Starting With Real Madrid

Speaking of which, Bayern's lack of a goalkeeper really was a butterfly effect caused by Gao Shen.

Back when Germany was torn between the two rising stars, Neuer and Adler, most people supported Adler. He was seen as more stable, had better performances, and his development was quicker than Neuer's—both at the national team level and at club level.

But Bayern's Hoeness had always been interested in Neuer, and at one point even publicly declared Bayern's intent to sign him.

The reasoning was simple. Neuer had stronger physical and psychological attributes.

At the time, Bayern still had Kahn's successor, Rensing, so there wasn't an urgent need for Neuer. Schalke 04 didn't want to sell either, so Bayern didn't push. They felt confident in their long-term plan.

But no one could have predicted that after Gao Shen took over at Manchester City, he would snatch Neuer away.

After that, Rensing's form declined dramatically, while Neuer excelled, even stepping in for the injured Adler at the World Cup in South Africa and establishing himself as Germany's new number one.

Now Bayern had missed the boat.

For the past two years, Bayern had been relying on veteran Hans-Jörg Butt, who has now retired.

Who will guard the goal for Bayern?

To be fair, Bayern's top management had good vision.

Ever since his injury before the 2010 World Cup, Adler's form had declined. Last season, he missed nearly the entire campaign with a patellar injury, which seriously impacted Leverkusen.

As a result, Leverkusen urgently loaned a 19-year-old from Stuttgart named Bernd Leno at the beginning of the season. In just half a season, Leno completely won over the club, prompting Leverkusen to pay €7 million to make the move permanent.

Now, Adler's situation was awkward.

Though he had recovered from injury, he hadn't regained his form.

After last season's outstanding performances, Bernd Leno had become one of the Bundesliga's most promising goalkeepers.

The other was the "Little Lion King" Ter Stegen, born the same year, just two months younger.

Ter Stegen had also impressed at Borussia Mönchengladbach. His exceptional footwork stood out, and although he produced some stunning saves, his consistency was still a concern.

Interestingly, there was another 1992-born goalkeeper who had been drawing significant attention—Courtois, the Belgian talent at Leeds United. He was 11 days younger than Ter Stegen, but was currently the most valuable of the three.

According to Transfermarkt's estimates: Courtois was valued at €13.5 million, Ter Stegen at €9 million, and Leno at €7.2 million.

In the European transfer market, you often get what you pay for.

Player valuation differs from transfer fees. Valuation is based on a comprehensive assessment, especially with Transfermarkt, whose valuations carry weight. The transfer fee, however, depends more on market factors.

…

Strictly speaking, it's not surprising that Bayern are targeting Courtois.

Hoeness had previously expressed public interest in him.

But expressions of interest are one thing, actual action is another.

"There are quite a few teams after Courtois," Gao Shen frowned.

Su Qing, seated across from him, nodded. "The clubs that have contacted us include Tottenham, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and AC Milan. Real Madrid made an inquiry previously, and I've heard PSG are also interested."

The reality in European football right now is that good goalkeepers are hard to find.

Any team in need of a keeper will have their eye on Courtois.

The reason is simple—he's the most accessible.

For a club like Leeds United, it's nearly impossible to keep hold of star players.

Of course, there's no need to force them to stay either.

But at the same time…

"I guess Sarri isn't too happy about it?" Gao Shen asked with a wry smile.

Su Qing grinned, "His face turned dark immediately."

This is the fate of small and mid-sized clubs.

Gao Shen believed Sarri could adapt his mindset.

Back when he was in Naples, Gao Shen managed to keep his squad intact mainly because there weren't so many financially dominant teams. Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio and others were dealing with the Calciopoli scandal, and the Premier League's financial power hadn't yet exploded.

If it were now, those players would've been poached already.

It was all timing—and luck.

…

Besides Courtois, Adam Lallana had also become a hot commodity, with many Premier League clubs eyeing him.

Teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, and even Manchester United were interested, especially given his homegrown status.

It was reported that after the European Championship, Lallana would be called up to the new England squad.

Manchester United had already submitted a bid for Schneiderlin, while Chelsea and Spurs were circling as well.

Paulinho was being pursued by Chelsea and Tottenham, Benteke by Arsenal and Liverpool, and even Bolasie had received an offer from newly promoted West Ham, coached by Sam Allardyce.

Like Ferguson, Allardyce is a data-driven manager, and Bolasie's metrics were quite impressive.

All of this gave Gao Shen and Su Qing a major headache.

Logically, a promoted team should aim to keep the core of its squad stable.

But Leeds United had performed too well in last season's League Cup.

They beat Manchester United and Arsenal back-to-back, reached the final, and even scored three goals against Manchester City. That left a lasting impression on many.

Without those Cup runs, this group wouldn't have drawn so much attention. But performances against elite teams really showcased their talent and potential.

…

After breakfast, just as Gao Shen and Su Qing were preparing to head to Manchester, Lucas and Borrell arrived.

The two lived near Gao Shen.

There was no need to ask why they were here—it was clearly about summer transfers.

"What did Sarri say?" Gao Shen went straight to the point.

In transfer dealings, the manager's opinion is a key reference.

"We obviously don't want to sell, but the current situation doesn't work in our favor," Lucas sighed.

Borrell followed with a bitter smile, "I spoke with him yesterday. If Courtois does leave, Navas is capable of stepping up. Our goalkeeping coach has a high opinion of him."

The Costa Rican international had been strongly recommended by Gao Shen and had shown solid quality.

Unfortunately, Courtois had performed so well and consistently last season that Navas had few chances.

But based on his training performance, his level remained high.

"What about the plan we discussed earlier?" Gao Shen asked.

Previously, he and the technical staff had discussed using Jorginho, Allan, or Kondogbia to replace Schneiderlin and Paulinho if both were sold.

"He thinks it's viable. He's especially optimistic about Jorginho," Borrell said.

"When I mentioned that if we sell Adam Lallana, we could bring in Coutinho from Inter Milan, he thought about it for a while and agreed. His vision aligns with yours—he wants to establish an attacking route down the left."

Gao Shen wasn't surprised. He knew Sarri well and had anticipated that line of thought.

"However, there's another issue. Bolasie is also getting attention from Newcastle, Everton, and West Ham."

That complicated things.

If Adam Lallana, Benteke, and Bolasie all left at once, their attacking trident would be gutted.

Mane, Salah, and Zaha could fill the void, but they were all still young, which was a concern.

Gao Shen knew what those players could become in the future, but Lucas, Borrell, and Sarri didn't.

Although Leeds United were built around young players, relying entirely on such an inexperienced front line in the Premier League was risky.

Gao Shen thought for a moment and nodded. "Have the scouts check out a winger. I believe he'll become a key weapon for us next season."

Lucas and Borrell exchanged surprised looks.

But they had worked with Gao Shen for years and trusted his instincts. He always had a knack for spotting talent others overlooked. So, they weren't all that shocked.

"We'll also need two midfielders and a defender. Let Sarri know that the 25-man registration list will be tailored to his needs. I won't let him down," Gao Shen said with confidence.

That put Lucas and Borrell at ease.

As things stood, there weren't any major issues with Leeds United's squad registration.

The homegrown player quota, which was a headache for many clubs, wasn't a problem at all.

The main reason? The team was just too young.

Youth is a double-edged sword.

How to use it—that would be up to Sarri.

…

During the conversation, Gao Shen also asked about Vardy.

The local player really had a tough break.

It wasn't that Gao Shen had anything against him. He just hadn't been lucky.

In the second half of last season, when the fixture schedule was tight, Vardy had managed to get some game time.

Alongside Harry Kane, the two had shared minutes as substitutes and even started on occasion.

But now that the team was in the Premier League…

Gao Shen figured Vardy would need to adapt again.

Still, there was one upside to being in the Premier League—the reserve league's competition level was much higher.

Gao Shen believed that would be very helpful for Vardy.

The key was Vardy's own work ethic.

According to Lucas and Borrell, he had insisted on going to the club for individual training even during the off-season, seemingly challenging himself.

Borrell said that in order to fit into the team's passing-and-movement style, Vardy had gritted his teeth and stuck with even the most monotonous technical drills. His improvement was obvious.

That was a key reason he was able to get minutes last season.

Just hearing that, Gao Shen could feel the determination burning inside Vardy.

"Keep monitoring him and give him more support. I believe he'll surprise us," Gao Shen said calmly.

As for what kind of surprise?

Even Gao Shen didn't know.

Because Vardy's destiny had already changed.

(To be continued.)

Junkdog's Note: 5 bonus chapter because my club just won the fucking Club World Cup, Up the chels 😭💙