Chapter 360 Add Money

In the head coach's office at the Carrington training base, Ferguson was staring at the news in a newspaper.

Arsenal and Chelsea finally reached an agreement. Ashley Cole announced his transfer to Chelsea, and the Blues used Gallas in exchange. This transfer, which was a sensation at the time and almost caused Chelsea to be banned and deducted points, finally ended.

But it was not just these that made Ferguson stare blankly. Chelsea sold both Sigan and Pires to Villarreal, the former as a transfer and the latter as a free agent. Bergkamp retired, Campbell terminated his contract, and Reyes was loaned to Real Madrid. All these things were telling Ferguson one thing.

Wenger finally made up his mind!

Some people say that when people get old, their hearts tend to become soft, and they tend to lack fighting spirit, fighting and adventurous spirit, and want to maintain the status quo.

Ferguson thinks otherwise. He thinks that the older a person is, the richer his experience and qualifications are, and the more comprehensive his considerations are. Of course, this will inevitably give rise to a conservative impression of lack of adventurous spirit, but it is not easy for major changes to occur.

Ferguson clearly knows how difficult it is for Wenger to break everything that Arsenal has insisted on in the past few years. This is equivalent to overthrowing everything he has worked hard to build in the past. Without sufficient courage and determination, Wenger would not be able to take this step.

Of course, this is also related to Arsenal's poor performance last season. Although they reached the Champions League final, they almost missed the Champions League this season. Without breaking, there is no building. Wenger should also change.

What about himself? Should I change too?

Ferguson has been changing all the time, but not thoroughly enough. For example, he sent away captain Keane in 2005, which in itself has sounded the signal for Manchester United's reorganization. However, he knows very well that to reorganize Manchester United, he needs to send away another person, that is Van Nistelrooy.

The Dutch striker has become the biggest obstacle in Manchester United's frontcourt. His incompatibility with Cristiano Ronaldo and others has become Manchester United's biggest problem now. This season, Ferguson has decided to introduce Bulgarian striker Berbatov from Leverkusen. This is the horn for changing the front line.

Berbatov, like Van Nistelrooy, has a small range of activities in the frontcourt, but his ball-handling skills are very good. Berbatov's strengths are turning around with the ball, shooting or passing. Moreover, he has a strong scoring ability. Using him to replace Van Nistelrooy is more suitable for Manchester United's next offensive route.

To put it bluntly, it is impossible to play back without a tactical fulcrum in the frontcourt to hold the ball!

Originally, Ferguson wanted to get Chelsea's Van Persie, but it is said that he was intercepted by Ye Qiu, which directly led to him having to spend more than 10 million euros to introduce Berbatov. For this account, Ferguson is still thinking about how to give this kid some revenge.

The idea of ​​adjusting the midfield has been around for a long time. Scholes retreated and participated in more organizational tasks. This has been confirmed in the past year. However, Scholes alone is not enough. There must be someone to share the burden for him, who is responsible for organizing the midfield and distributing the ball. Scholes is in a forward position and is not suitable for this kind of work.

Ferguson decided to take revenge on Ye Qiu for this matter, because he had his eyes on Tottenham Hotspur's main midfielder, Michael Carrick, and he had already contacted Carrick's agent and almost made an offer.

But Ferguson claimed to be a master of confidentiality. Unexpectedly, on this day, Ye Qiu called directly.

"I say, old ghost, you are too insidious. You actually poached my people?" Ye Qiu was indignant on the phone.

Half an hour later, they met in a Chinese restaurant in Manchester. Ye Qiu shamelessly ordered a lot of things, and then pointed directly at Ferguson and said that he would pay later. This is not the image of a celebrity, it is simply extortion.

"Come on, you can't keep Carrick, just tell me, how much?" Ferguson and Ye Qiu had been arguing on the phone for more than ten minutes. When they met, they didn't get angry at all and sat down to talk.

"This amount!" Ye Qiu raised three fingers, but in return, Ferguson gave him a middle finger.

Both of them laughed, but Ye Qiu knew that it would be difficult for Carrick to refuse the invitation from Manchester United, but he still chose to stay, because in his opinion, Carrick was not indispensable to the team, but he was not a player who had to leave.

"There are not many players like Carrick now. Do you think I will let him go easily?" Ye Qiu shook his head and asked with a smile, "You deserve it that you come to beg me now. Who asked you to let Xavi Alonso go?"

Xavi Alonso wanted to join Manchester United, but for some unknown reason, Manchester United did not introduce the Spanish midfielder. It is estimated that this may have something to do with the emotions of midfielders such as Keane.

Carrick's organizational ability may not be as good as Xabi Alonso's, but his passing ability is not weak, and his long pass is also excellent. Ye Qiu is absolutely right. Players like Carrick are becoming fewer and fewer. Pirlo, Xabi, Xabi Alonso, who else? It seems really hard to remember.

If you ask Ye Qiu, he might say that there is also Fabregas, but the Spanish kid is not famous now.

"If you really don't let go, I will train one myself!" Ferguson felt that 30 million euros was too outrageous.

Xabi Alonso came to Liverpool from Real Sociedad for only 15 million euros, and now you want 30 million euros for Carrick. Do you really think I'm a rich guy like Abramovich?

"Just train him. I can't count anyone in your Manchester United team who can do this job. Also, by the time you finally train one, maybe it's no longer popular. You'll be out of business by then, what are you going to do?" Ye Qiu laughed and scolded him, "Besides, this money is not yours, why are you so distressed?"

Ferguson couldn't say anything to this guy, so he changed the subject, "You came to Manchester to talk to me about this?"

Ye Qiu shook his head vigorously, "I'm going to Shrewsbury, and I'll come to Manchester by the way!" After saying that, he couldn't help laughing.

"Get lost, Shrewsbury is northwest of Birmingham!" Ferguson laughed and scolded.

Birmingham is between London and Manchester, and Shrewsbury is a little bit northwest of Birmingham. Even people with heads on their butts know that going from London to Shrewsbury also requires passing through Manchester? What kind of road is this?

Ferguson was very clear at this time. Ye Qiu did come here to talk about Carrick.

"Okay, okay, I won't be long-winded. Let's talk directly to the point!" Ye Qiu finally put down his chopsticks and stopped talking to him. "You want Michael Carrick, and he also wants to go to Manchester United. I can accept it. Give me Ruud van Nistelrooy!"

Without waiting for Ferguson to agree or refuse, Ye Qiu said directly, "Don't tell me that Ruud van Nistelrooy is very important to you, Manchester United's offense will not work without Ruud van Nistelrooy, and how many goals Ruud van Nistelrooy scored in the Premier League last season. I know your thoughts very well, and I also know Ruud van Nistelrooy's embarrassing situation in your team's tactical system. In a word, you add money and I will nod!"

"Ruud van Nistelrooy for Carrick, and add money?" Ferguson really wanted to curse. What kind of logic is this?

As a world-class striker, Van Nistelrooy scored 21 goals in 35 games in the Premier League last season. Such a score is definitely top-notch for a striker. However, although Carrick is excellent, he is a midfielder after all. Manchester United feels that they have lost money by exchanging Van Nistelrooy for Carrick, and they have to pay money?

"Old man, the transfer value of a player does not lie in his ability and level, but in how much you need him. You said that, right?" Ye Qiu looked at Ferguson with a smile. He was not in a hurry at all.

One of the important reasons why he chose Tottenham Hotspur was that the players of this team were more valuable.

Tottenham Hotspur actually prefers a technical tactical style, which is related to their early Europeanization route. Over the years, they have hired European coaches, such as the famous French coach Santini and the Dutch coach Jol, and European coaches generally pay more attention to selecting stars with solid technical skills.

However, this type of player is more popular in the Premier League and has a higher value.

Therefore, Ye Qiu would rather spend more money to acquire Tottenham Hotspur than to choose the cheaper West Ham United. This involves many considerations at different levels.

Compared to midfielders like Carrick, it is easier to find scorers, especially for famous coaches like Ye Qiu and Ferguson. Unless they are very special and powerful strikers, they generally do not have only one target. For example, Ferguson wants a striker who can hold the ball in the frontcourt. Van Persie and Berbatov are both his preferred strikers.

Ferguson is also very clear about this, so after Ye Qiu finished speaking, he thought about it again, and finally shook his head helplessly and asked: "Then you say, how much to add?"

Ye Qiu laughed, "10 million euros!"

"Are you crazy?" Ferguson shook his head directly, "I will add 5 million at most!"

"It depends on how sincere you are, 10 million, not a penny less!" Ye Qiu was also very persistent.

Ferguson was also angry. This guy was just treating him like Abramovich. Wasn't he treating him like a fool? Was he that stupid? At worst, Carrick would be gone!

"Five million, not a penny more!"

"I'm really disappointed in you, Sir Ferguson. In my mind, you don't have the heroic spirit of treating money as dirt! And think about it yourself. Now that Carrick has run away, Manchester United's midfield problem cannot be solved. There is still no chance of winning the championship this season, and Mourinho will have to suppress it. If you don't believe me, just wait and see!"

Ye Qiu also looked like he believed that you would make a wise judgment, but this was purely a reminder to him, "In a word, this is the last offer. Let's make a concession. Eight million euros. If you want it, take it. If you don't want it, I'll leave!"

After that, Ye Qiu added, "I can guarantee that if you missed Carrick today, you will definitely feel guilty and regretful in the future just like you missed Xabi Alonso."

Ferguson was really hit by Ye Qiu's words. Missing Xabi Alonso and Ronaldinho really made Manchester United miss many opportunities. Manchester United should not be like this, but it was because of hesitation that they missed opportunities, which eventually led to problems in the team's renewal.

When thinking of this, Ferguson finally gritted his teeth. Damn, isn't it just three million?

"Deal!" Ferguson slammed the table. He knew that once this transfer was announced to the public, it would definitely attract many people's doubts, thinking that he had made a bad deal. But only those who really understood him would know what kind of meaning was hidden behind this deal.

"Great!" Ye Qiu stretched out his hand and shook it with Ferguson.

With their handshake, Tottenham Hotspur will exchange Michael Carrick for Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Manchester United will pay an additional 8 million euros to Tottenham Hotspur.

After Ye Qiu took over Tottenham Hotspur, the team's operations were also in full swing.

From the beginning, he drew up a very detailed plan for the team, sorting things into priorities. In order to cope with the next season, transfers must be handled as soon as possible, with signings and sales being carried out at the same time. On the other hand, Ye Qiu also asked Eliza Moon to select a suitable new training base for the team.

This is not a random choice, because training bases generally occupy a large area, such as Arsenal's Colney and Chelsea's Cobham, the two major training bases cover an area of ​​about 700 and 800 acres. If it is close to London, let alone whether there is such land, even if there is, how outrageous will the price be?

Cobham is in the southwest of London, while Colney is in the north of London. Both are in the suburbs, so the land is cheaper.

Like all big cities, London is crowded, but once you get to the suburbs, the land is vast and sparsely populated, and the land in many places is not valuable. In addition, training bases generally prefer to choose places with convenient transportation, but relatively quiet and not disturbed by the outside world, so they are generally in the suburbs of small towns in the suburbs.

As you can imagine, buying land in such places is naturally not too expensive.

The day after Ye Qiu went south from Manchester, Eliza took him north again, but this time they would not go too far, just north of Enfield in the northern suburbs of London, in the middle of the border with Cheshunt. The transportation here is very convenient. There is an intersection directly down the M25 highway, and the road is very convenient.

The surrounding area is inhabited by the middle class, and the public security is relatively good, because generally speaking, the public security in some small towns in the suburbs of London may be better than that in the city. For example, the small village of Totteridge where Ye Qiu lives has no problem with public security.

Cheshunt and Enfield are both places where the middle class lives. The Lee Valley Whitewater Center, an Olympic venue specially built by the British government for the canoeing and rapids event of the London Olympics, is located here, but there is no plan to start construction for the time being.

The surrounding area has beautiful scenery, convenient transportation, and dense forests on both sides of the road, which is the best natural barrier.

More importantly, it is very cheap here. Although it is separated from the Enfield District of London by the M25 highway, it belongs to Hertfordshire, and Hertfordshire also strongly supports Tottenham Hotspur to come to their southernmost end to build such a training base.

Coincidentally, the location of Arsenal's Colney training base also belongs to Hertfordshire, but they are located in Colney, west of central Hertfordshire, and are separated from the training ground of Watford Club by a wall, while Chelsea is in the southeast corner of Hertfordshire.

The two major Premier League teams have built their training bases in Hertfordshire, and the policies given are naturally similar, and they are given preferential treatment when buying land.

Ye Qiu's idea is that in addition to the first-team training ground, the youth team training ground, and their respective training buildings and venues, he also wants to build an indoor training ground, which undoubtedly requires more money to operate, and the land area also needs to be larger, so this time Tottenham Hotspur directly took 250 acres of land, which is about 1,510 acres.

Perhaps worried that Tottenham Hotspur was not satisfied with the government's preferential treatment, they told them about the planning of the surrounding area, that is, just across the B198 road from them, the new site of the famous St. Mary's School in the UK will be located here.

In the UK, public schools are 25 particularly good private schools called public schools, which can also be understood as elite schools.

According to the standards of public schools, one is to have a long history, the second is to focus on humanities education, the third is to have classical and religious courses, the fourth is to pay special attention to sports activities, and the fifth is that the tuition is very expensive.

Eliza decided that this place was good, in addition to convenient transportation and beautiful environment, because the neighbor next door was St. Mary's School. She felt that Tottenham Hotspur could fully cooperate with St. Mary's School to help them improve sports, and then arrange their youth training players to study in this school.

You know, sports are very important in the UK, otherwise, there would be no sports activities in the selection criteria of public schools, and football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in England, so such cooperation is entirely possible.

Ye Qiu also felt that this would definitely have very long-term benefits for Tottenham Hotspur, so he finally decided to choose this place as the team's new training base, and asked Eliza to negotiate with St. Mary's School to discuss cooperation matters.

This 1,510 acres of land cost Ye Qiu 2 million euros, but the land was surrounded by green trees, forming a natural barrier, and the environment was beautiful. There was also a stream named Theobald running through it, which undoubtedly provided convenience for the drainage system of the training base, and at the same time, it would make the entire training base more natural.

Ye Qiu was even thinking that he should hire someone to design the architecture and planning of this training base, making full use of the natural environment here, in order to create a modern training base that is not inferior to Colney and Cobham, or even better than these two so-called five-star bases.

And he has always had many ideas about the training base, but he didn't implement them because Cobham had already taken shape. Now he thinks he should think about how to apply them to his own training base. After all, this is his own property and territory. Everything must be done to the best, and strive to build the best training base.

And all these things naturally fell on Eliza's head.

This poor woman had no way to resist except to cast a resentful look, so she could only think mischievously that in a few years, St. Mary's School would come in, and the London Olympic venues would be built. The value of the land here would definitely skyrocket. Wouldn't it be fun to sell the hard work of this guy to build it?

Thinking of this, she seemed to see Ye Qiu's miserable look, and couldn't help but smile slyly over there.