Logically, 18-year-old Rice was already the captain of West Ham United's U23 youth team, making him a star player in the youth squad.
Moreover, West Ham United's Coach, Bilic, was indeed preparing to promote him to the first team for training.
So why would they let Rice go?
This was because Zhao Zhao offered them an irresistible condition!
2 million euros, plus Sunderland midfielder Rodwell!
This offer was simply too sincere.
One must know that when Rodwell joined Sunderland from Manchester City, his price had already reached around 14 million euros.
Although his development in recent years has not been as expected, he should still be worth around 10 million, right?
And he also plays as a defensive midfielder; at 26 years old, he is not old, and he has rich experience in top League play. His performance during Sunderland's relegation battle last season was also quite good.
Calculated this way, for West Ham United, it was like selling Rice for over 10 million, wouldn't they be making a huge profit?
So, while Zhao Zhao hadn't changed his mind, West Ham's high-level management directly finalized the deal.
They had no idea that Rodwell had issues with his professionalism and would soon struggle to even meet EFL Championship standards…
As for Zhao Zhao, he wanted to send away such a burden as quickly as possible, without calculating anything further.
Rodwell, with his 70,000 weekly salary and inability to play, was a negative asset; it would cost over 3 million a year just to pay his wages.
So, spending 2 million to buy Rice was like making money.
Not to mention Rice, a potential stock, who could be a player worth hundreds of millions in the future…
As for Rice's personal wishes, Zhao Zhao's discussion with him went very smoothly.
Firstly, Zhao Zhao made it clear that bringing Rice over meant he would enter the first team to play, not just stay at West Ham United waiting for a promotion notice.
This was very appealing to Rice.
After all, this way he could truly play in the Premier League, instead of remaining in the youth team.
Then there was the treatment.
Zhao Zhao would not exploit "child labor"; once he joined, he would be treated as one of their own.
A weekly salary of 20,000, plus additional bonus clauses, and a direct five-year contract.
Anyway, this was pretty much the minimum treatment for Sunderland's first team, and Zhao Zhao wouldn't be stingy.
When players perform well, their salaries will eventually increase; being too strict at the beginning can affect their mood and fighting spirit.
As for Rice, although he had signed a formal professional contract with West Ham United, his weekly salary was only a little over a thousand.
Now, his salary directly increased by more than ten or twenty times, naturally making him very happy.
Thus, both parties quickly reached a consensus!
Rice's arrival was still very important.
As the team's midfield hub, Rice possessed accurate long passes, precise tackling and positioning, agile dribbling and advancement, and powerful long-range shots. Coupled with his 1.85-meter height, he could defend and attack, truly a versatile midfielder.
Moreover, he often played as a center-back in West Ham United's youth team, which would also allow Zhao Zhao more flexibility in future tactical arrangements.
However, one defensive midfielder was still not enough.
And the current Rice was still a bit raw; he needed a more mature and experienced person to guide him.
And this person would certainly not be Vice-Captain Cattermole.
He couldn't learn from him to get red and yellow cards every day!
The defensive midfielder Zhao Zhao had in mind was precisely a future candidate for "World's Best Defensive Midfielder," Rodri from Spain!
And at this point, Alonso, this weapon, had to be used again.
Alonso is a former Spanish international, and he also plays as a defensive midfielder; taking him along would definitely help!
In fact, Rodri once said in an interview: "Zidane was my idol when I was a child, but considering my playing style, I'm not really like Zidane. Zidane is a very creative midfielder, while I am more defensively oriented. So I often watch videos of Xavi Alonso and Busquets' games and learn by watching their matches."
In other words, Alonso was Rodri's teacher in some sense.
Now that Zhao Zhao was bringing his "teacher" to talk to him, it would definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort!
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At this time, Rodri was playing for "Yellow Submarine" Villarreal.
He actually came from Atlético Madrid's youth academy but joined Villarreal in 2013, then made his first-team debut in 2015, when he was only 19 years old.
Last season, the 2016-2017 season, Rodri gradually became an important player for the team, making 31 appearances for Villarreal in various competitions.
In other words, Rodri had already experienced a full La Liga season, and his performance had begun to attract the attention of other teams.
So, it was very appropriate for Zhao Zhao to make his move at this time.
Otherwise, if he delayed another season, Rodri would have become an absolute key player for Villarreal, with his appearances reaching 47.
His parent club, Atlético Madrid, would finally make a move, and his value would reach 25 million euros.
Of course, if it were even later, Rodri would be a high-class player beyond the reach of a team like Sunderland.
At that time, Manchester City would directly activate Rodri's release clause, bringing him to the Etihad Stadium for 70 million euros, making him a strong contender for "World's Best Defensive Midfielder"!
But if Zhao Zhao were to buy him now, although the price wouldn't be low, it shouldn't exceed 25 million.
After all, the current Rodri is just a "mid-tier rookie" who has just completed a full season in a top five League; he wouldn't be ridiculously expensive.
But unexpectedly, the resistance Zhao Zhao encountered on this trip was indeed all about the price.
Because of Alonso's lobbying, Rodri himself was very willing to follow his "teacher's" footsteps to Sunderland.
And Rodri had long heard about Zhao Zhao's miraculous experience of leading Sunderland to avoid relegation, and he was quickly convinced by Zhao Zhao's eloquent words.
However, Villarreal wanted Zhao Zhao to pay 18 million euros before they would let him go!
But now, Zhao Zhao's total budget was already less than 20 million, and he still needed to save some money to buy the last player!
So, both sides engaged in several rounds of negotiations and finally reached a difficult agreement.
That was because Zhao Zhao resorted to the installment payment method!
The first payment would be 13.5 million, and then an additional 3.5 million would be paid over the next two seasons, bringing the total to 17 million.
In addition, an extra 1 million or so would be given based on Rodri's League appearances, national team appearances, etc.
In total, it was still roughly 18 million, but some payments were deferred, and some might not be needed in the end—well, given Rodri's future achievements, that million should eventually be unavoidable.
There was no way around it; Villarreal insisted on 18 million and wouldn't budge.
And currently, Zhao Zhao truly had no better second choice than Rodri.
Anyway, as long as he didn't exceed the budget this year, once the team played well this season, there would naturally be money, and the subsequent installment payments would not be an issue!
This kind of upfront investment was very necessary, and considering Rodri's level—both current and future—he could be said to be truly worthy of being Sunderland's "record signing" for this summer window!
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The reason Zhao Zhao was only willing to pay 13.5 million euros in the first installment, instead of throwing all the money in, was because he wanted to save 5 million to buy the last person.
This was the final piece of the puzzle for Sunderland's new season lineup, and it was for the most crucial center-back position.
That was Ruben Dias from Benfica!
This highly-priced iron defender, who would also go to Manchester City in the future, was currently only a player for Benfica B team.
Similar to many players Zhao Zhao had just acquired, Ruben Dias, in the normal timeline, would also be promoted to the first team this season and then begin to show his potential.
Of course, such future stars are amazing from their first appearance; he won the Portuguese League's Best Young Player at the end of this season.
Then he helped the team win the Portuguese League title, was selected for the Portuguese League's Team of the Season, and was poached by Manchester City for 68 million euros…
So now, Zhao Zhao was poaching him before he had shown his abilities in the League, and 5 million euros was enough.
This transaction went much more smoothly.
After all, for a club like Benfica, there are countless excellent young players in their team. Since someone is willing to pay money to buy a lottery ticket, they are too lazy to scratch it themselves.
As for Ruben Dias himself, being able to go directly to the Premier League, where he most aspired to play, and seemingly having a chance to be a starter, he was naturally willing.
After Zhao Zhao and Alonso finalized Rodri's contract, they flew directly from Spain to neighboring Portugal and settled the deals with Benfica and Ruben Dias in just half a day.
With this, Sunderland's new season lineup was complete, and Zhao Zhao's 50 million euro budget was spent down to the last penny!
Finally, Sunderland's brand new first-team roster was presented to Zhao Zhao.
Goalkeepers: Pickford, Mika, Mannone.
Defenders: Robertson, Ruben Dias, Ben White, Zabaleta, Oviedo, Kone, Billy Jones.
Midfielders: Rice, Rodri, Cattermole, Gibson, McNair.
Forwards: Defoe, Haaland, Sancho, Brahim Díaz, Foden, Borini, Khazri.
A total of 22 players.
Mainly, these new players Zhao Zhao bought were either EU citizens, had EU passports, or many were even British stars with their household registration!
So there were no work permit issues at all; all of them could start working directly!
Although the number of defenders in this squad seems a bit low, among the midfielders, Rice, Rodri, and McNair can all play as center-backs, so it's not a big problem.
Including winger Borini, he was actually converted into a full-back during his time at AC Milan later, which avoided some of his issues as a forward, and he played well.
As for the attack, apart from Haaland, most of the players here can play both wide and central.
Players like Brahim Díaz and Foden can also play as central attacking midfielders when the formation changes to 4-3-3, giving Zhao Zhao a lot of flexibility.
And 22 players are enough.
Sunderland, after all, has no European competition obligations, and Zhao Zhao's main goal for the new season is still the Premier League. Competitions like the League Cup and FA Cup will primarily be used to develop new players, playing as far as they can.
Speaking of which, even Manchester City under Guardiola, even though they often face multiple competitions, their first-team squad usually isn't very large, generally around 22 players.
Quality over quantity!
As long as the players aren't overused and don't get injured frequently, these players are truly enough.
For example, Chelsea around 2023 often had a first-team squad of 30+, but what was the use?
And clearly, the 22 players on this Sunderland roster, although similar in total number to last season's first-team squad, clearly have stronger combat power.
Of last season's 23-man squad, only 16 players actually appeared under Zhao Zhao (excluding the abandoned match against Chelsea); the others were not very useful.
However, the veteran players in this lineup, excluding the two substitute goalkeepers, were all key contributors from last season.
And the new additions, like Robertson, Zabaleta, and Rodri, have all proven their strength in the top five Leagues, so there's definitely no problem with them.
As for the young lads who haven't played in professional Leagues or have only played a few professional matches, they are all on the verge of becoming complete players and can be fully utilized.
In other words, most of these players were originally destined to make a splash this season in their original timelines!
It's just that under Zhao Zhao's operation, their rise to fame remained unchanged, but they all switched the club they played for to Sunderland…
Zhao Zhao was also confident that with his "prophetic vision" and the training knowledge gained from coaching courses, coupled with the rigorous experience of the top League, he could help these young lads grow even faster!
Therefore, he was full of anticipation for the new season!
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Time passed quickly, and July arrived.
Zhao Zhao had set July 5th as the team's assembly date.
Before this training camp day, the club's management and staff had to gather first.
After all, unlike Zhao Zhao and Alonso, who had to run around signing players in the early stages, most people could only play their part once the players had arrived.
Among the senior management, Chairman Ellis Short and Director Anderson were in the most frequent contact with Zhao Zhao; others involved in finance or external relations had little to do with him.
The focus was still on the staff.
There were as many as four important new staff members recruited this summer, so they needed to be shown around and familiarized with the club's facilities, such as the dining hall, gym, and medical room.
The existing staff also accompanied Zhao Zhao and the new recruits on a tour, as it was important for the staff members to get to know each other.
This group would become the backbone of Sunderland's coaching staff for the new season!
Coach: Zhao Zhao.
Assistant Coaches: Breswell, Alan Tate, Alonso.
Fitness Coaches: Lafuente, Sergi Perez.
Goalkeeper Coach: Tucker.
Academy Director: Sinclair.
Chief Scout: Houston.
Head Team Doctor: Eva.
Of course, besides these ten people, there were many scouts, team doctors, and youth team coaches under them, including sports science consultants, data analysts, etc., totaling about a dozen more.
Everyone gathered, chatted, and then started working!
They needed to complete all preparations before the players arrived, including checking and testing various training and medical facilities, and more importantly, drafting training plans, arranging medical examination procedures, and so on.
This way, players could immediately enter pre-season preparation without wasting time.
What pleased Zhao Zhao was that the new staff he recruited were indeed very professional.
Whether it was the fitness coaches Lafuente and Sergi Perez, or the team doctor Eva, they all managed to organize their work meticulously, clearly well-trained.
As for Alonso, there was no need to mention him; he quickly teamed up with the other two assistant coaches to refine and break down the initial training outline drafted by Zhao Zhao.
As for Zhao Zhao himself, he was soon called to the office by Chairman Short.
"The fifty million transfer budget has been spent, which is good."
As soon as he entered, Short said.
However, he immediately changed the subject: "Are you really confident about avoiding relegation this season? I heard you bought a lot of young players with little League experience. Can they really be relied upon?"
Zhao Zhao smiled.
Obviously, the owner was still a bit lacking in confidence about this brand-new Sunderland.
He even worried about the team being relegated!
But in fact, this was understandable, as he didn't have Zhao Zhao's God's perspective.
Is fifty million euros in transfer fees a lot? Quite a lot.
But can it guarantee avoiding relegation? Not really.
This is not alarmist talk.
Don't think that ranking among the top 17 out of 20 teams is an easy feat.
In the fiercely competitive Premier League, anything can truly happen.
In the 2018-2019 season, newly promoted Fulham spent over 100 million pounds in the summer transfer window to recruit players in order to stay in the Premier League, but ended up being relegated early at the end of the season, returning to the EFL Championship.
And in the 2022-2023 season, Nottingham Forest, also returning to the Premier League after 23 years, directly invested over 150 million pounds! In the end, they barely managed to avoid relegation.
That is to say, some teams spent nearly 200 million euros just to avoid relegation, so what is Sunderland's fifty million?
But Zhao Zhao had this confidence.
"Don't worry, we can definitely avoid relegation." Zhao Zhao first reassured the owner, "And our goal is not just to avoid relegation; I even want to push for a higher ranking."
"Really?" Short shook his head. "Our financial situation has been mediocre for the past few seasons. If we don't perform well again, my investment might face difficulties."
Zhao Zhao understood Short's meaning.
After several years of continuous investment, Sunderland's performance and income had not improved, which inevitably disheartened the American owner.
In Zhao Zhao's previous life, after Sunderland was relegated, the club was still burdened with over 100 million pounds in debt, which further fueled Short's desire to leave.
Ultimately, he sold the club.
Such an action actually led to subsequent turmoil in the team, causing them to suffer a double relegation in the end.
In this life, due to Zhao Zhao's successful efforts in avoiding relegation, Short's spirits were lifted, prompting him to invest another fifty million euros for Zhao Zhao to buy new players to strengthen the team.
But his meaning was also clear: this money must bring results.
If not, Short might cease investment, or even sell the club.
"I guarantee it." Zhao Zhao's face remained calm, which increased Short's trust in him.
"Avoiding relegation is really not an issue; what I need to consider is whether we can make it to European competition." Zhao Zhao continued, "This way, our prize money, broadcasting revenue, and ticket revenue will greatly increase, and perhaps solve our financial problems."
"What, your goal is to enter European competition?" Short's eyes widened. "This… isn't this goal a bit too ambitious?"
For Short, this was indeed a bit too ambitious.
Earlier, Zhao Zhao said they would push for a higher ranking, which was possible.
After all, against lower-ranked teams like Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Bournemouth, Sunderland certainly had a fighting chance, and outranking them wasn't some wild fantasy.
But European competition?
To enter European competition, besides winning a cup, one must at least finish in the top six in the League.
Sometimes, seventh place can also qualify for the Europa League, but this rarely happens, as this spot is often taken by the FA Cup and League Cup winners.
The main reason is that the Premier League is different from other Leagues; they have the BIG6, which are six powerhouses far superior to other teams.
In recent seasons, the top six spots have basically been firmly held by the BIG6; only occasionally in a season or two would a mid-table team like Everton or Southampton squeeze in, but it usually wouldn't last.
Why is Leicester City's championship win in the 2015-2016 season considered a true miracle?
It's precisely because such a feat is truly impossible to replicate.
It's genuinely difficult for ordinary teams in the Premier League to even enter the top six; even for Everton and Southampton, their investments are not small, at least much stronger than Sunderland's.
As for entering European competition through a cup competition?
Clearly even harder.
Not to mention that Sunderland's last cup championship was 44 years ago, but even now, most of the championships are taken by the BIG6…
For example, last season's League Cup winner was Manchester United, and the FA Cup was even more of a BIG6 feast—Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, and Manchester City all made it to the semifinals, with Arsenal ultimately winning, securing Wenger's "insulating cup."
So, for ordinary teams in the Premier League, competing for a European spot is truly too difficult!
But now Zhao Zhao actually said that Sunderland, who had only just barely avoided relegation last season, would aim for European competition, which truly surprised Short.
"Let's give it a try." Zhao Zhao saw that Short seemed to be scared to death by him, so he didn't speak too confidently, so as not to sound like bragging.
"How would we know if we don't try? Haha." Zhao Zhao laughed, "If a person has no dreams, what's the difference between him and a salted fish?"
"Ah, after all, he's young, daring to dream and fight, good, good!" Short finally showed a smile on his face and stood up, patting Zhao Zhao's shoulder heavily, "Haha, this is why I appreciate you. All right, no matter if you can ultimately achieve this goal that surprises me, I will support you. Go for it!"
"Thank you. Just wait for my good news, Mr. Short." Zhao Zhao also stood up. "If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my work."
"Alright. Oh, by the way." Short suddenly added, "Netflix just contacted me yesterday, saying they want to follow our club for a season and make a documentary. What do you think?"
"Oh?" Zhao Zhao was slightly surprised.
In Zhao Zhao's previous life, he learned more about this tragic team through the documentary 'sunderland 'til i die', made after Sunderland's relegation.
He didn't expect that even with successful relegation avoidance in this life, Netflix still came looking for them!
Perhaps it was because Zhao Zhao's experience of leading the team to avoid relegation in the final stages was too legendary, which still caught Netflix's attention…
"This can also increase the club's income." Short added, "And if the documentary is well-made, it will help raise the club's profile and also benefit market development…"
Short explained in such detail because he was afraid Zhao Zhao would refuse.
After all, for a documentary, the film crew would need to enter the team's inner workings, filming daily training and even things in the locker room.
Some Coaches would be quite resistant to this and would not agree to such filming.
But obviously, Zhao Zhao did not object to this.
He actually thought the same as Short: increasing the club's visibility was more important.
As for the team's tactical secrets and such, he would make it clear to the film crew at the time, ensuring they wouldn't film crucial things.
This was how it was done in the football documentaries Zhao Zhao had seen, including those about Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City, and so on.
So many teams allowed filming, so there surely wouldn't be a big problem.
"I understand. I will fully support the club's work."
Upon hearing Zhao Zhao say this, Short smiled with satisfaction, then tightly clasped Zhao Zhao's hand:
"Then, good luck to us in the new season!"