Chapter 65: The Chosen One
When Yang Cheng demanded £7 million, Jonathan Barnett laughed aloud on the spot, saying it was impossible.
But Yang Cheng remained firm.
The cunning agent, of course, understood what Yang Cheng was really getting at.
So without wasting time, once he left Bayswater Chinese, he immediately passed the message to Everton.
What happened next, Yang Cheng couldn't say for sure.
But he began preparing for both outcomes.
If Everton backed off, that would be the best result.
If the Toffees kept negotiating, it meant one thing—they were determined to get Joe Hart.
Because the January transfer window was about to close.
Time was running out.
While Everton hesitated, Yang Cheng began studying Manuel Neuer.
The young German keeper wouldn't turn 19 until March 27.
Just as Yang Cheng had suspected, he still hadn't signed a professional contract with Schalke 04.
Sometimes, beyond pure talent, a player needs a bit of luck to make it.
And Neuer? He was the kind of player whose luck seemed heaven-sent—the chosen one.
His early career was anything but smooth—full of setbacks.
Schalke's youth system was excellent, overflowing with talent. Neuer had long been waiting for a first-team call-up that never came.
In January 2006, he was reportedly close to joining 2. Bundesliga side Cologne—contract signed, transfer paperwork drafted.
Then, out of nowhere, Schalke's backup keeper Christoph Heimeroth transferred to Borussia Mönchengladbach for €750,000.
Suddenly, Neuer was promoted to Schalke's second-string keeper.
Even more unexpected: six months later, Schalke's €8 million signing—at the time a Bundesliga record for a keeper—Frank Rost, collided with teammate Christian Pander during training.
Both suffered tibia injuries. Rost needed stitches and was out for weeks.
Neuer seized the opportunity—and never looked back.
If you're a fan reading this in 2024, this story probably sounds very familiar.
In fact, it's exactly how Neuer displaced René Adler ahead of the 2010 World Cup.
In both cases, Neuer's rivals got injured at just the right time—and he rose to the occasion.
If that's not "chosen one" luck, what is?
Twice, the heavens opened doors.
Of course, Neuer was also immensely talented—otherwise, he wouldn't have held on once the chance came.
But without those lucky breaks?
He wouldn't have been forgotten, no. But his journey might've taken much longer.
Just like now.
Approaching 19, Neuer was in Germany's U19 national squad—but he wasn't even the first choice.
That spot belonged to Florian Fromlowitz from Kaiserslautern.
Yang Cheng did his homework on Schalke's current setup.
Neuer trained with the Schalke II reserves, but his match minutes came with the U19 team.
And even there, he wasn't the undisputed starter.
He split minutes with Dennis Lamczyk.
In the first six matches of the German A-level U19 West League, Neuer conceded 10 goals—a shaky start.
He lost a few starts to Lamczyk, only returning later to keep a string of clean sheets.
Even if Neuer broke out of the U19 team, he'd still face stiff competition in Schalke II.
There was 21-year-old Volkan Ünlü and 20-year-old Manuel Lenz.
And above them?
First-team keepers Frank Rost and Christoph Heimeroth.
As of now, Neuer hadn't played a single minute for Schalke II.
He was effectively fifth in the depth chart.
And he wasn't unique as a German youth product—almost everyone ahead of him was homegrown too, except Frank Rost.
Knowing all this, Yang Cheng now understood how to play his hand with Neuer.
…
Everton responded quickly.
They were racing against time.
Another offer landed on Yang Cheng's desk: £4 million.
But under Yang Cheng's direction, Lin Zhongqiu firmly stuck to £7 million.
As long as Everton kept negotiating, it meant they were serious.
They could always pivot to another keeper, or go for a loan.
Yang Cheng wouldn't mind at all.
But Everton's general manager Michael Dunford came south in person—a clear show of intent.
Accompanied by Lin Zhongqiu, Yang Cheng met with Dunford and Jonathan Barnett at a hotel south of Hyde Park for a meal.
The meeting ended without agreement.
Everyone knew this was a poker match.
The one who blinked first would lose.
Yang Cheng wouldn't budge. The moment he did, the deal would be done.
That night, Everton upped their offer to £4.5 million.
Yang Cheng responded with a small concession: £6.5 million.
The gap was still £2 million.
Not small.
That night, Yang Cheng called Xia Qing and explained everything, asking her to step in and help negotiate alongside Lin Zhongqiu.
The next day, he flew to Düsseldorf, Germany, with Mike Rigg, his head of youth recruitment.
From there, they drove 40 kilometers north to Gelsenkirchen.
After the golden era of the 1990s, German football had declined following the collapse of the Kirch Group, which had sunk TV revenues and plunged many clubs into debt.
Bayern Munich capitalized, turning the Bundesliga into their personal playground.
Schalke 04 was no exception.
For a young player who hadn't even played for the reserves—who hadn't signed a professional contract—Schalke 04 didn't pay him much mind.
Yang Cheng played it by the book.
He didn't approach the player directly.
Otherwise, he could've taken him for free—but that would risk being reported to UEFA and paying a hefty youth training compensation.
Yang Cheng didn't want to be that kind of guy.
He went straight to Schalke and expressed his willingness to pay a fair transfer fee.
Schalke responded readily, offering a very reasonable price:
£500,000.
Roughly €750,000.
After that, Yang Cheng obtained contact information for both Manuel Neuer and his agent Thomas Kroth from Schalke 04.
That very evening, the four of them met at a hotel in Gelsenkirchen.
…
"I've heard of your team."
Though not yet 19, Manuel Neuer gave Yang Cheng almost exactly the same impression as he had during Yang's time managing Bayern in his previous life.
His personality had always been like this.
And for Yang Cheng, that was a good thing.
With a personality like Neuer's, he was never going to be satisfied languishing in Schalke's youth system.
"You guys just knocked out Manchester United in the League Cup semifinals," Neuer added. "Our media here have been reporting on it too."
Yang Cheng smiled subtly and cast a glance at his agent, Thomas Kroth.
Kroth had been a professional footballer himself, having played for Cologne, Frankfurt, Hannover, and Dortmund.
After retirement, he transitioned into being an agent.
Since Neuer and Kroth already knew about the team, things would be easier.
Yang Cheng got straight to the point and laid out Bayswater Chinese's current situation in detail.
"It was precisely that League Cup semifinal—what made us known across Europe—that has led to us likely losing our starting goalkeeper."
Yang Cheng switched seamlessly into German, allowing for direct conversation with Neuer and Kroth.
Mike Rigg, sitting beside him, was visibly stunned. He had no idea his young boss could speak German so fluently.
"I've worked with Joe Hart for two years, and we even spent a large sum to bring in an excellent goalkeeper coach from Spain."
At this, Yang Cheng launched into a round of praise for his right-hand man.
That coach was Frans Hoek, the Dutch goalkeeper guru who had followed Louis van Gaal to Spain and helped revolutionize the Spanish FA's goalkeeper training.
That's why Spain had suddenly begun producing so many elite keepers in recent years.
Germany was also known for producing world-class goalkeepers, but their training methods were heavily influenced by Dutch coaching philosophy.
Italy, on the other hand, trained goalkeepers in a completely different way, which explained why Edwin van der Sar had struggled after joining Juventus.
Yang Cheng assured Neuer that if he joined Bayswater Chinese, language and lifestyle adjustments wouldn't be an issue, and from a football standpoint, he would adapt just fine.
"I can guarantee you that once Joe Hart is sold, you'll be our starting goalkeeper. If you're ready, you could even make your debut in our Championship match on February 5th against Derby County."
"Furthermore, I can promise that we'll win promotion this season, and there's a high chance we'll play in next year's UEFA Cup. When that happens, you'll be our first-choice keeper."
Yang Cheng's greatest bargaining chip?
Playing time—something Schalke 04 simply couldn't offer.
Chelsea had just knocked Liverpool out of the League Cup and were top of the Premier League. They were favorites to win the trophy and qualify for the Champions League.
If Bayswater Chinese could beat them in the League Cup final, they would qualify for the UEFA Cup next season.
Yang Cheng saw the spark in Neuer's eyes.
Stay at Schalke 04 and battle countless other academy products?
Who knew when he'd finally break through?
Yang Cheng's confidence came from what he knew in his previous life—and from Neuer's undeniable talent.
From the moment he got his shot, Neuer had pushed out established names like Frank Rost, who was forced to leave the club.
That alone spoke volumes.
"Manuel, believe in yourself. Don't just sit around waiting for a first-team call-up. You have better options."
That one sentence shook Neuer to his core.
He turned to his agent.
Thomas Kroth nodded.
He had to admit—Yang Cheng's proposal was incredibly tempting.
The only concern was whether Neuer could adapt to life and football in England.
But given his personality, it probably wouldn't be a problem.
Stay at Schalke, with no guarantee of even a pro contract?
Or join Bayswater Chinese, sign immediately, get first-team minutes, possibly play in the Premier League and the UEFA Cup next season?
For most, it was a no-brainer.
"I have two questions," Kroth said cautiously.
"Go ahead," Yang Cheng replied.
"First, as you said, Joe Hart may transfer to Everton. But what if the deal falls through?"
A fair concern.
"We'll offer both players equal competition, and I guarantee Manuel will get playing time. Even if Joe Hart stays for now, we'll still look to sell him this summer."
Yang Cheng had already decided—once a player had mentally checked out, there was no point in keeping him.
Better to focus on developing Neuer.
He wasn't short on English players anyway.
Both Kroth and Neuer seemed very satisfied with the answer.
"Second question—why Neuer?"
This was what mattered most.
Why him?
Yang Cheng had his response ready.
"Do you remember those two friendlies back in mid-September? Germany U19 versus the U19 European champions, Spain?"
"Of course," Neuer said.
"You played the full 90 in the first match, but didn't start the second. I was actually there scouting Spain's midfield general—David Silva. But your performance stood out."
Neuer frowned. "We lost that game 2–0."
That match had cost him his starting spot.
"You can't judge a player solely by the scoreline. From a performance standpoint, you had all the qualities I'm looking for in a goalkeeper. Your style fits our system perfectly."
At that moment, all of Neuer and Kroth's doubts melted away.
Neuer couldn't help but start imagining his future.
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