Chapter 79: Devil Wings! I'm Planting the Red Flag All Over London!
"Ha! Jonathan, I knew you'd bring me good news."
At the north gate of Hyde Park, Yang Cheng greeted Jonathan Barnett warmly at the office entrance.
The English agent was a little flattered—he'd visited Yang Cheng a few times before, but never received this kind of reception.
But then again, Barnett was a man who never showed up without reason.
Truth be told, his cooperation with Bayswater Chinese FC had been quite smooth.
From Joe Hart to Huddlestone, both transfers managed by Barnett had gone off without a hitch.
Most importantly, all parties were satisfied.
Well, except for Everton and Tottenham, who both complained they'd overpaid.
"So? Any updates from Southampton?" Yang Cheng asked with visible interest.
He had previously asked Barnett to look into the situation at Southampton.
He'd later learned that the Saints, in an effort to ease their debt burden, had been forced to sell their main striker, Beattie.
Now, with Southampton relegated to the Championship, even with the parachute payments, their income had taken a massive hit.
Losing £10–20 million in a single year had left the already struggling Saints gasping for air.
"Even though they're in the Championship, Southampton are still laser-focused on returning to the Premier League. It's the only way to stay afloat," Barnett analyzed their strategy.
"Manager Redknapp is staying. Most of the top-level players who could leave have already gone. Those who stayed are committed to helping the club fight for promotion."
That's the foundation of an established club—even after relegation, people stick around for a shot at redemption.
If they succeed, those who stayed become heroes.
If not, well, they move on.
Clubs often promise generous terms in such cases. For example, if promotion fails, they lower the asking price on transfers so players can negotiate better salaries elsewhere.
Right now, Southampton's most valuable asset was Peter Crouch.
Yang Cheng actually liked Crouch quite a bit.
If it were possible, he'd love to sign the tall striker.
But Crouch's valuation was over £10 million—far beyond Yang Cheng's budget.
And not necessary.
In the coming Premier League season, Yang Cheng planned to rely on Lambert and develop Džeko.
Plus, Ashley Young could also play up front if needed.
Barring surprises, Crouch would likely head to Liverpool.
"I spoke with Southampton's executives. They're very high on Theo Walcott. But Gareth Bale? Not so much. Redknapp plans to give Walcott more minutes next season."
Yang Cheng waited quietly for more.
"Three million pounds. That's their asking price for both youngsters—packaged together."
"Three million?" Yang Cheng nearly blurted out, staring directly at Barnett.
His sharp eyes seemed to say: Are you messing with me, you old fox?
"I swear, that's the price they quoted—really," Barnett insisted.
Yang Cheng now knew what it felt like to be robbed blind.
"Three million for two kids who haven't even played for the first team? They might as well be robbers."
Barnett just sighed internally.
He wanted to ask, Then why are you even interested in these two?
Yang Cheng took a deep breath and did a quick mental calculation.
Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott—both incredibly promising, both lightning fast.
In his previous life, Yang Cheng had always believed that Wenger ruined Walcott's development.
Of course, he couldn't entirely blame Wenger. Those years, Arsenal needed to stay in the top four to ensure revenue, and without funds for star signings, he had no choice but to gamble on youth.
Yang Cheng's interest in Bale and Walcott was all about their potential.
If he could successfully develop both, Bayswater's flanks would take off like rockets.
Two devil wings—what more could you want?
Add a Lambert or a Džeko up top, and who could stop that kind of attack?
With that thought in mind, Yang Cheng didn't hesitate anymore.
"Alright, I'll take them. Three million pounds—bring both players over!" he said through clenched teeth.
Barnett, sitting beside him, looked genuinely surprised.
He hadn't interacted with Yang Cheng that many times, but he'd come to understand the man's personality.
Definitely the type who'd pluck feathers off a passing goose.
And yet he was willing to drop £3 million on two sixteen-year-olds?
Still, Barnett didn't overthink it.
There were plenty of hyped young talents—few actually panned out.
The key was how the coach developed them—and whether he had the ability to do so.
Over the past two years, Bayswater Chinese FC had successfully developed quite a few young players.
Yang Cheng noticed the flicker in Barnett's eyes and smiled confidently.
"Jonathan, your agency doesn't have a player who can rival Rooney or Beckham, do you?"
Barnett looked a little awkward.
Rooney's agent was Paul Stretford—one of the biggest names in the business.
Beckham's agent, Simon Fuller, wasn't even from the football world—he came from entertainment, originally managing Victoria Beckham before taking over David's affairs.
That crossover had put immense pressure on Barnett.
The entertainment industry had invaded football and snatched away the golden goose—Beckham—right under his nose. And what did Barnett have?
Ashley Cole.
Sometimes Yang Cheng thought the agent business was even more cutthroat than football.
They often had to operate in gray areas just to survive.
Barnett had once been heavily fined for illegally contacting Chelsea on behalf of Ashley Cole.
"Work with me, Jonathan, and I promise, soon you'll be managing a superstar to rival Rooney and Beckham!"
Barnett was stunned.
Logic told him Yang Cheng was selling dreams.
But man, did that dream sound delicious.
...
After meeting with Barnett, Yang Cheng headed to the FA headquarters.
He'd been there a few times before and was already familiar with the building known as "The Anonymous Flirt."
He walked straight into Chairman Geoff Thompson's office.
CEO David Davies and others were also present.
"Perfect timing, Yang. We were just talking about your latest request. Are you serious about this?"
Thompson raised the file sitting in front of him.
Just seeing the cover, Yang Cheng knew it was the application for the Special Talent Clause for Džeko.
"You spent £50,000 and got yourself a genius?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
They thought Yang Cheng had really gone off the rails with this one.
"Transfer fees have nothing to do with whether a player is a talent or not."
Sure, maybe he felt a bit awkward deep down, but in public, there was no way he'd back down.
"You dragged a player over from Bosnia, a midfielder no less, and now you say he's a genius striker? How does that make sense?"
Thompson looked helpless.
If the media got hold of this, it'd be a nightmare for the FA.
"Special Talent" status had apparently become so cheap?
Thompson could already picture the screaming headlines.
But Yang Cheng met their gazes with utmost seriousness. "If I say he's a talent, then he is!"
He was ready to die on that hill.
The others were surprised.
To be fair, Yang Cheng had proven himself in talent development.
Taking Bayswater from League Two to the Championship, and now into the Premier League—his eye for transfers and ability to develop players was undeniable.
But a Bosnian bought for just £50,000 applying for Special Talent status?
That was pushing it.
Maybe if it were Brazil, Argentina, or somewhere else in South America—sure.
But Bosnia?
"Alright then," Thompson said, deciding not to argue.
All he had to do was submit the application to the Home Office. They'd hold a hearing and decide.
So there was no need to make things hard for Yang Cheng.
"Who are you inviting to testify this time?"
"Bosnia's national team coach, Blaže Slišković. He's nicknamed the 'Maradona of the Balkans.'"
"Zidane praised him highly, said he was one of Marseille's all-time best eleven."
Maradona and Zidane? That was some serious name-dropping.
Yang Cheng didn't want to risk any issues, which was why he'd come in person.
Only after watching both Thompson and Davies sign and stamp the documents did he finally relax.
But just as he turned to leave, Thompson stopped him again.
"I heard you still haven't attended the coaching certification classes?"
Yang Cheng grinned. "I'm not really the teacher type."
Everyone nearly burst out laughing.
You're not being asked to teach—you're being asked to attend.
But that was exactly the awkward thing.
A Premier League head coach going to coaching school as a student?
Who knows, the instructor might end up being one of Yang Cheng's own staff.
Brian Kidd, after all, taught at the coaching academy.
That would be a real awkward situation.
"You ask me, why make it complicated? I've already signed up, so just turn a blind eye, skip the exam, and give me the certificate. Saves everyone the hassle."
Everyone exchanged glances.
"You think we don't want to? But the media is watching closely. Right now, they're obsessed with whether you passed the test."
"Then I definitely can't take it!" Yang Cheng said proudly.
What if he failed? That'd be humiliating.
And honestly, coaching and passing an exam were two completely different things.
Coaching exams were all about basic theory.
Yang Cheng had coached for thirty years in his past life—he'd never taken one of those exams.
Coaching license?
He had one the moment he crossed over.
And now?
To go back and study, memorize things, then take a test?
What if he failed? The media would have a field day.
They'd be insane.
"This really puts us in a tough spot," Thompson said with a sigh.
Yang Cheng wanted to squawk like a crow—but he was a civilized man, not a street thug.
"Then just stall. Sooner or later, the media will get distracted. We'll deal with it then."
When in doubt—delay!
Call it strategic procrastination.
Thompson had no words.
They couldn't stall forever.
Especially considering Bayswater would be playing in the UEFA Cup next season. If Brian Kidd was listed as head coach while Yang Cheng was the one doing the actual coaching—how would that look?
...
Yang Cheng didn't stay at the FA for long.
After leaving, he returned to the club and grabbed Xia Qing and Adam Crozier for lunch.
In the afternoon, the three of them headed to the Brent training base.
Ever since acquiring Hendon and Queens Park Rangers last year, Bayswater Chinese FC had been working on integration.
At the same time, Dan Ashworth, Gary Worthington, Matt Crocker, and Mike Rigg had been busy building the youth system and scouting network.
Over the past year, the club had invested heavily in youth development, thoroughly surveying the surrounding area—especially potential young talents.
They'd also partnered with schools and youth academies.
After winning the League Cup and beating Chelsea, Bayswater's name had exploded in West London.
Arsenal and Spurs were in the north, and Chelsea still didn't have a complete youth setup.
In West London, Bayswater now had the loudest voice and the most promising future.
With that background and increased investment, the club promoted its advanced youth development philosophy, excellent coaching staff, and top-tier facilities.
That was more than enough to attract young players.
The first youth tryouts drew hundreds of kids from the region.
Plus their families.
Brent training base became a lively, buzzing scene.
When Yang Cheng and his party arrived, it was already packed.
He couldn't help but wonder—among these hundreds of kids, would there be any names he recognized?
...
Over the past year, Bayswater had poured significant investment into the Brent training base.
With government support, some previously occupied plots had been cleared and fenced off.
The entire project was divided into three phases.
Phase 1 was for the youth academy—covering the most area, with the most training fields, a dedicated youth training building, and a two-story complex for recreation, learning, and accommodation.
Both buildings had already been topped out and were now in the final stages of interior work.
They were set to be completed and inspected by early August.
That would mark the official launch of the youth academy.
Phase 2 was to the south of the academy, near the Brent Reservoir, separated by a road leading to Brent Cross Shopping Centre.
According to the plans, this phase would include three training pitches for the first team, a two-story training building with a basement level, a lakeside residential building, and an indoor football field.
The main training pitch would be modeled exactly after the team's home field—from size to turf.
This would help players adapt more easily to home matches.
Phase 3 was the current location—Silver Jubilee Park Stadium.
It was slated for demolition.
In its place, Bayswater Chinese FC would build a professional stadium for the youth team, complete with stands and a sunshade roof, to accommodate spectators.
The entire project was expected to take at least two years and cost over £20 million—excluding land costs.
When Yang Cheng made that promise back then, he hadn't been bluffing.
Most importantly, all hardware in the training base was built to the highest modern standards.
In Phase 2, the players' dormitory would have 40 rooms, each furnished to five-star hotel specifications.
Talk about luxury.
"Right now, we've already established partnerships with many schools and youth academies in West London,"
Dan Ashworth reported to Yang Cheng and his two companions, updating them on the latest progress of the youth academy.
"With this year's youth recruitment drive, we'll be able to form a complete youth development system."
Once the youth system was established, the next step would be ongoing refinement and upgrades.
This was a slow and meticulous process, requiring long-term investment.
Without four or five years—or even more—of continuous support, there would be no results.
Unlike international fans, local supporters placed a lot of importance on a club's investment in youth development.
Yang Cheng was quite satisfied with the integration work done over the past year and the expansion of the scouting network.
He gave Ashworth and the others due credit, then outlined the next phase.
"I want to expand our youth development reach further. Within five years, I aim to establish ten satellite training centers across Greater London and nearby cities."
Satellite training centers?
Everyone present was puzzled by the unfamiliar term.
Even youth development experts like Dan Ashworth and the others looked completely baffled.
They'd heard of satellite clubs—but what was a satellite training center?
Yang Cheng had expected this.
"Right now, the FA has youth development regulations limiting recruitment ranges to within a 60 to 90-minute drive, correct?"
Everyone involved in youth development was aware of this.
Yang Cheng looked at a large map of Greater London spread out on the table. It marked clubs currently partnered with Bayswater Chinese FC.
But to be honest, these partnerships were flimsy.
Today they might work with Bayswater; tomorrow they could jump ship to Chelsea or another club.
Whoever offered better terms would win them over.
With so many clubs in London, once they all started prioritizing youth development, competition would be fierce.
"Using our training base as a starting point, a 60-minute drive gets you to Walthamstow in the northeast,"
he said, referring to the area east of Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane.
"Head south, you get to Kingston on the Thames. Go east, and you're still within the city center."
Everyone nodded, but they still didn't quite get where he was going with this.
The FA's recruitment restrictions were long-standing and well-known.
"I have a friend who works in bankruptcy restructuring. He told me that in recent years, a lot of football, rugby, and golf clubs around London have gone under."
"So I was thinking, what if we targeted some of the cities on the outskirts—places like here, here, and here," he pointed to the map,
"especially densely populated areas with large working-class communities. We identify suitable youth academies and clubs…"
"And buy them in our club's name, turning them into satellite training centers."
Dan Ashworth suddenly had a lightbulb moment.
"You mean, like our branch campuses?"
"Exactly."
"That's a brilliant idea! If we go about it this way, we can strategically place these branches and cover all of Greater London and even the surrounding cities," Ashworth said, slapping the table in excitement.
"That's pure genius!" Gary Worthington added, unable to contain his admiration.
As head of scouting, he deeply understood the importance of recruitment range.
Why was it that Manchester United could produce the Class of '92 but couldn't replicate it today?
Leaving aside timing and luck, the recruitment range restrictions made a huge difference.
By today's standards, many of the '92 players wouldn't have been eligible to join United.
"What about day-to-day operations?" asked Matt Crocker, ever the practical development coach.
"The main base handles centralized management. Each branch gets the same hardware and software setup.
All coaches are dispatched from the main base, and training philosophy and curriculum are kept consistent."
"Players are registered, managed, and planned uniformly. Each training center will host internal matches at intervals,
and the best performers will be selected to come to the main training base for elite development."
Everyone took a moment to process the idea—and the more they thought about it, the more they realized the brilliance of Yang Cheng's plan.
It neatly sidestepped the FA's recruitment limitations by creating a pyramid structure within the club's own youth system.
If Bayswater Chinese FC built a strong enough reputation in youth development,
it wasn't hard to imagine that the base of the pyramid would be flooded with aspiring youngsters year after year.
Just like elite high schools in China—the more students you attract, the more likely you are to produce top performers.
The better your results, the more students will flock to you.
That's how you create a self-reinforcing positive cycle.
"Hold on a minute."
Xia Qing, seeing the room getting more and more excited, couldn't help but rain on the parade.
"I don't know football or youth development, but have any of you thought about this—
the Brent training base alone cost us £20 million. Just the first phase cost us over £8 million, and that's not counting land acquisition."
She turned to Yang Cheng, clearly exasperated.
"You're talking about building ten satellite centers in five years. How much is that going to cost?"
"And another thing—you say you want to buy bankrupt clubs. Fine.
But if they went under after years of operation, what makes you think we'll succeed where they failed?"
Everyone in the room turned to Yang Cheng.
She had a point.
They'd been so caught up in the excitement, they'd practically choked on the pie in the sky.
Spending £80 million on youth development over five years?
Even Chelsea wouldn't throw money around like that.
Adam Crozier frowned and fell into deep thought.
Knowing Yang Cheng, he wouldn't have made a plan without thinking it through.
Yang Cheng smiled—his schoolmate was becoming more of a club steward by the day.
Which was good.
That's exactly what a CFO was supposed to do—manage risk.
"Actually, I didn't explain clearly earlier. The satellite centers will be centrally managed but independently operated.
Meaning, after acquisition, they'll remain separate entities and can apply for various public funding from the community, the city, and the FA."
That alone could bring in a substantial amount.
"Our biggest difference from those failed clubs is that we'll be operating as a group—centralized management and smart resource allocation
to minimize operating costs. And with our youth academy leading the way, the satellite centers will thrive."
"Also, I've thought about this. The actual operating costs aren't as high as you might think.
For example, in Walthamstow, we'd only need one training building and maybe four training pitches at most."
"Four?" Matt Crocker was momentarily confused.
But Dan Ashworth clapped his hands and said,
"Exactly! Four's enough. Starting at age 13, players can travel up to 90 minutes—that's when they can transfer to our main base."
"No, maybe not even four pitches," he added. "If we stagger the training schedules and rotate groups,
with proper coordination, three—or even two—could be enough."
Everyone quickly saw the logic.
They all nodded in agreement as the vision became clearer.
Yang Cheng nodded and smiled. "We need to actively explore community and public funding support, allocate our resources wisely. That way, the financial burden on us will be much lighter."
"In five years, I want to plant Bayswater Chinese FC's red flag all over Greater London and its surrounding cities."
At that moment, Yang Cheng was brimming with an unshakable and passionate ambition.
Right now, investing in youth training was still a thankless and costly endeavor. Most Premier League clubs were deep in debt and had little interest in youth development.
But in a few years, as player prices continued to skyrocket, everyone would suddenly realize the importance of developing their own talent—and that's when recruitment restrictions would start choking them.
That's when the advantage of a satellite training center network would shine through.
Bayswater Chinese FC would become a dimensional juggernaut—striking from a position the others couldn't reach.
Talented and suitable players would stay with the club. Those who didn't fit? Sold off.
Just from player sales alone, the youth academy could bring in significant profits every year.
Yang Cheng's plan was to seize the most advantageous locations before the other Premier League clubs could react.
After all, football youth training is unique compared to other sports—it requires space.
Especially as player valuations soar and more clubs pour resources into development, even modest youth academies will start to see the future clearly. But by then, trying to build something similar...
Let's not even talk about how hard it would be—just the cost would be multiple times, maybe dozens of times higher than now.
And let's not forget—what kind of city is London?
It has more professional football clubs than any other city in the world.
Yang Cheng remembered a funny story from his past life.
Arsenal's training ground was in Colney, a good 20–30 kilometers north of central London.
Strictly speaking, under youth recruitment regulations, the most densely populated areas of Greater London were off-limits to them.
So what did Arsenal do?
They pulled a ruthless move—right in Tottenham Hotspur's backyard.
They bought a youth academy about two kilometers east of White Hart Lane and built a satellite training center with just four pitches.
Right under their rival's nose—they planted their flag.
Tottenham? Totally powerless.
Stories like that were common.
You mess with me, I mess with you. May the best club win.
Yang Cheng's thinking was: while lower-tier clubs were still struggling and bankruptcies were widespread, now was the time to spread the youth training network.
His goal: plant the red flag of Bayswater Chinese FC everywhere in Greater London.
Especially the surrounding regions, which were the most densely populated in all of the UK.
...
Speaking of Walthamstow in northeast London, Yang Cheng suddenly thought of a certain player—Harry Kane.
That kid had grown up there.
Interestingly enough, Harry Kane was currently training in Bayswater Chinese FC's academy.
He had joined last year.
Kane's early career could best be described as turbulent.
He started training at a local youth club called Ridgeway Rovers—and he was a goalkeeper.
As everyone knows, it's usually the worst player who ends up in goal.
Fun fact—Ridgeway Rovers was also David Beckham's youth club.
And Beckham and Kane even attended the same secondary school.
In 2001, Kane joined Arsenal's youth academy at Colney.
But due to late physical development, he was short and chubby at the time. Despite having good technique, Arsenal let him go.
After leaving Colney, Kane returned to Ridgeway Rovers.
His father then started taking him to trial at various clubs, hoping to land him in a proper academy.
In 2004, after Bayswater Chinese FC was promoted to the Championship and heavily invested in youth development, word reached the Kane family, and they showed up.
At the time, Bayswater's youth setup had very little talent—after the integration process, even less.
Plus, their training philosophy emphasized ball control and footwork, so Kane was admitted without much fuss.
It wasn't until a few months later, when Yang Cheng visited the academy and was reviewing the roster, that he noticed the name.
After checking the family address, he confirmed it—this Harry Kane was that Harry Kane from his previous life.
The interesting part?
After joining Bayswater Chinese FC, Kane had a growth spurt.
He shot up in height—and slimmed down.
Yang Cheng had nothing to do with the process.
In fact, he hadn't even inquired about Kane's background. He simply said one thing while watching Kane train:
"This kid plays smart. Good technique. Make sure he's properly developed."
A similar situation occurred today.
The youth academy was holding its first open recruitment drive. Hundreds of young players signed up.
Many of them came purely because of the club's growing reputation.
And their reasons were all over the place.
For instance, from the list Yang Cheng received from head scout Gary Worthington, he spotted the name Luke Shaw.
Born July 12, 1995.
A match.
Shaw was still under ten years old and had been training with Southampton's academy since 2003.
So why was he now applying to Bayswater?
Because his family lived in Kingston upon Thames in southwest London.
Southampton was quite a journey from there.
Before, the family felt there were no good youth academies in southwest London. Arsenal in the north was too far, so they settled on Southampton.
But now, Bayswater Chinese FC had entered the Premier League and was pouring money into youth development.
Most importantly, the club's development coach, Matt Crocker, was already a well-known figure in Southampton's youth system.
So the family decided to switch to Bayswater.
Closer to home.
Then there was Raheem Sterling.
Born December 8, 1994.
Another match.
This kid was even more interesting.
He lived right in Brent—both his home and school were within walking distance of Bayswater's training base.
Previously, he had to commute to train with QPR.
Now?
He thought Bayswater Chinese FC was better. Stronger.
After all, as a ball boy, he had watched Bayswater steamroll QPR with his own eyes.
So he signed himself up.
Besides those two, there were over a dozen others, around ten years old, who were switching from other professional academies.
Since they wanted to "transfer," Bayswater was more than happy to welcome them.
As Yang Cheng walked around the base, the only familiar names he recognized were Luke Shaw and Sterling.
Future stars of the British Empire, no doubt.
He couldn't wait to see them develop.
With a population as massive as Greater London's, if Bayswater Chinese FC could expand their youth network and establish their own brand, attracting more and more top talent, the future would be limitless.
...
Yang Cheng spent the entire afternoon at the Brent training base. As night fell, he finally left with Xia Qing and Adam Crozier, heading back to the north gate of Hyde Park.
Before leaving, he encouraged Dan Ashworth and the rest of the team to keep pushing forward.
"We're going to make Bayswater Chinese FC's youth academy the brightest, most dazzling banner of the club!"
On the way back to London, Yang Cheng received a call from Jonathan Barnett.
Southampton had agreed.
Three million pounds—Yang Cheng had secured both Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott, two 16-year-old prospects, in a bundled deal.
It was the highest transfer fee in Bayswater Chinese FC's history.
Back in 2003 and 2004, when the club was in League Two and the Championship, Yang Cheng's biggest signing had cost him just £1 million.
But now that they were in the Premier League, Yang Cheng was finally spending like a big shot.
Not only had he spent £2 million each on Leighton Baines and Yaya Touré, he'd also splashed £3 million on two teenage prospects.
"Does this count as a poor man suddenly striking it rich?" Yang Cheng laughed at himself.
Xia Qing shook her head and smiled without saying a word.
She wanted to remind him that he had actually earned over £20 million in player sales.
Even though it was being paid in installments, the initial payments alone were already substantial.
For reasons she couldn't explain, she firmly believed that the money Yang Cheng was spending wouldn't go to waste.
Yang Cheng certainly didn't think it would.
In fact, he felt quite sentimental as he reviewed the squad in his head:
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Danny Coyne
Defenders: Laurent Koscielny, José Fonte, Martin Škrtel, Łukasz Piszczek, Leighton Baines, Roger Johnson, Danny Collins, Pascal Chimbonda
Midfielders: Luka Modrić, Lassana Diarra, Leon Andreasen, Gökhan Inler, Blaise Matuidi, Yaya Touré
Forwards: Franck Ribéry, Rickie Lambert, Ashley Young, Aaron Lennon, Edin Džeko
And now two young additions: Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott—both of whom Yang Cheng planned to keep with the first team and personally develop.
They could play in the reserve league and wouldn't lack match experience.
With this, Bayswater's first team for the season had reached 23 players.
According to Yang Cheng's earlier calculations, the average age was about 21.
Ideally, a squad that consistently delivers results averages closer to 25.
But young teams have their advantages too.
Besides, Yang Cheng wasn't planning to burden the team with overly high expectations this season.
Just looking at this roster—if everyone were three years older—they might actually have a shot at challenging Chelsea.
But right now?
No chance.
Chelsea had been utterly dominant in the past two seasons.
Even as confident as Yang Cheng was, he didn't believe he could go toe-to-toe with them in the league.
Cup competitions, though—that was a different story.
Speaking of which, the Premier League fixtures for the 05/06 season had been released.
Bayswater Chinese FC got the short end of the stick.
The season opener? Home against Chelsea.
The final matchday? At Highbury, away to Arsenal.
That meant Bayswater Chinese FC would play in Highbury's last-ever match.
Yang Cheng was... feeling the pressure.
...
"We really missed out this year," Adam Crozier remarked as they returned to the North Gate of Hyde Park for dinner.
The newly appointed CEO let out a sigh.
Yang Cheng knew exactly what he was referring to.
During the summer of 2005, Europe's top clubs had launched major overseas campaigns across Asia and North America. The scale was massive.
Everton, Manchester City, and Bolton were heading to Bangkok for a Premier League invitational to play against Thailand's national team.
City and Everton were also visiting China, Japan, and South Korea.
Tottenham Hotspur was headed to Asia as well—with a friendly match against Boca Juniors in North Korea of all places.
Fellow promoted side Sunderland had decided early on to tour North America, already booking friendlies with Vancouver Whitecaps and others.
West Ham, another newly promoted team, was planning a tour through Scandinavia.
As for the Big Four—they'd long secured overseas training camps and friendlies, all for commercial purposes.
These kinds of international tours weren't something you could just jump into last minute.
They required significant planning.
Crozier had tried to set something up in Asia or North America—even just to show their faces.
But there were no opponents.
These warm-up matches had to be arranged well in advance.
Not to mention the time it took to process visas for players and staff.
Bayswater Chinese FC already had a packed summer.
First, a two-week training camp focused on physical conditioning.
At the tail end of that, Yang Cheng scheduled two nearby friendlies—against Brentford and Southampton.
After those, the team would fly to Rotterdam to face Feyenoord, then to Germany for a match against Borussia Dortmund, followed by a trip to France to play Lille, before returning to London.
In late July and early August, Inter Milan was doing a UK tour and would play a friendly against Bayswater Chinese FC.
And finally, in early August, they'd play QPR—at QPR's own request.
The Championship side still wasn't willing to admit the growing gap between them and Bayswater.
Yang Cheng had deliberately arranged friendlies against both domestic and European teams.
Why?
Because Bayswater Chinese FC would be competing in the UEFA Cup this season.
He wanted his young squad to get an early taste of the different styles of European football.
As for missing out on Asia and North America...
"No worries. Developing a commercial market isn't a matter of whoever gets there first winning it all. It's a long-term process," Yang Cheng said with a carefree smile.
"Personally, I think we're not ready to make an impact in North America."
"Exactly. We don't have the star power yet," Adam Crozier added.
Franck Ribéry was probably the most recognizable name on the squad. Yang Cheng had extended his contract at £6,000 per week—the club's highest salary.
Compared to the top clubs, that wasn't much.
But it was the best Bayswater Chinese FC could offer.
And even Ribéry couldn't make it into the French national team.
Sending him to North America to build hype?
That wouldn't even make a ripple.
"So, once things settle down here, I'm planning to make a trip to Asia myself—especially China," said Adam Crozier.
He had assessed the current landscape.
North America didn't have enough value just yet. The Middle East was still underdeveloped. High-end sponsors like Emirates weren't interested in a club like Bayswater Chinese FC—at least, not yet.
But Asia? Especially China?
Now that was a different story.
Just the fact that Yang Cheng and the Yang family owned a Premier League club made headlines in itself.
Plus, the Premier League had enormous influence in Asia.
Crozier's idea was to first scout the terrain—see what opportunities were out there—and then come back to develop a targeted commercial strategy.
"Next year is the World Cup in Germany. Global interest in football will be sky-high. Big clubs will be impacted as their players leave for the tournament."
"From what I've heard, none of the Premier League Big Four are planning to visit Asia next summer. That's our window!"
"Alright. Put together a detailed plan as soon as possible," Yang Cheng said, making the decision on the spot.
In his previous life, he'd been through plenty of overseas pre-season tours. He knew how to avoid pitfalls and how to prepare without disrupting training and match-readiness.
More importantly, Bayswater Chinese FC had limited room to grow its matchday revenue.
Broadcasting revenue was also unpredictable.
That left commercial income as the most viable growth area.
It was part of the club's long-term business strategy.
Sitting quietly beside them, Xia Qing listened attentively, her mind deep in thought.
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