Chapter 101: Mourinho's Three-Year Pact! England's Treasure Trove of Talent
Smooth arrival at Hong Kong from London Heathrow Airport.
The young players of Bayswater Chinese were all excited and intrigued by this Asian tour—it was a fresh experience for them.
After all, the club's name was Bayswater Chinese.
According to Premier League traditions, the Barclays Asia Trophy would also be arranged next year, during which Premier League teams would travel to Asia for matches.
Adam Crozier had already communicated with the Premier League Association.
By then, Bayswater Chinese would return to Asia once more.
The Premier League has considerable influence across Asia.
Let alone the fact that Bayswater Chinese were Premier League runners-up, League Cup champions, and UEFA Cup champions—even teams like Fulham or Bolton would receive a warm welcome when they visited Asia.
The legendary Bayswater Chinese, not only performed impressively as a newly promoted side but also had Chinese roots. This made them feel the passion of Hong Kong fans as soon as they landed.
As the group exited the airport, they saw welcoming fans holding up banners in their honor.
Almost every player's appearance triggered screams of excitement from the crowd.
Especially when Yang Cheng, Xia Qing, and Adam Crozier emerged at the end, the atmosphere exploded into a frenzy.
Familiar black hair and yellow skin—it felt so intimate!
Over the past three years, Yang Cheng's legendary achievements in the UK had already spread throughout China and Asia.
He had become immensely popular not just in China, but across all of Asia.
The world knew that China had produced a football genius as a coach.
Now back in his homeland, Yang Cheng set aside some time to interact with the fans who had come to greet them at the airport, doing his best to fulfill their requests.
And it wasn't just the airport.
Wherever the team went—hotels, training grounds, Prudential Insurance promotional events, visits to local orphanages in Hong Kong, and various charity activities—they were welcomed by throngs of enthusiastic Hong Kong fans.
Yang Cheng even made time to participate in a talk show on a Hong Kong TV station.
During the program, he answered the host's questions in Chinese, introducing the history and achievements of Bayswater Chinese, including both the first team and their youth academy.
"This is the first time our club is organizing an Asian tour. Everyone on the team is very happy, and the players are all looking forward to this journey."
Naturally, questions came up about the new season and Ribéry's transfer.
Yang Cheng was honest and upfront—Ribéry's departure was a major loss for Bayswater Chinese.
"But we still have many excellent players, like Andrey Arshavin."
"Perhaps many fans only noticed him during the second half of last season's Premier League, but trust me—within two or three years, he'll be one of the most famous players in the world."
As for the outlook on the upcoming Premier League season, Yang Cheng wasn't worried.
"We are a complete unit. Ribéry's transfer won't affect our competitiveness."
Yang Cheng emphasized that the new season would be different from the past.
"Once the new season starts, everyone will see—many teams, including Manchester United, Liverpool, and us, Bayswater Chinese—we're all closing the gap with Chelsea."
"They won't have it so easy anymore."
Some media outlets speculated that Bayswater Chinese would find it difficult to replicate last season's success.
Yang Cheng responded with a chuckle.
"I'd say we're around the same level as last season, maybe even better, because we've signed many new players, and several players in the squad have clearly improved compared to last year."
For example?
"Edin Džeko—he started training again in late June and has been working very hard to build muscle. His physical condition is outstanding right now, and he's in excellent form. I think he's going to be a nightmare for Premier League defenders this season."
Who's most likely to win the title?
"That's hard to say. Chelsea, Manchester United, us, Liverpool, even Arsenal—they all have a shot."
"No one knows what will happen over a long season. All we can do is prepare as best as we can and be ready for the unknown. That's what makes football so fascinating."
In Hong Kong, Bayswater Chinese's opponent was South China AA, and the match took place at the Hong Kong Stadium.
The 40,000-capacity stadium sold 35,000 tickets—a very impressive turnout.
That morning, Bayswater Chinese and Prudential Insurance held a lively signing ceremony.
The CEO of Prudential Insurance had flown in from the UK to sign the deal in person.
The two parties signed a five-year sponsorship agreement. Prudential Insurance would pay £8 million annually, securing the prime jersey chest sponsorship for Bayswater Chinese.
That evening, Bayswater Chinese defeated South China AA 3–1.
...
The next day, after a recovery training session in Hong Kong, Bayswater Chinese took a bus across the border into Peng City.
Here, Adam Crozier and Omar Berrada officially submitted a report on an operation that had been in progress for a full year.
Bayswater Chinese held a grand collective signing ceremony.
Telecommunications and LAN services provider Huawei, home appliance company Meidi, and LCD screen and television manufacturer LTC all joined as sponsors of Bayswater Chinese.
According to Adam Crozier's sponsorship system breakdown, each of the three companies would contribute £1 million per year.
Huawei would be responsible for the setup of all communications and LAN infrastructure at Bayswater Chinese's training base; Meidi would supply all household appliances except for air conditioners, air purifiers, and water purification equipment; LTC would provide televisions and various LCD display devices.
All three companies were brands with ambitions of expanding into European markets and showed great interest in sponsoring Bayswater Chinese.
Adam Crozier and Omar Berrada had both visited these companies before deciding to sign the deals.
The team also participated in three commercial events hosted by the sponsors, all of which were enthusiastically attended by Peng City fans.
In a subsequent friendly match, Bayswater Chinese drew 2–2 with Bordeaux of Ligue 1.
...
From Peng City to Hu City, Bayswater Chinese's schedule wasn't tight, but it was packed with activities.
One of the most important was a sponsorship deal with Puma, the main sponsor of this China tour.
In Hu City, Bayswater Chinese officially signed a five-year sponsorship contract with Puma, valued at £10 million per year—currently the highest sponsorship deal the club had secured.
Apart from the Premier League's Big Four, this was one of the most substantial sponsorships out there.
Of course, with the money came the responsibility to put in more effort.
Meanwhile, Bayswater Chinese also reached a strategic partnership with Alibaba.
In addition to the £1 million per year sponsorship from Alibaba, the club would open an online store on Taobao to sell Bayswater Chinese jerseys, tickets, merchandise, and souvenirs.
This made them the first sports club in the world to open an official online store in China.
Yang Cheng proudly stated how proud he was of this milestone!
In Hu City, Bayswater Chinese narrowly defeated Serie A's Lazio 2–1.
...
Beijing was the final and most important stop on Bayswater Chinese's China tour.
Upon arrival, the club's first event was to support Umbro China by attending the opening of their new flagship store in Beijing—the largest of its kind in the country.
Yang Cheng's parents, along with Lin Zhongqiu and others, made a special trip to the capital.
When they saw the strong and well-equipped Bayswater Chinese squad, they were all filled with emotion.
Back in the day, they had poured countless manpower and financial resources into the team, yet not only did they fail to get promoted to the First Division (now the Championship), they ended up on the verge of bankruptcy.
Yet in just three years under Yang Cheng's leadership, Bayswater Chinese had become Premier League runners-up and UEFA Cup champions.
No need to say more—just this level of achievement alone was enough to earn their full respect.
Lin Zhongqiu felt both awkward and pleased.
Pleased, for obvious reasons. Awkward, because he had opposed Yang Cheng at every step.
From loan repayments to building the training base, to signing players...
But facts proved that under Yang Cheng's leadership, Bayswater Chinese rapidly expanded and strengthened.
In recent years, Yang Jianguo had also developed rapidly in China.
Whether it was shoes and apparel or real estate, everything he touched was booming.
On this point, Yang Cheng genuinely admired him.
Sometimes, a bold and daring personality might seem reckless—but often, that's exactly what gets things done.
It echoed the old saying: "When scholars rebel, it takes three years just to get started."
"Ah Cheng, I want to discuss something with you," his cheap old man said.
Yang Cheng immediately waved his hand.
"Nope. We don't have much basis for collaboration. Best to keep our waters from crossing."
After speaking, he didn't forget to add, "And as for the payment—you better not short me a single penny. Two million pounds is already a friends-and-family discount."
He was referring to the sleeve sponsorship deal.
To be honest, since China's Umbro redesigned their logo, it looked really good on the sleeve.
"Do you think I'm talking about that two million?" Chairman Yang retorted, full of swagger.
"Relax. You'll get every penny."
Only then did Yang Cheng nod in satisfaction. "Alright then... what is it, Chairman Yang?"
"Show some respect!" Yang Jianguo snapped in mock annoyance.
"You really plan to build a department store and hotel next to the stadium?"
"Of course. Why else would we be investing so much money?"
"Will the London government agree?"
Yang Cheng smiled. "That's why we're spending big money to hire someone like Norman Foster, one of the world's top architects. Once the design is out, they'll give us the green light."
He paused, then gave his dad a wary look. "You… what are you planning?"
"The other day, I was drinking with the head of a state-owned real estate firm. He mentioned how more and more Chinese tourists are visiting Europe. They're looking into investing in Europe to provide supporting services for those tourists."
"You're planning to do this yourself?"
"I just think, since the land is ours, why let someone else make the money? We might as well do it ourselves. And this is a long-term business. Look how hot Harrods is."
"The question is, can you pull it off?"
"I can find capable partners," Yang Jianguo said with full confidence.
That, Yang Cheng thought, was probably the biggest difference between himself and a businessman.
"Anyway, I don't care. I'm just renting the land. As long as you pay market price, I don't care who rents it."
Yang Jianguo understood.
So his precious son was dead set on "splitting the family."
But the thing was, he had no intention of having a second child, so what's the point of splitting anything?
"Alright, alright. You don't have to be so guarded around me. Don't worry, I promise I won't interfere in your affairs. I'm busy enough as it is—where would I find time to meddle?"
Only then did Yang Cheng nod with approval.
"Oh, by the way—your mom bought you an apartment in the capital. You can renovate it whenever you need."
"When did that happen? How come I didn't know?"
Damn, is this how rich people operate?
Just buying me an apartment without telling me? Did I say yes?
That's my precious first-time homebuyer qualification—comes with discounted mortgage rates!
"Just a few days ago. In Xicheng. Something with 'Triumph' in the name, I think. Best layout, best school district, top-floor duplex facing north-south. She said it's for your future wedding."
He shook his head with a pained expression. "Over 30,000 yuan per square meter. Property prices in the capital are insane!"
"Wedding?" Yang Cheng was baffled.
Where did that come from?
Speaking of which, Yang Jianguo leaned in with a mischievous grin. "Let me tell you something—I secretly looked into it. Guess what? Do you know what Xia Qing's family does?"
"How would I know?" Yang Cheng genuinely had never asked.
"I only heard about it by chance," his dad said.
Chance?
Yang Cheng didn't buy it.
Knowing his dad's personality, he probably went out of his way to dig it up.
Not that it was surprising.
After all, Yang Cheng had handed over everything to Xia Qing.
It's only natural for parents to worry.
"She's a 'second-red generation.' Her dad is the chairman of Zhongxin Bank. Her mom is a visiting professor at Qingbei University. Her brother works in the Secretariat Office of the Central Committee."
"For real?" Yang Cheng's jaw dropped.
That background was straight-up elite.
Zhongxin Bank was a major commercial bank in China.
But honestly, these days, anyone who can go abroad is either rich or powerful.
"I heard that on this China tour, her brother Xia Xi called in a lot of favors and helped smooth things over for you."
Suddenly, Yang Cheng understood.
He had been wondering all along—no matter how skilled Adam Crozier and Omar Berrada were, breaking into the Chinese market had been going just too smoothly.
Not that there was anything shady about the sponsorship deals.
It was just... all the commercial channels had opened up like magic.
But developing those commercial pipelines is usually a major undertaking.
For Bayswater Chinese, this tour had laid a solid foundation, making future Chinese market expansion so much easier.
So that was the real story.
And it meant he now owed a huge favor.
How to repay it?
...
Even before the team set out, Yang Cheng had already received the annual performance report from the club's commercial department.
During this Asia tour, Bayswater Chinese would be signing multiple sponsorship contracts.
The two main sponsors were Puma and Prudential.
Next came automotive sponsor Mercedes-Benz from Germany.
Beer sponsor Budweiser.
And sleeve sponsor China Umbro.
Puma was providing £10 million per year, Prudential £8 million, and Mercedes-Benz, Budweiser, and Umbro were each contributing £2 million.
There were also LTC, Huawei, Meidi, Alibaba, and upcoming signings with Lenovo and Longi Solar in Beijing.
These six Chinese brands were each contributing £1 million per year.
Initially, Bayswater Chinese had no plans to visit Japan. But later, Japanese company Daikin offered a £2 million annual sponsorship, plus a free installation of central air conditioning, air purification, and water purification systems for the Brent training base.
So, for the sake of that money, Bayswater Chinese agreed to play a friendly in Japan against Kashima Antlers.
Puma, Prudential, Mercedes-Benz, and Budweiser were all European companies, while the rest of the sponsors were from Asia.
This Asia tour was a massive financial success for Bayswater Chinese.
It would bring in at least £32 million per year for the club.
While Xia Qing and her brother had indeed offered quiet support behind the scenes, Yang Cheng was also thoroughly impressed by Adam Crozier's commercial operations.
Of course, it still didn't quite compare to his glory days with the English FA.
After all, Bayswater Chinese didn't have the influence of the England national team.
But Omar Berrada's negotiation skills and the resources he brought in also left Yang Cheng very satisfied.
Thanks to the efforts of both men, Bayswater Chinese's commercial revenue had skyrocketed.
And with the club entering the Champions League this season, its total income was bound to reach an all-time high.
If the Champions League Run Goes Well, Plus a Decent Wembley Attendance, They Might Break £100 Million
If Bayswater Chinese perform well in the Champions League and maintain decent attendance at Wembley, they stand a real chance of pushing their total revenue past £100 million.
That figure would rank them fifth in the Premier League and probably somewhere in the teens in European football overall.
According to currently available statistics, Liverpool ranks 10th in Europe with annual revenue around £120 million. Real Madrid, the top earner, is already approaching £200 million.
More importantly, these football giants are still growing at double-digit rates year over year.
For Bayswater Chinese, facing a clear disadvantage in home match revenue, commercial income is the only way to close the gap.
…
While revenue is looking good, the club's expenses are also ballooning.
This season, the team's top wage has jumped from £6,000 per week to £20,000 per week.
According to Xia Qing's financial model, the total wage expenditure for players alone will hit £15 million this season.
Since Xia Qing became CFO, she has always advocated for an incentive-based salary structure—meaning lower base wages but higher bonuses.
Her initial projections show that when you include player salaries and bonuses, plus pay and bonuses for all club employees, the total payroll for the new season could approach £40 million.
Not to mention, because the Asia tour was so successful, Yang Cheng planned to give Adam Crozier a £1 million bonus, and Omar Berrada £700,000.
That's another £1.7 million gone right there.
As a side note, during this Asia tour, Bayswater Chinese played five matches, each with an appearance fee of just £600,000—about the same as Liverpool.
So the total income from the five games was only £3 million.
Compared to the elite clubs, that's honestly quite shabby.
…
The match in Beijing against Villarreal marked the final game of Bayswater Chinese's China tour.
The day before the match, Xia Qing came by to pick up tickets and had a brief chat with Yang Cheng.
She didn't mention anything about her brother, acting like she had no idea what had gone on behind the scenes.
Yang Cheng was happy to go along with it. Business as usual.
Still, he kept that favor firmly in mind.
What surprised him more was how many tickets she took.
"You grabbed so many tickets. Did you pay for them?" Yang Cheng teased.
Xia Qing shot him a sharp look, her eyes clearly saying, You bosses are all stingy as hell.
"Don't worry, deduct it from my salary."
Ticket revenue didn't go to Bayswater Chinese, but rather to the local organizers.
These tickets were great seats that Xia Qing had secured through internal channels.
"Who did you invite to watch?" Yang Cheng asked casually.
"My parents, both sets of grandparents, my brother, some relatives and family friends, and a few of my brother's friends."
Something clicked in Yang Cheng's mind—those "friends" of her brother were probably the ones who helped out behind the scenes.
And Xia Qing, that silly girl, was probably planning to repay those favors out of her own pocket.
"Well, since it's your home turf, I can't be stingy. Don't want people saying I mistreat my staff, right?"
Yang Cheng, for once, made a rare generous gesture. "I'll cover these tickets."
"Seriously?" Xia Qing looked skeptical.
Yang Cheng was now fully convinced he had failed to maintain his image.
How could he be a proper second-generation rich kid if everyone thought he was this stingy?
"Senior, please mind your language. What you should say is—thank you, boss."
Xia Qing burst out laughing. "Alright then—thank you, boss."
"You're welcome."
"Oh, right—boss, my dad is a huge football fan. He rarely gets a chance to attend live matches because he's so busy. So you better give it your best out there—don't lose!"
Xia Qing gave him an encouraging look full of hope.
Yang Cheng chuckled confidently and waved his hand.
He had originally planned to play a different lineup in each half.
Now it looked like he'd have to go all out with the starters.
Women… always messing with my match prep!
…
In the match against Villarreal in Beijing, Bayswater Chinese had to fight tooth and nail.
The Yellow Submarine had reached the Champions League semi-finals the previous season. Their overall strength was exceptional.
Although they were still in preseason form and not yet fully adjusted, their quality was undeniable.
Diego Forlán in particular was a constant threat.
And in midfield, Marcos Senna gave Bayswater Chinese a lot of trouble.
But playing against a team like that, in a real high-intensity match, offered valuable experience and a serious test for the squad.
In the end, Bayswater Chinese edged them out 3–2.
Both sides played a very open game, but Bayswater Chinese clinched the win with a set-piece goal in the second half.
After that, the team flew to Tokyo, Japan.
In Yokohama, Bayswater Chinese defeated Kashima Antlers 2–0.
Despite having "Chinese" in their name, Bayswater Chinese were warmly welcomed by Japanese fans.
After all, they were Premier League runners-up and UEFA Cup champions.
One of the most recognizable players on the team, Luka Modrić, had left a deep impression on Japanese fans.
He had scored the only goal in Croatia's group-stage victory over Japan, helping to knock Japan out of the tournament with three losses, seven goals conceded, and only two scored.
Strangely enough, that very goal made Japanese fans start following Modrić—and by extension, Bayswater Chinese.
…
After flying back to London from Tokyo, Bayswater Chinese entered the final stage of their pre-season preparations.
Upon returning, all training sessions were moved from Bayswater Stadium to Wembley.
The newly built Wembley could accommodate up to 90,000 spectators.
Its facilities were state-of-the-art and left the players amazed.
The locker rooms, in particular, were far superior to those at Loftus Road.
But the downside was that attendance at Wembley was likely to set historic lows for the Premier League—possibly even all of England's top flight.
According to Adam Crozier's report, as of now, Bayswater Chinese had only sold 25,000 season tickets—even with Champions League group-stage games bundled into the package.
It was clear that the vast expanse of Wembley would look mostly empty on matchdays.
With current sales trends, even 30,000 in attendance would be considered a success.
Yang Cheng and Adam Crozier both anticipated that the Champions League group matches would draw bigger crowds.
In fact, the CEO was now openly hoping that they'd be drawn into a group with giants like Barcelona or Real Madrid to boost ticket sales and market buzz.
Though season ticket sales were underwhelming, Bayswater Chinese had no intention of slashing prices to move more seats.
Even after moving to Wembley, ticket prices remained unchanged.
The lowest tier was still £30.
That remained the lowest base ticket price among all Premier League clubs in London.
By contrast, after Arsenal moved into their new stadium this season, their most expensive single-match tickets shot up to £94.
Last season at Highbury, the priciest ticket was just £54.
Of course, those were for marquee matchups against Chelsea, Manchester United, Spurs, Liverpool—and Bayswater Chinese.
Yes, thank you, Arsenal!
They had included home matches against Bayswater Chinese in their highest ticket tier.
That tier ranged from £48 to £94.
For all other teams, ticket prices ranged from £33 to £66.
Arsenal's season ticket prices now ran from £893 to £1,825.
Tottenham's lowest tier season ticket is priced at £650.
West Ham United's is £585.
Bayswater Chinese's cheapest season ticket is £660.
At first glance, it seems expensive. But in reality, it covers 22 matches—19 Premier League games and 3 Champions League group stage fixtures.
If you count just the Premier League games, it comes out to £570—cheaper than West Ham's.
Of course, that's just the lowest tier.
Bayswater Chinese still keep their average ticket price at around £40.
However, out of Wembley Stadium's 166 VIP boxes, Bayswater Chinese have only sold 30—and most of those are the cheaper 10-person boxes.
Wembley's VIP boxes are divided into six pricing tiers, ranging from £2,400 to £40,000.
Even so, those 30 boxes brought in over £2 million in revenue for Bayswater Chinese.
And those 300 VIP clients will bring in even more spending on matchdays.
Of course, that £2 million-plus wasn't just handed over for nothing.
The accompanying services for the VIP boxes are top-notch, including gourmet catering packages, dedicated parking spots, private entry points, signage guidance, and full-service attendants—everything provided at the highest standard.
According to Adam Crozier, if all VIP boxes were sold out, they could generate over £30 million per season.
That's the biggest difference between a new stadium and an old one.
…
While Bayswater Chinese were worrying about sluggish season ticket sales, Manchester United proudly announced that they had sold a record-breaking 64,000 season tickets for the new season.
That created a rather ironic situation.
Hardcore United fans had been pushing the anti-Glazer campaign, yet season ticket sales at Old Trafford were hitting historic highs—a truly surreal contradiction.
Besides the United news, there was another major development in the Premier League while Bayswater Chinese were touring Asia.
American sports tycoon Randy Lerner acquired a 57% stake in Aston Villa for £62.6 million, becoming their largest shareholder.
Lerner is also the owner of the Cleveland Browns, a team in the NFL.
As for the upcoming Premier League season, the general consensus remains that Chelsea are still the favorites.
Chelsea manager José Mourinho, in an interview with British media, boldly declared that he would lead the Blues to a third consecutive league title.
"When I take over a team, it usually takes three years to bring them to their absolute peak," he said.
"This is my third season at Chelsea. We've signed superstars like Shevchenko and Ballack, and our overall strength has improved dramatically."
"Our ambitions are no longer limited to the Premier League or domestic cups. We want to conquer Europe."
"This season, our goal is every championship—Premier League, Champions League—we want it all!"
…
Due to the Asia tour, Yang Cheng had been unable to handle a number of matters.
So, while the team was entering the final stretch of pre-season prep, Yang Cheng had to work overtime during his spare moments to take care of other things.
One of them was youth development, which he held in high regard.
This year's Academy Selection Day had already passed, and neither Yang Cheng nor the first-team coaches had been able to attend.
So while training at Wembley and familiarizing himself with the stadium, Yang Cheng made a few side trips to the nearby Brent training base to check in and see if any new gems had been unearthed.
Last year, they discovered Luke Shaw and Raheem Sterling, which had whetted Yang Cheng's appetite and made him addicted to finding new talent.
Chelsea's Cobham training facility was still under construction.
Due to the poor state of their current first-team facilities, Phase 1 of the Cobham project was being prioritized for first-team use only.
That's why it hadn't opened yet—completion was expected sometime in 2007.
Once Phase 1 is operational, Phase 2 will begin, which is designated for youth teams.
At present, Chelsea's youth academy structure is still incomplete, and their development programs are lacking.
As for Fulham, their limited resources have always meant a less-than-ideal youth setup.
So currently, in all of West and Southwest London, there are only two Premier League teams:
Last season's promoted side, Bayswater Chinese, and this season's new boys, Watford.
Bayswater Chinese's investment in youth development needs no elaboration—it's already made a name for itself. Thanks to the top-tier facilities and staffing at Brent, the academy has taken solid shape.
In the first team, Yang Cheng is already known for playing flashy, attacking football and boldly promoting young players.
Under these circumstances, the majority of footballing talent from the West and Southwest of London is now heading to Bayswater Chinese.
According to Dan Ashworth's report, there were even more players registered for this year's academy trials than last year.
That in itself was a strong endorsement of Bayswater Chinese's commitment to youth development.
Yang Cheng scanned through the list of new recruits in this year's intake.
Sure enough, he spotted two very familiar names.
One of them was Declan Rice.
Interestingly enough, he also came from Kingston in southwest London—same place as Luke Shaw.
Yang Cheng first verified his date of birth and, finding it matched what he remembered from his past life, was thrilled to confirm that this was indeed the future anchor of the English national team's midfield.
"This place called Decreach Lane Adventure Playground... is that a youth academy?" Yang Cheng asked, eyeing the odd name, which sounded more like a kids' amusement park.
Dan Ashworth chuckled, "They are technically qualified as a youth academy, but yes—they really are a kids' play center."
He explained, "The street next to the academy is called Decreach Road, and it's inside a park called Decreach. Strictly speaking, they don't own any of it. They just rent out the local community sports center. They run a play area and provide some sports training for kids—football, basketball, tennis, you name it."
Yang Cheng nodded in understanding.
So that's how it was.
"Declan Rice is the most talented kid to come out of that club. He's only seven, but his talent is already showing. Chelsea actually contacted them before."
"But Rice's family felt that Chelsea's youth system wasn't very developed. Cobham is close to them, yes—but it'll take at least three more years to finish. So they decided to give Bayswater Chinese a try."
So that's the story, Yang Cheng thought to himself.
"What do you think of him?" Yang Cheng asked with interest.
"This kid's got something special," Dan Ashworth said approvingly.
"Then keep a close eye on him. Train him well."
There was another name on the list—not from Brent, but from a satellite training center in the southeast suburbs of London.
His name was Eddie Nketiah.
In Yang Cheng's previous life, Nketiah was a forward for Arsenal and had played for England at various youth levels, with a very high scoring efficiency.
His background was a little different.
If you look at a map of London, trace along the Thames and you'll see the unmistakable Canary Wharf district on the Isle of Dogs.
South of the river from there is a massive area populated predominantly by Black communities.
Starting from the 1980s, Black immigrants had been settling in that region in large numbers.
At almost any time of the day, you could see children playing football in parks, fields, or any open space across that area.
They even organized neighborhood tournaments for kids.
This deep-rooted football culture dated back decades.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright also came from that same area.
Players Like Future Liverpool Right-Back Nathaniel Clyne and the Much-Talked-About "King of the Ball" Wilfried Zaha Also Came From This Region
Just think about how many Black players will feature among England's homegrown stars in the future—and how many of them are from London—and it's clear that this area is an absolute goldmine of talent.
That said, the youth development in this area is still poorly managed.
In terms of club territories, this area is technically under the influence of Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, and Millwall.
So it's no surprise that both Nathaniel Clyne and Wilfried Zaha came up through the Crystal Palace youth system.
But now, a new training center carrying the name of Bayswater Chinese has raised its flag in the heart of this region.
"In the coming years, we need to pay even more attention to densely populated districts like Lewisham and Brockley," Yang Cheng said.
Lewisham and Brockley are predominantly Black neighborhoods.
Dan Ashworth nodded. "I've already made arrangements. We'll be assigning more staff to the satellite training center, and Gary Worthington will deploy more scouts in the area as well."
This was a sensitive topic, so Yang Cheng and Dan Ashworth kept things tacit and unspoken.
Many of the Black kids here come from lower-income families—but that wasn't an issue.
According to Premier League data, most footballers come from impoverished backgrounds anyway. Middle-class families are almost nonexistent in this career path.
And genetically, Black athletes are naturally gifted when it comes to sports. Their physical attributes are outstanding.
Take Cristiano Ronaldo, for example.
Many say he's the ultimate example of self-discipline—but let a non-Black athlete attempt the same grueling, punishing training regime, and they'd likely be sidelined with injuries before long.
This wasn't to deny Ronaldo's greatness—just a statement of biological reality.
Dan Ashworth understood exactly what Yang Cheng meant.
This region might be poor, but the physical potential here made it an untapped treasure trove of youth prospects.
Of course, even with all of Dan Ashworth's foresight, he couldn't see as far into the future as Yang Cheng could.
In the years to come, Black players would dominate European football.
…
Yang Cheng had also made several high-level strategic plans for youth development going forward.
After that, he headed to Bayswater Stadium in central London.
Adam Crozier had scheduled a walk-through of the site with renowned architect Norman Foster and his team of assistants.
Or rather—not a shopping trip, but a site inspection.
The project was still going through the formal approval process with the London city government, but it was basically settled: the redevelopment of Bayswater Chinese's stadium would be combined with the regeneration project on Queensway.
Just as Yang Cheng and Adam Crozier had predicted, Norman Foster—being British himself—was very interested in the project. It was an instant match, and he was quick to agree.
As for his design fee?
Discounted!
But even a discounted rate from a master like Foster was still painfully expensive.
When Yang Cheng arrived at Bayswater Stadium, he exchanged pleasantries with Foster and his team. Then they walked from Jinzhong Road northward, did a loop around Queensway, circled the entire plot, and returned.
Standing at the intersection of Porchester Gardens across from the stadium, Norman Foster observed the surroundings quietly.
After a long pause, he turned to Yang Cheng, Xia Qing, and Adam Crozier.
"These buildings around here have very long histories. Many of them are protected heritage sites. Even if we renovate, we can't alter the façades too much. But the overall style can become simpler and more modern."
"Of course," Yang Cheng nodded.
If they went too radical with the design, Londoners wouldn't approve.
"In terms of site planning, I suggest putting the stadium in the center, with four buildings on the corners. Each building should be separated by 50 meters to allow for large open areas so fans and tourists can freely move through."
"The buildings should face the main streets. There are height restrictions—they can be no taller than six stories and must remain significantly lower than the stadium."
"Each building would be angled to form street corners and curve at the rear, creating elegant arcs that maximize the open space around the stadium. That area could be transformed into a garden-style public plaza—for recreation, entertainment, sports, and socializing—seamlessly integrated with the bustling surrounding neighborhoods."
"Look at where we're standing now. If we leave a 50-meter gap here, it not only connects with Queensway but also offers a clear view of the stadium's interior."
"Every street corner would have tailored landscaping. Once it's completed, I promise it'll become a global tourist landmark!"
Yang Cheng was completely lost.
All he saw was a run-down site. He couldn't picture anything remotely close to the global landmark Foster was describing.
So he looked to Xia Qing and Adam Crozier, his eyes asking silently: Did either of you understand that?
Adam Crozier rolled his eyes—what do you think?
Xia Qing was equally exasperated.
She understood every single word... but not the meaning when they were put together.
Yang Cheng remembered a time in his past life when he hired a designer for an interior project. The designer casually sketched out some concepts and explained them with flair and passion—but Yang Cheng had no clue what they were talking about.
There was only one solution:
Renderings!
But he did understand some of Foster's concepts.
To put it simply: don't build the surrounding structures as a connected ring. Instead, leave four 50-meter-wide open pathways on each side of the stadium—north, south, east, and west—so fans could easily flow in and out, and the stadium and surrounding open areas could be fully integrated with the bustling city streets.
That idea was actually pretty brilliant.
Sure, closing it all off would maximize revenue—but enclosing the stadium entirely in buildings would create a stifling, claustrophobic feeling.
An open design would make it more inviting. Tourists could wander in and out freely, keeping the venue lively.
And if it really did become a must-see landmark and social media hotspot? Even better.
Yang Cheng had a ton of creative ideas for the new stadium.
For example, he wanted to build a glass skywalk above the stadium.
Why?
Because once completed, the stadium would be the highest point in central London.
It would be a waste not to capitalize on such a prime tourist feature.
He also wanted to hang a massive, circular screen in the middle of the stadium—just like the one in SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in his previous life.
This completely stumped Norman Foster.
A circular screen?
How?
"Well, we visited China and met with a company called LTC that specializes in televisions. They said their lab is already experimenting with large curved displays. Mass production might be tough in a few years, but they're willing to custom-build one for us."
Yang Cheng was obsessed with the idea. That circular screen looked so futuristic—it was awesome!
And for the manufacturer, it would be a tech flex and a major marketing opportunity, so they were all for it.
Foster didn't really understand, but figured as long as the stadium structure had the load-bearing capacity, they could just hang it later.
Yang Cheng also wanted to install a retractable pitch like the one at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu.
Bernabéu had limited underground space because of the subway, so their pitch storage system was highly compressed.
But Bayswater's plot, while close to the Bayswater Tube Station on the southern edge, would have the stadium in the center—meaning plenty of room.
They'd just need a single underground level and divide the pitch into three segments.
Technically speaking, it wasn't hard to pull off with current technology.
It would just cost a fortune.
But as far as Yang Cheng was concerned, if you're already burning through a billion pounds, what's a little extra?
Plus, it could become a major source of revenue.
Once the pitch is rolled away, the venue could host concerts, expos, and events. The profits would be insane!
In such a prime location, not using the space would practically be a crime.
Also, the roof had to be retractable—perfect for rainy or snowy days.
Norman Foster was completely stunned.
After so many years as a world-renowned architect—and a highly technical one at that—it was the first time a client had left him speechless with such a futuristic vision.
No wonder the budget was £1 billion!
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