As early June arrived… The 2011 summer transfer window officially opened! All of European football was instantly thrown into turmoil. Everyo
As early June arrived…
The 2011 summer transfer window officially opened!
All of European football was instantly thrown into turmoil.
Everyone had just one question on their minds—
Which club will land the super-genius who led Crystal Palace to a domestic double?
According to the latest from Transfermarkt,
Kai's market value had now soared past €80 million!
That's a €20 million increase in just two months!
This kind of value spike left fans around the world stunned.
Among all players in the global market,
only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were ahead of him.
Yet even among the famous "Golden Duo,"
the younger one, Messi, was already 25 years old.
Kai? He was just 16!
€80 million at 16 years old!
The football world was in total shock.
At the same time,
the opening of the transfer window triggered a frenzy among major clubs.
Compared to the winter window,
the summer market was undeniably more intense.
Why? The reason was simple.
The summer transfer window aligns with the end of one season and the start of another.
Players prefer to switch clubs after a full season concludes,
so they can start fresh in the new campaign.
From the moment the 2011 summer transfer window opened,
it was absolute chaos.
Transfer after transfer—each worth real gold—hit the headlines.
The Manchester duo—United and City—began lavishly spending:
Sergio Agüero joined Manchester City for £38 million!
David de Gea moved to Manchester United for €25 million!
Fans were going wild!
During this time,
a shocking piece of news stunned Premier League supporters:
Having lost to United in the league's title showdown,
and then being eliminated from the FA Cup by a Championship team—Crystal Palace…
Chelsea, who had made massive investments the previous season,
ended the year empty-handed.
As a result, their manager Carlo Ancelotti was officially fired.
The fanbase was in uproar!
While other clubs were spending big as the transfer window kicked off,
Chelsea's first move was not to buy, but to sack their tactical mastermind?
Chelsea fans were furious.
They lashed out at the club's management for such a baffling decision.
Meanwhile, in Spain,
La Liga saw its first major move.
A huge, explosive transfer hit the headlines:
Arsenal's captain, Cesc Fàbregas, had returned to Barcelona
for a fee of €34 million!
The Gunners' captain had gone back to his former club!
The shockwaves were felt across both Spain and England.
Barça fans were confused.
"We already have Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets in midfield. Why pay so much for Fàbregas?"
"If you want a helper for Xavi and Iniesta, isn't that super genius from Crystal Palace a better choice?"
"Is the board full of idiots? Why not spend the money where it actually matters?"
Barça fans erupted in dissatisfaction.
Fàbregas, full of confidence, had logged on to major forums
to see how fans felt about his return after so many years.
What greeted him, however,
was not the warm welcome he expected.
Instead—
endless complaints and rage!
Fàbregas furiously smashed his phone.
"Next season, I'll prove myself at Camp Nou!"
Back in England…
Tottenham fans were gloating.
"First Henry, now Fàbregas? Another Arsenal captain rushing into Barça's arms?"
"Arsenal should just rename themselves 'Barça England!'"
With the deep-rooted rivalry between Arsenal and Spurs,
the fanbases exploded into a war of words online.
Meanwhile, Arsenal fans were growing increasingly anxious
about their club's next move in the transfer market.
A week had passed since the window opened.
And yet, the Arsenal supporters found themselves in a mixed state of excitement and disappointment.
The major signing they had been desperately waiting for
still hadn't appeared in the headlines.
Everyone was holding their breath, waiting.
All of European football's attention was fixed on Crystal Palace's transfer news—every single moment.
And during this period,
a bombshell from Spain set the entire football world ablaze.
"Real Madrid offers €90 million for Kai!"
A shockwave hit European football.
Real Madrid had made their move!
At the insistent request of José Mourinho,
even Florentino Pérez became excited by the prospect.
Fans went wild!
€90 million!
This was the most expensive transfer in Real Madrid's history,
and the second-highest fee in football history!
Just two seasons ago,
a €96 million blockbuster brought Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabéu.
Now, fans were thinking—
"Will next season's Galácticos have two players worth nearly €100 million each?"
At this point in history,
no player had ever crossed the €100 million transfer fee mark.
Ronaldo's €96 million was already enough to make fans lose their minds.
Meanwhile, Barça fans were stunned.
They still didn't understand why the Camp Nou board
had spent over €30 million to re-sign an aging Fabregas...
Especially when their arch-rivals, Real Madrid,
had offered €90 million for a super-genius teenager!
But fresh off winning the Champions League,
Barcelona seemed uninterested in the escalating transfer war.
Pep Guardiola's tone with the media had shifted:
"Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets are still in their prime.
The Champions League trophy is proof of that."
Barça fans were disappointed.
It seemed to them like Guardiola was stepping back from the race to sign Kai.
At this stormy crossroads,
Mendes was overwhelmed with work.
As the agent of one of the most sought-after stars in modern football,
Mendes had been working late into the night every day since the summer window opened.
That day, Mendes called.
"Manchester United and Manchester City have both increased their offers.
As crosstown rivals, neither wants you to join the other."
Then he added with a shift in tone:
"But from an agent's perspective, I don't recommend going to Manchester.
Both clubs have their own weaknesses."
"City may have the money now, but they lack history.
United, although strong this season, reached three finals…
But Sir Alex Ferguson is nearing retirement, and their squad is aging."
"Without Ferguson, United will lose the very soul of the Red Devils."
Mendes had a long-term vision.
He had once orchestrated Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer from Sporting Lisbon to United,
primarily because of Ferguson's legendary presence and influence in both the club and city.
But now, Sir Alex was 70 years old.
There was a strong possibility he would retire next season.
If that happened, United—after more than 20 years of his leadership—
would undoubtedly plunge into turmoil.
"Chelsea's playing style actually suits you.
Their platform might be a good fit."
"But their upper management is idiotic.
The moment the transfer window opened, they fired Ancelotti!
What a brainless move."
"It completely ruined my impression of that club."
Mendes paused, then continued:
"Spurs and Liverpool both sent representatives hoping to speak with you.
As for Arsenal—Wenger wants to meet you personally."
Kai was slightly surprised.
That afternoon,
he met with Wenger at a café in London.
Wenger brought along Stan Kroenke,
and Mendes accompanied Kai.
"We finally meet. This truly is a historic moment!"
Inside the café,
Wenger's weathered face was filled with undisguised excitement.
The Arsenal manager, already in his 60s,
was visibly trembling with anticipation.
This was a meeting he had dreamed of all season.
"I'm a little surprised," Kai smiled.
"Arsenal has never been known for throwing big money around in the transfer window."
"And I'm a pretty expensive guy."
The joke instantly lightened the mood at the table.
Wenger nodded with a smile.
~~----------------------
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