Villa for £16 million.

In the new season, Abang Raho will wear the No. 18 jersey left by Arshavin, gallop across the frontcourt of the Forest team, and beat every opponent with speed.

After Anelka, Twain finally had another speed forward in the true sense.

If Ruud van Nistelrooy and Zikic were more like a heavy hammer, then Abanglaho is a sharp dagger. With a hammer and a dagger, Tang En can easily and calmly face enemies of various styles...