In the summer of '99, Aldrich's life was uneventful, ordinary as water, like the daily life of the general public.

Melanie is inseparable from each other every day, walking and shopping during the day, cooking at home, watching movies next to each other at night, or Aldrich sitting quietly on the balcony reading a book, while she is easily sleepy and often goes to bed early.

Although such a plain life is not magnificent or romantic, it is the most real and comfortable time.

Melanie often lamented in his ear that such moments made her enjoy them in peace.

Aldrich, on the other hand, always laughed and did not say anything.

As July approaches, the doors of the transfer market are about to open and the news of transfers from various clubs is starting to get loud.

The main team of Millwall's first team began to "habitually" get involved with the major European giants, but scandals are always scandals.

But the different news that came out of various media outlets pointed the incident at an unexpected player.

Leo Ferdinand!

The club with which he was rumored to be a scandal was Leeds United.

At the same time, a number of players in the Millwall squad have been linked with Leeds United.

David O'Reilly, now dubbed Young Marshal of the White Rose, is highly anticipated and people are keeping their eyes peeled for next season's performance.

But it will require more support from Leeds United club, and with O'Reilly's cards alone, after a successful season, Leeds United will obviously be targeted by various teams if they do not strengthen in the new season.

In Leeds United, Colwill used his relationship with the Australian national team to persuade Neil, Cahill and Bresciano to join Leeds United.

Lucas Neil is an old man in the team. Follow Aldrich from the beginning. His loyalty is unquestionable. Even if Colwill came to persuade him, Neil was unmoved, originally, Neil was above Colwell regardless of fame or football achievements, if he reversed his position, Neil persuaded Colwill, maybe the success rate would be greater.

But Cahill and Bresciano were a little impressed. They couldn't even play as a substitute at Millwall, were loaned out for two years in a row, and performed well under David Moyes, helping David Moyes lead the team to promotion to League One last season, and helping David Moyes's side not only succeed in relegation last season, but also finished in the top half of League One, and their performances have also attracted the attention of England's first-tier clubs.

Among the transfer news that has been followed by different media outlets on Fleet Street, Rio Ferdinand is Millwall's biggest potential trader, followed by Mills. Duff, Van der Meyde. They all had scandals with Leeds United.

It's actually much more than that.

Adam's message to Aldridge is that Leeds United's summer transfer offensive is almost trying to wipe out Millwall's youth team talent pool between the ages of 18 and 20!

Ritzdale is ambitious to build a strong Leeds United, and he can't afford to make a big investment like Bates, but he relies on the successful model of O'Reilly and the youth army, and hopes that Leeds United can replicate Millwall's meteoric rise.

On July 1st, Aldrich got up in the morning to accompany Melanie to the park for a walk, just out of the house, a high-end car was parked at the door, a strange young man got out of the car, came to Aldrich, took the initiative to hand over his business card, and then introduced himself.

He is Ritzdale's assistant to Leeds United's current hierarchy for this summer's transfer.

Aldrich didn't squint, threw away his business card, took Melanie's hand and walked out, and said lightly as he passed by the stunned young man: "If you don't understand the rules of the game, go home, don't come out and be embarrassed." ”

Melanie snuggled up to Aldrich with a smile and pinched his arm a little harder.

Ritzdale's assistant was indiscriminately humiliated.

O'Reilly could come and talk to Aldridge about the transfer in person, and that's a conversation between the two managers.

Ritzdale can also take the initiative to come to talk to Aldrich, who will open the door of the office for the two to sit down and talk slowly, which is a normal communication between the two club owners.

But if Leeds United sent a senior manager, who was neither the manager, nor the owner or the chairman, to come to Aldridge to discuss business, the status would not be equal, and in the conventional rules, it would be a lack of respect and courtesy.

He can come, but don't look for Aldrich, but go to Adam, then follow the rules, bypass Adam, this is the CEO who defy Millwall.

In this regard, Moratti is the opposite of the typical, so far, Millwall and Inter Milan have not made a deal, but Moratti never let anyone else call Aldridge, they are direct exchanges between them as bosses whether they make transactions or not, this is the most basic kind of respect, and it has also allowed the two to establish a friendship, but friendship is friendship, business is business, or they should be treated differently.

Two days later, Cahill and Bresciano visited Aldridge in Liverpool.

After a two-hour meeting, Aldridge hugged Cahill and Bresciano before seeing them off himself.

Melanie stood by the upstairs window, watching Cahill and Bresciano leave with a loss of heart, and when Aldrich returned home, she went downstairs and sat down beside him, and whispered, "They seem to be in a very low mood." What did you talk about? ”

"I gave them permission to leave."

"If you let them stay, will it make them happy?"

"That's not good for their careers."

Aldrich's mood was also somewhat affected.

The two men are looking to stay at Millwall, but they don't have a regular place and it's hard to even play as a substitute, especially at their age and need more games to improve.

Aldridge suddenly thought of Ferguson again, and he suddenly felt that his current mood was probably the same as Ferguson's mood of letting Phil Neville go, both reluctant but had to do it. All. Just for the sake of the players.

"What are you thinking?"

Melanie poked his finger in the face. Try to make him laugh.

"Ferguson comes to mind."

"Uh-huh, what do you want that old man to do? Isn't it uncomfortable? You win the Champions League, he wins the Champions League, and he gets knighted, and you get a knight's medal. ”

Aldrich was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and smiled: "It's different, it has nothing to do with this." ”

Alex Ferguson was knighted for the title, albeit in terms of green record. Aldridge has certainly been stronger than Ferguson over the years.

But Millwall's Champions League win and Manchester United's Champions League have had very different influences in British society.

One is a giant club that has swept the UK since the 60s, and the other is a newly rising dark horse team.

When Millwall won the Champions League, everyone would only be surprised, the fans would be surprised, and that's it.

But how many generations of British Red Devils fans have been excited by Manchester United's Champions League victory? In terms of domestic influence, Millwall is at best capable of beating Manchester United in London, and the Red Devils are still the dominant players in England. The vast majority of fans in England are not wall-to-wall grass and will not immediately abandon their former football beliefs just because Millwall has played a few years well and won some titles. Aldridge sees this very openly, he does not want to compete with Manchester United for the glory of the past, but for the future.

Moreover, the socio-political stance of London and Manchester will also play a big role, and it is normal for the royal family to be favored by the royal family with Manchester's absolute allegiance to the Queen.

Aldrich has nothing to look at.

The great Xiangshuai in the history of the Red Army and Paisley, who won the Champions League three times and opened up the Liverpool dynasty to rule Europe, are the two knighted? No, only the OBE medal, that's a ball! Who has set Liverpool's political stance in opposition to Manchester's? Isn't it against Manchester and not against the royal family?

Manchester United not only knighted Busby, Charlton Athletic, and Alex Ferguson, but also countless players who have won medals of honor at all levels, such as Aldridge's knighthood, that thing is rotten.

Therefore, this kind of thing really goes to my heart, I can be awkward for a lifetime, as long as I don't take the royal family seriously, the British royal family has long existed in name only, wearing the emperor's new clothes.

Two days later, Rio Ferdinand also came to Liverpool from London.

"Boss, I'm 21 next season and I need more consistent playing time."

"Chief, a season of cup and league substitutes, 25 appearances is not enough for me.

"Boss"

Aldridge and Ferdinand were standing and talking in the back garden.

The two never talked about "money" from beginning to end.

Ferdinand's words were sincere, and he seemed to be definitely trying to convince Aldridge to let him go.

Somehow, maybe it's Aldrich's villain's heart.

He always felt that there seemed to be a copper stench in the air.

Ferdinand really didn't leave for the money?

He didn't even ask Millwall if he would be in contention for a place in the main team in the new season.

It seems that the starting point of his remarks is to believe that he will be an absolute substitute in the new season, playing from start to finish, and there will be no situation where he will rise to the top after performing well.

It's only July 5th.

How does he know if Millwall will sell Materazzi or Southgate in the summer?

If he wants to stay, he should at least wait, wait patiently, and wait until the new season kicks off in August, when it's not too late to make a transfer.

But maybe he can't wait.

Can't wait to sign the new contract that Ritzdale is paying him 30,000 a week!

That's nearly double his weekly salary of $16,000 at Millwall!

And, there could be a signing fee of almost £1 million!

Aldridge did not give Ferdinand a positive answer, saying only that he would consider his appeal and then let him go home and wait for news.

Personally sending Ferdinand out of the house, Aldridge watched the other party get into the taxi and turn around to walk home, he sighed slightly.

He needed to make a decision, and Rio Ferdinand's showdown made him have to make a decision as soon as possible.

Whether to let him go, or to forcibly leave him behind.

No matter what it is, you have to make a decision as soon as possible, even if you force him to stay, it will give him a period of time to adjust his mentality.

Rio Ferdinand has three years left on his contract with the club, and if he stays and he doesn't get in for two years, Millwall will lose his transfer fee, which is a predictable scenario.

But can the 23-year-old Ferdinand challenge the more stable Materazzi and Gareth Southgate?

Unless, unless, really, these two have major injuries or transfer away.

Rio Ferdinand has turned down a £20,000-a-week offer from the club, which is already the top of the Premier League team's offer to substitutes, and more than 60% of Premier League clubs' main players do not get a salary.

However, he seemed to have made up his mind.

Aldrich smiled self-deprecatingly as he returned home.

A weekly salary of £20,000 and a weekly salary of £30,000 is a difference of almost £500,000 a year, plus a signing fee

People die for money, birds die for food, and there is nothing to blame Ferdinand. (To be continued......)