At this level, every move he makes involves the interests of many parties.
The British media were well aware that Gao Shen's wife still lived in Cheshire, so they naturally paid close attention to his whereabouts. Even if he kept a low profile, as soon as he returned to Cheshire, it was immediately picked up by the press.
This wasn't unusual. When Mourinho coached Real Madrid, he often traveled back and forth to London. It was normal.
The key was how the media chose to report it.
Recently, Manchester City's form had been less than ideal, and they were currently ranked below Leeds United in the league standings. This had led to both the British media and Manchester City fans reminiscing about the days when Gao Shen was in charge.
When meeting reporters in Cheshire, Gao Shen always tried to be cooperative, but he made his stance clear.
Don't write nonsense!
He was now the head coach of Real Madrid and did not want to create unnecessary trouble.
The media understood this was a matter of mutual benefit.
So during his time in Cheshire, Gao Shen mostly ate, drank, and caught up with friends.
For example, he sent two cases of fine wine to Ferguson, and Ferguson's wife, Cathy, even cooked a meal for them, warmly hosting the Gao Shen couple.
Later, Manchester City chairman Mubarak, consultant Brian Marwood, and others also came by to have dinner with Gao Shen.
Throughout this period, the media followed and filmed them, but Gao Shen didn't try to hide. It was just friends getting together.
However, during the gathering, another matter was brought up.
…
The entire Premier League market had truly taken off.
According to assessments by several banks involved in football finance — including the Rothschild family's bank in the City of London — the Premier League's valuation surged the moment the 2013–2016 domestic broadcasting rights deal worth £3 billion was signed.
"I heard Cash Harris from Seymour Pierce Investment Bank contacted you recently?"
At the dinner table, Mubarak asked with interest.
Gao Shen paused briefly, then smiled. "You're really well-informed."
Everyone at the table laughed. In this industry, there weren't many secrets.
The Premier League circle was quite small.
Cash Harris was the biggest player in football business within the City of London. By his own account, nearly every foreign acquisition of an English club had passed through his hands in one way or another.
Another powerful figure was Rothschild Jr. from the Rothschild bank. However, despite the myths about his family, he wasn't as influential as people imagined. He was just moderately well-known in the financial world.
At the very least, Gao Shen had met him and rated him lower than Cash Harris.
"The Bahraini royal family is interested in Leeds United," Gao Shen explained.
The Bahraini royal family had shown interest in the White Rose as far back as 2003, when Leeds United was on the verge of bankruptcy. But for unknown reasons, the talks collapsed and the deal was shelved.
Now, after the Premier League signed a new three-year broadcasting deal, the entire world was stunned.
The domestic rights had jumped from £1.7 billion to £3 billion. And that was just domestic. The international broadcasting rights were rising rapidly every year. It was clear the Premier League's total media value was going to explode.
At this point, trying to get in was already a bit late.
But not impossible.
"What price did they offer?" Mubarak asked with a smile.
"£100 million for 49% of the shares, plus an annual investment of £50 million for the next three years," Gao Shen replied.
It was clear the Bahraini royal family was looking for a partnership.
Anyone who had done a bit of research would realize that Leeds United now had a very solid foundation.
From an administrative standpoint, the club already operated with a structure on par with the top sides. Gao Shen had been building it for over a year, bringing in professionals like Lucas and Borrell. They had invested heavily in this area.
Not to mention the summer transfer window, where Leeds United made over £100 million from player sales but still managed to rank third in the Premier League.
This might be a short-term peak, but it spoke volumes about the club's operational capabilities.
After Abu Dhabi's Mansour made a fortune from acquiring Manchester City and Qatar's consortium caused a stir by buying Paris Saint-Germain, it was no surprise the Bahraini royal family rekindled their interest in football.
Especially given the Premier League's enormous TV deals.
Of course, Gao Shen couldn't tell them that this was only the beginning.
Even so, the Bahraini royal family's offer shocked Mubarak and the others.
It was very generous.
"I remember you didn't spend much when you bought Leeds United, right?" Marwood asked, clearly envious.
With this £100 million deal, Gao Shen would be financially free. Why keep coaching?
More importantly, with the backing of the wealthy Bahraini royal family, how could Leeds United possibly fail?
"It's a bit low, isn't it?" Gao Shen looked at Marwood and smiled. "We already have nearly £100 million on hand, plus future installment payments over the next two years. With the way the club is developing, do you think it's worth selling half the shares for £100 million?"
Mubarak and Marwood exchanged glances. They found his point hard to argue with. Gao Shen clearly wasn't planning to make Leeds United just a talent pipeline for the rich clubs.
The Premier League landscape was clear. Manchester City stood in a class of its own.
Even though Chelsea were currently top, everyone knew Manchester City had dipped slightly after their peak last season. With a new manager in Pellegrini, they were adjusting. But once back in form, it would be hard to stop them.
With Manchester City's strength and resources, they were still the title favorites.
…
During dinner, Mubarak also mentioned another interested group — the Dubai Investment Group.
They had nearly acquired Liverpool years ago, but the deal fell through.
Now, watching Abu Dhabi succeed in the Premier League, they were naturally envious and wanted to jump in.
But Gao Shen declined.
He wasn't even curious about their offer.
"Leeds United is like my own child. It's just learning how to walk. I want to see what it looks like when it grows up. That process will be wonderful for me," Gao Shen explained.
Mubarak didn't mind. He was only passing along a message from a friend.
Because of the new broadcasting rights deal, many foreign financial groups had set their sights on the Premier League. With its prestigious name, Leeds United had naturally become a prime target.
But Mubarak was more intrigued by Gao Shen's long-term view.
"You seem really optimistic about the Premier League's future."
"You don't think it's a good idea?" Gao Shen asked with a smile.
Mubarak smiled.
"I've done the math. Since 2013, domestic broadcasting revenue is £1 billion per year, while overseas rights are about £700 million annually. That number will continue to grow. Eventually, overseas rights may equal or even surpass domestic ones."
Key areas of growth were North America and Asia.
These would be the Premier League's main targets in the next few years and were expected to be the fastest-growing markets.
Leeds United would also need to focus there.
They had already set up an Asia office in China and would soon establish one in North America.
Following the Premier League's trajectory, these were two fat pieces of meat.
"Actually, excluding transfer income, we basically broke even last season. This season we expect to break even again, or even make a small surplus. So we've begun the construction of a new training base, with a budget of £50–60 million."
"That high?" Marwood was surprised. "Tottenham's training base was the first in the Premier League with an indoor pitch, and the budget was only £45 million. Are you also building an indoor training pitch?"
Manchester City was also constructing one, and its facilities were even more advanced, including the ability to simulate different playing surfaces.
"Yes. Plus, our youth team's stadium will have stands, and the player dormitories at the training facility will be built to five-star hotel standards. In the future, whether it's a home or away match, we'll stay at the training base before the game."
At that point, the club's offices would also be relocated to the training base. Every square meter of Elland Road — where space was extremely valuable — would be optimized for match-day revenue.
This meant Leeds United's new training base would be larger and better equipped.
Mubarak and Marwood exchanged another glance.
Gao Shen's ambition was no small thing.
In this favorable situation, as Leeds United continued to gain momentum and looked ready to enter a rapid development phase, what reason did Gao Shen have to sell now?
Besides, did he even need the money?
If he really wanted financial freedom, he'd already be free.
With shares in major companies like Apple and Tencent, plus the bitcoins he held and his real estate in major Chinese cities, Gao Shen could've retired any time he wanted.
But clearly, that wasn't what he wanted.
He was after something more.
…
As the head coach of Real Madrid, Gao Shen couldn't stay in Cheshire for long.
After three days, he returned to Madrid.
This time, he brought his wife Su Qing, his mother, and his mother-in-law. The four of them traveled south from Cheshire together.
According to Su Qing, she just came to check on her house.
As for whether she would return to Cheshire after looking at it, she didn't say.
It had to be said, the climate in Madrid was much better than in the UK.
As soon as they arrived, Gao Shen's mother and mother-in-law urged him to finish the house quickly.
Clearly, they were tired of British weather.
After returning to Madrid, Gao Shen wasted no time. He immediately threw himself into intense work.
First was checking on how the national team players had performed and their physical condition.
Next, it was time to prepare for the brutal stretch of fixtures ahead.
In the fourth round, Real Madrid would face a tough away match against Sevilla. After that came the first two rounds of the Champions League group of death, followed by Rayo Vallecano, Deportivo La Coruña, and then Barcelona.
Every match would be a major challenge.
To make things worse, Real Madrid's international players — as core members of their national teams — had played heavy minutes, some appearing in both games.
Once they returned from international duty, Gao Shen had to clean up the aftermath.
(To be continued.)