Monaco

With its beautiful scenery and climate and backdrop to the Mediterranean, the Principality is at the peak of the tourist season in summer, and the streets are bustling with people wearing a pair of sunglasses in an athleisure attire, Aldrich, who has his hands in his pockets and a pair of sunglasses, walks into a café in a quiet setting.

In the booth in the corner of the café, sat an elegant man in his fifties, looking out the window at the scenery in a daze.

Aldrich came across from him and sat down, took off his sunglasses, smiled like sunshine, and said, "Hi, Arsène." ”

The gentle man looked at Aldrich with a little appreciation, and said lightly: "I haven't seen you for four years, and that kid has become a talent, and your sudden visit to Monaco is just in time, otherwise I would have to go to London to find you, let's say, how did you rob my people." ”

Aldrich pretended to be dazed, spread his hands and said, "Sir, I don't know who you are talking about. ”

"The young Frenchman, yesterday I asked the club to make an offer to bring him back to France from Argentina, but he had already packed his bags and left, and I inquired and found out that he had moved to Millwall."

The man sitting opposite Aldridge is the current head coach of Monaco, Arsène Wenger, Aldridge witnessed Arsèsene Wenger leading the team to win the French championship in Monaco five years ago, but unfortunately after five years, Marseille won five consecutive championships, and Wenger is not having a good time now.

Aldridge knew that the other party was talking about Trezeguet, and said with a smile: "No way, I want to fight for myself, now I want to rob people, as for what method is used, hehe, it's very simple, my brother knew David more than a year ago, in addition, I gave him a high salary as a first-line player, uh, a weekly salary of three thousand pounds." ”

"He's only 17 years old."

Arsene Wenger frowned, seemingly unhappy with Aldridge's approach.

Aldrich played with taste: "Well, 17 years old, is the age of rebellion, if you want to be independent, first of all, of course, you must have an independent financial source, make a lot of money not only to make yourself confident, but also to be proud in front of your family, hehe, Arsène, the times are about to change, you probably think I am burning money, but do you remember what we talked about on the phone half a year ago?" ”

Wenger showed a look of reminiscence, and after a while, he was surprised: "Boseman's lawsuit? ”

Aldridge nodded, shrugged his shoulders and said: "This summer, there will be a lot of critics who will laugh at me for being a loser and a fool, it doesn't matter, time will tell." Don't talk about that, let's get down to business, the purpose of my coming is very simple, I want you to raise your noble hand and put someone for me. ”

Wenger's face was a little unhappy suddenly, and he said angrily: "What? Who did you come to poach my people too? ”

"The £500,000 offer has been delivered to the Monaco club, I want Henry, Monaco is simply earning for nothing, before and after in Henry, I'm afraid I don't even have an investment of £10,000."

As soon as Aldrich's voice fell, Wenger suddenly glared and said, "No! He is the future of Monaco! £500,000? Are you a small team that has never seen money in Monaco? ”

Aldrich grinned toothily and said nothing.

Wenger continued to frown and said: "The Times reported that after you took charge of Millwall, I also paid a lot of attention to your movements, most of the players signed by your team recently are from the lower leagues, and those small teams are helpless to see the money and open up the stars of hope, this is the rule of the football market, but Monaco is not the German second, Dutch second, and Serie B that you poached."

"Don't get excited, don't get excited, let's continue to discuss."

"It's not negotiable, Henry doesn't sell."

"What if I pay £1 million? Will Monaco still not let people go? ”

Arsene Wenger was silent, his eyes fixed helplessly on Aldrich.

In the end, he sighed heavily: "Marseille poached my people, Paris Saint-Germain dug my people, and now, even you little guy poached my people"

Although Marseille won five consecutive Ligue 1 titles, Arsene Wenger was able to ensure that the team was at the top of the team under the leadership of the main player for several years in a row, which is enough to show his coaching ability, but unfortunately, it is difficult for a good woman to cook without rice, which is similar to his situation after the glory of Arsenal in his later life.

Aldrich couldn't bear to "bully" this old friend, and said lightly: "Thuram." ”

Wenger's eyes were puzzled, and Aldridge said: "1.5 million pounds, I don't want Henry, don't stop Thuram, Arsèna, Thuram Monaco can't keep it, I'm sincere enough to give 1.5 million pounds to a defender, if you don't let him go to me, are you waiting for other teams to dig it?" I can give him the top salary, eight thousand pounds a week. ”

Wenger was slightly moved, mainly because of Aldridge's sentence "Do you want to wait for other teams to dig up?" "It stimulated him.

He has produced many good players in Monaco, but he can't escape the fate of being poached, even George Weah, who is grateful to him, still leaves him.

"My captain, £1.5 million you want to take with you?"

"Well, I'm not verbose, £3 million, isn't that enough for a defender?"

In the current era, 3 million pounds is already the value of a first-class star, although there is still a gap from the superstar, you must know that Maradona's transfer value more than ten years ago was only 3 million pounds at that time, of course, it is much stronger than today's equivalent purchasing power, and just seven years ago, the world record worth Gurlitt did not exceed 5 million pounds, and just two years ago, the transfer value of the Premier League's top stars was only about 3 million pounds, plus the transfer value of offensive players is generally higher, Aldridge's price was enough to impress the Monaco club.

And he believes that the contract he offered can also make Thuram tempted, in this era, if you want to be like Juventus to give Baggio tens of thousands of weekly salaries, what kind of pride must he be? How many football stars can make a TV station follow life reports like Gascoigne and still have incredible ratings in the UK?

What's more, Aldridge's contract also includes an annual salary increase clause and bonuses.

Wenger only sighed heavily and agreed to Aldrich's offer.

As for Henry, Aldrich wanted it, but he knew that he didn't have a chance.

When Henry makes a name for himself in Ligue 1 next season, I am afraid it will not be 1 million pounds to take away, and next year after the dust settles on the Boseman Act, he will have no loopholes to exploit, and then he will have more headaches on how to keep the people in his hands.

After a long day of chatting with Arsene Wenger in a café, Aldridge travelled the next day to Nantes, a city on the Atlantic coast of western France, where he also had an important transfer to be agreed upon.

A £1.5 million offer arrives at Nantes FC for Claude Makellele!

The final negotiated price was fixed at £2 million.

Aldridge also successfully seduced Makelele with a high salary, but these outstanding players, Aldridge also did not hesitate to add a clause in the contract that he could not be promoted to the automatic termination of the contract next season.

After returning to London, Aldrich received a phone call from Italy.

"Mr. Hall, please forgive me for my presumptuousness, but your team is chasing my son, I don't know what that means, although your team is in the second division of England, I think the competition should be higher than that of the Italian third division, I want my son to get a better workout, but I want to know your sincerity and plan for the construction of the team."

Listening to the broken English on the other end of the telephone receiver, Aldrich was confused, but asked calmly, "Pardon my offense, may I ask who you are?" ”

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Giuseppe Materazzi."

Aldridge suddenly realized, and then said respectfully: "Hello sir, I do have the intention of bringing in your son, I have high expectations for the team next season, next season, and even the next 5 to 10 years, I need a lot of young talent to achieve this, your son, Marco, is an important member of my plan, if you keep an eye on my club, you will know that we have signed a lot of quality players recently." ”

"But I don't want Marco to be in the UK for long."

"But as you said, he's staying in Italy, he's only playing in the third division, coming to Millwall, he's going to play in the English First division next season, and in a year's time, he's going to be at the top of England, playing against top teams like Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, isn't that better for his development? With all due respect, if Marco stays in Italy, how many years will it take to take on the top teams? ”

"Marco goes to England, can you guarantee his main position?"

"Sir, in a season in League One, there are 46 league games, plus two cup competitions, a conservative estimate, there are 50 games in a season, and Marco can play 20 games, so he can make great progress."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, and finally, Giuseppe Materazzi said: "Mr. Hall, thank you for your sincerity, but I would also like to get a guarantee from you that if one day, one day, a more competitive team in Italy wants to get Marco, you will not stand in the way." ”

Aldridge sighed in his heart, the opposite Giuseppe Materazzi is not an ordinary player father, but a well-known coach in Italy, and it is reasonable to imagine his son's future, and in his bones, the other party will definitely look down on English football, but he just hopes that his son's development has a bigger springboard, how to compare, it is better than the Italian third league, and the salary is also good, coupled with the experience of different environments, Marco Materazzi can accumulate more experience.

It's just that in the future, we should go back to Serie A, the highest competitive arena in the hearts of Italians.

"Sir, I can assure you that if one day Marco wants to leave, I will not stop him. I run the club and coach the team with a simple philosophy: good together, good out. ”

"Oh? Mr. Hall, are you going to coach the team yourself? ”

"Yes, I was preparing and waiting for this day eight years ago."

"Hehe, then I wish you good luck, and I look forward to seeing you on the sidelines. I won't bother you, see you again. ”