Soriano turned to Txiki. "Then start the process. Reach out to Frankfurt. See if they're open to selling, or at least discussing the possibility. Feel around for details. That clause might not be what it looks like."
Txiki nodded immediately. "Understood."
"Good," Soriano said, draining his coffee. "Let's do this the right way. No leaks, no noise. And if what Sky Germany reported is even half-true…" he glanced at the image of Lukas again, frozen mid-strike in a Frankfurt kit, "then seventy-five million could be the cheapest signing of the decade."
Pep smiled faintly. "If we get him," he murmured, "I believe the transition will be a lot smoother."
Outside, the faint whistle of the wind carried across the glass as the Etihad campus stirred to life — another afternoon in Manchester, but perhaps the dawn of something new.
* * *
