Claire sat expressionless on the bench, propping his head up with his left hand, his eyes glazed over as he stared blankly at the ever-changing match unfolding before him.
Sir Alex Ferguson, having just finished laying out tactical adjustments, glanced at Claire's eerily calm demeanor and muttered under his breath, "This kid isn't even fazed by Wenger's defensive setup?"
Had Claire's uncle been there, he would've recognized it instantly—this was Claire's signature "spacing out" pose.
Inside Claire's mind, however, there was only one thing: Danielle Sharp's words from the player tunnel earlier—*"You've gone viral! That song you sang on YouTube has already hit over 10 million views!"*
At first, hearing this news, Claire's body instinctively tensed up in resistance. But he quickly suppressed it, mentally scolding himself: "You really think one song is enough to land you a celebrity? Don't forget she's auditioning for the lead in Transformers right now. If she gets it and blows up, you'll be nothing to her."
Feigning composure, Claire remained silent on the bench, oblivious even to Park Ji-sung—who'd been trying to chat him up—being subbed onto the field. Taking deep breaths to steady himself, Claire slipped back into his own little world of delusions.
"Hmm… shouldn't there be, like, a flood of fans cheering me on by now? Shouldn't brands and record labels be fighting to sign me? Why is it so… quiet?"
While Claire was lost in his thoughts, up in the executive commentary box, Manchester United's owner, Malcolm Glazer, was already deep in meetings with multiple brand representatives.
Leaning back in the cramped conference room, Glazer turned to his secretary. "How many brands have shown up today?"
"Sir, aside from our existing partners—Audi and Aon—no other brands have reached out for negotiations. Meanwhile, I've heard Mr. Denis has already been contacted by several during halftime."
Glazer's face darkened. Without caring about the thin walls, he grabbed an ashtray and hurled it against the wall. "F**k! That damn Denis—using his seniority to pressure me!"
The secretary shrank back, not daring to speak. In the power struggle between the owner and Sir Alex, she couldn't afford to offend either—one was the financial backbone, the other the club's pillar.
Trembling, she cautiously added, "Sir, you were the one who approved Claire's three-match contract. Mr. Denis suggested delaying the renewal because, first, he believes his nephew's song was a fluke—Claire has no prior musical background—and second… well, the initial contract was structured to maximize club profits."
Hearing this, Glazer's rage cooled as if doused with ice water.
A football dynasty's rise and survival always hinges on financial strength. As the world's most commercially successful club, Manchester United had set the gold standard for football business operations.
Club revenue came from three main streams:
Matchday income—tickets, concessions, etc. With United consistently among the Premier League's top three, Glazer had this locked down. And thanks to Claire, they'd already seen a 30% surge in ticket sales for this match. Broadcasting rights and league revenue sharing—a stable but capped income, making up only 20% of revenue. Not enough to ease the Glazers' debt burdens. Commercial revenue—sponsorships, endorsements, merchandising, etc. This was the real moneymaker, growing 15% yearly, heavily reliant on star power.
This was why Glazer had pressured Ferguson to play Claire. If Claire performed well today, his "footballer-singer-heartthrob" image would be perfect for United's star-making machine. Even if he flopped, United's media empire could still manufacture him into a "football pop idol."
Why? Because music fans spend big—especially female fans. And with Claire's looks ranking top three at United, his appeal could drive ticket sales, merch, and brand deals.
Glazer wanted two things:
Renew Claire's contract ASAP (preferably a cheap 2+1 deal). Leverage Claire's song to boost sponsorship income.
United's sponsors fell into three tiers:
**Primary (shirt sponsors)**—Aon, a decade-long partner. After "The Nights" blew up, Aon had already rushed to renegotiate terms. **Kit sponsors (Nike)**—a lucrative deal thanks to Ferguson's success. Player-specific deals—custom jerseys, appearances, endorsements. This was where Glazer saw real profit.
Take Cristiano Ronaldo—at his peak, his jersey had seven sponsor logos, including Betfair (United's official betting partner).
The club and player would split earnings, often offsetting wages. For Claire—still an unknown in football—United could lock him into a low-cost deal and milk his commercial potential dry.
"No love or hate in this world comes without reason."
As Glazer stewed in his thoughts, his eldest son, Avram, entered.
Without a word, Glazer turned to the pitch below. After a moment, he smirked. "Just as I thought. United's under pressure, but Arsenal's cracking harder. Neither side wants to face the media backlash after this."
"Exactly," Avram nodded. "Wenger's gone all-in on defense, subbing in every defender except their playmaker."
Glazer wasn't surprised. "Ferguson's probably throwing everything at their shield. Good. The timing's perfect—I want Claire on that pitch for his debut. Even if he walks after three games, we'll squeeze every last drop of value from him!"
"Understood. I've already connected with Claire's biggest fan group on YouTube. They'll make their move in the last 10 minutes."