Gao Shen spent an afternoon in London talking with Mourinho and gained a clear understanding of his plans for the new season.
From the beginning, Gao Shen realized that Ndombele had become a problem.
As he had said before, the Tottenham dressing room began to spiral out of control starting with Ndombele's transfer.
The signing of Ndombele on a high salary disrupted the club's wage structure and created a major impact in the dressing room. More importantly, his performances were below expectations, and he even fell out with Mourinho.
Even if Ndombele stayed at Tottenham, it would be difficult for him to make an impact, and his market value would continue to drop.
Gao Shen had to take this into account.
From every perspective, keeping Ndombele might not benefit Tottenham, especially considering the player's questionable attitude.
Realizing this, and with Mourinho's firm insistence, Gao Shen made a decision.
That evening, Tottenham officially notified Ndombele's agent that the player would be placed on the transfer market.
Tottenham set an asking price of 50 million euros for Ndombele.
It is worth noting that when they signed him last summer, the fee was as high as 60 million euros, with an additional 10 million in bonuses, making the total cost 70 million euros.
Now, asking for 50 million euros was already a discount.
However, Gao Shen discussed the matter with Ferguson, Wenger, and the team. They believed that keeping Ndombele and Mourinho in the same squad would create problems in the dressing room heading into the new season.
Rather than risking that, it would be better to sell Ndombele and cut their losses early.
More importantly, Ndombele still had significant market value.
As soon as he was put up for sale, several clubs including Barcelona, Manchester United, Juventus, Chelsea, and Arsenal expressed strong interest in the French international.
Tottenham's position was clear: 50 million euros, non-negotiable.
On the other hand, if Ndombele was sold, the midfield would need strengthening.
Shortly afterward, the North London club announced the signing of Danish international Pierre-Emile Højbjerg from Southampton for 16 million euros.
This midfielder, soon to turn 25, was strong on both ends of the pitch and had performed well in the Premier League last season. He came highly recommended by Leeds United's scouting team and data analysis department.
Meanwhile, Tottenham sent a team north to Leeds to negotiate the transfers of Bruno Fernandes and Kalvin Phillips.
After several days of negotiations, both parties reached an agreement.
Tottenham signed Bruno Fernandes and Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United for 150 million euros and 50 million euros respectively.
The total value of the two players was 200 million euros.
The deal made Bruno Fernandes the most expensive signing of the summer transfer window.
The football world was stunned, and also deeply impressed by the Qatari consortium's decisiveness.
Paris Saint-Germain's level of investment was already staggering. Now, after entering the Premier League, they were planning to build a stadium worth over £1 billion and were spending huge sums in the transfer market. Just how wealthy were they?
Manchester United fans were full of envy.
Many fans expressed regret, saying they should have supported the Qatari consortium back then.
At the very least, they were spending real money in the market, even signing midfielders like Bruno Fernandes and homegrown stars like Kalvin Phillips.
Following the signings of Højbjerg, Bruno Fernandes, and Kalvin Phillips, Tottenham immediately announced the acquisition of striker Tammy Abraham from Chelsea for 40 million euros.
This signing excited Mourinho the most.
When Tottenham announced Abraham's arrival, Mourinho gave an interview expressing his satisfaction, saying Abraham would be crucial to Tottenham's tactical setup in the new season.
Everyone knew Mourinho favored tall, powerful center forwards.
Now, Abraham's addition gave Mourinho even more tactical clarity.
Tottenham then made several other moves in the market.
First, they signed Argentine center-back Cristian Romero from Juventus for 20 million euros.
According to Leeds United's database, the 22-year-old defender had performed very well at Genoa. In the summer of 2019, Juventus spent 26 million euros, plus 5.5 million in add-ons, to sign him, but he remained at Genoa and never entered Juventus' plans.
Looking at the fee, Juventus had clearly overpaid. Now, Tottenham were getting him for 20 million euros, and Juventus were happy to cash in.
Bruno Fernandes, Kalvin Phillips, Abraham, Romero, Højbjerg, and Thiago Silva from PSG for a symbolic transfer fee. Tottenham had spent a total of 276 million euros this summer.
But after selling Ndombele for 50 million euros, Tottenham's net spend was 226 million euros.
Interestingly, the French midfielder ended up at Manchester United.
That meant United's net transfer spend had reached 260 million euros.
While both Tottenham and United were spending heavily, Tottenham were doing it much more wisely.
...
Each team's transfer strategy depended on their positioning.
This had always been Gao Shen's principle.
Tottenham had a solid foundation. Their goal for the new season was a top-four finish. So their signings had to be targeted, with superstar-level additions like Bruno Fernandes.
At the same time, players like Kalvin Phillips, Abraham, and Højbjerg, who had already proven themselves in the Premier League, could guarantee a reliable baseline performance for the squad.
On the flanks, Mourinho had his favorites, including Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura, and Lamela, providing maximum attacking firepower.
With strong attack, midfield control, and a solid backline, along with Lloris in goal, Gao Shen believed that with Mourinho's ability and his own support, Tottenham had a real shot at making the top four this season.
Newcastle's situation was very different from Tottenham's.
Last season, the North London club finished 6th in the Premier League. Newcastle finished 13th, a much worse position.
The Saudi consortium's strategy was more restrained compared to the Qataris. They preferred strengthening the team step by step with cost-effective signings before gradually moving forward.
While star signings brought attention, they also came with a heavy price.
This was a strategy Gao Shen had specifically tailored for Newcastle.
However, some key positions still needed upgrades.
One example was the center forward position.
After taking over Newcastle's first team, Gao Shen's first task was to reorganize and clear out the squad.
Players like Andy Carroll and Christian Atsu had their contracts terminated.
This wasn't about being rich and powerful. These players had no transfer value, and keeping them would just waste salary. It was better to cut losses early.
Newcastle's manager was Steve Bruce, but after a disappointing season, Gao Shen ended his contract and invited his old friend Ancelotti to take over.
Ancelotti was unemployed at the time, and Gao Shen knew him well. He directly invited him to become Newcastle's new head coach.
This season's Premier League had truly become a stage for famous managers.
After the coaching change, Gao Shen signed 21-year-old striker Osimhen from Lille for a record-breaking 75 million euros.
The Nigerian international scored 13 goals and registered 4 assists in Ligue 1 last season.
But what really made him stand out was his average of 4.4 successful aerial duels per game. He was a true aerial powerhouse.
The deal stunned the entire European football world.
Just when everyone expected Newcastle to keep spending heavily, the Magpies shifted gears and took a more value-driven approach.
First, they signed 22-year-old Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimarães from Lyon for 30 million euros.
Then, they brought in 20-year-old Joe Willock from Arsenal for 16 million euros.
They followed that with 21-year-old Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for 12 million euros, and 23-year-old Brazilian center-back Bremer from Torino for 8 million euros.
Finally, Newcastle signed 23-year-old Brazilian winger Raphinha from Rennes for 18 million euros, and 20-year-old Dutch left-footed center-back Sven Botman from Ajax for 8 million euros.
Since the Saudi consortium took over Newcastle, they had invested 170 million euros in the transfer market, signing a number of young players and drawing widespread attention.
Notably, most of Newcastle's signings were young talents aged between 20 and 23.
In a media interview, a Newcastle United spokesperson stated that the Saudi consortium had a long-term plan for the club, and that was why they focused on signing young players.
Currently, Newcastle also had players in their prime like Trippier, Joelinton, Fabian Schär, Almirón, and goalkeeper Dubravka, as well as core figures like last season's Premier League sprint king, Saint-Maximin.
Gao Shen and Ancelotti both recognized that after this overhaul, Newcastle's overall competitiveness had been completely revamped.
If the integration went well, they could be in position to challenge the top teams in the league within two years.
...
While Gao Shen was traveling back and forth between Tottenham and Newcastle, the new Premier League fixture list was released.
Leeds United's first match would be an away game against Liverpool, a brutal opening fixture.
But the most attention-grabbing clash was set just before Christmas, in Round 14 of the Premier League, when Leeds United would visit Old Trafford to take on Manchester United.
After this summer's transfer saga, the rivalry between Leeds United and Manchester United had intensified, and the Roses Derby was heating up more than ever.
Especially after media reports revealed that Manchester United's backer, Ratcliffe, had privately declared that they could lose to anyone, but never to Leeds United.
This further confirmed the long-standing hostility between the two clubs.
Leeds United's visit to Manchester United in Round 14 was certain to be a fierce battle.
(To be continued.)