Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: 09/10 Summer Transfer Market -3
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[ Bundesliga Teams Perk Up at Union Berlin's Summer Transfer Moves ]
With players heading off on full summer vacations, the summer transfer window had officially kicked off.
Union Berlin's board and staff were spending their days hustling to bring in new talent.
There were often more frantic times after the season ended than during the match-packed schedule.
[ Union Berlin to Hold Onto Key Players from Last Season! ]
I'd confirmed their intent to stay through consultations with the players and declared them not for sale.
But offers for Union Berlin players kept pouring in nonstop.
Well. It was inevitable.
Union Berlin had stirred up the biggest storm in the world by winning the Bundesliga last season.
Even knowing they couldn't have the fruit, other clubs kept prodding—it was only natural.
'Still, with all these transfer rumors, you'd think someone would waver, but no one's budging. Must be Yannick holding the fort steady.'
For reference, the big clubs' interest in Yannick had noticeably cooled this season.
His market value had skyrocketed after last season's Bundesliga heroics.
Plus, Yannick's fierce loyalty to Union Berlin meant they'd have to shell out even more in transfer fees.
And above all, my relationship with Yannick wasn't bad.
'Putting the manager's name in his kid's name pretty much seals the deal....'
Anyway.
I had to protect Union Berlin's players as much as possible.
While also throwing myself into signing new ones.
Qualifying for the Champions League meant we desperately needed squad reinforcements.
Union Berlin's current roster was plenty deep for the league and Pokal.
But piling on the Champions League? Problems were bound to erupt.
'The human body doesn't just get stronger the more you use it.'
As the summer transfer window hit full swing, my late nights dragged on, and it had been over a week since I'd last seen my parents.
That's when Union Berlin settled on its first transfer target.
[ Union Berlin Making Waves in Transfer Market, Sends Love Call to Arjen Robben ]
Union Berlin's first transfer target was "The Assassin of Noon," Arjen Robben, who had shone for Real Madrid and the Netherlands.
***
Union Berlin had shown interest in Arjen Robben first and foremost.
With Real Madrid's Dutch connection disbanding, Robben had decided to move.
I took a shot in the dark, and surprisingly, got a positive response from him.
As negotiations between Union Berlin and Real Madrid progressed swiftly, interlopers started meddling.
Bayern Munich—the club that nabbed Robben in the original timeline—came charging in.
Then big clubs swarmed, drooling over him.
His transfer fee ballooned in an instant.
Well.... Truth be told, I hadn't been dead set on signing Robben no matter what.
'It was more of a "if it works, great; if not, no biggie" probe.'
If the bidding war hiked his price, it'd check Bayern Munich too.
In the end, after the tug-of-war between Bayern Munich and Union Berlin, Arjen Robben chose Bayern.
The gap between Bayern's weekly wage offer and ours was bigger than expected.
It stung to let Robben go, but better that than wrecking our wage structure.
'....Skipping over Yannick to pay Robben more would've stirred up talk in the squad.'
Even the smallest team rules had to be ironclad when keeping a squad together.
Once discipline cracked, the team's entire discipline vanished in a flash.
***
[ Union Berlin in Talks with Real Madrid's Arjen Robben.... ]
└ Real Madrid? For real?
└ Damn! Has our team become a global big club now?
└ Chan-hyuk is a god! Chan-hyuk is a god!
Meanwhile, the buzz over snagging a Real Madrid player died down fast once Robben headed to Bayern Munich.
[ Arjen Robben Joins Bayern Munich: "Munich Is the Best Club." ]
└ Yeah, figures.
└ Smart choice, IMO. Robben shone, sure, but injuries galore. Not right for our team.
Fans regretted missing out on a world-class star.
But Union Berlin supporters firmly believed Park Chan-hyuk could unearth gems.
Just as things were settling.
[ Arjen Robben: "The Moment I Heard Bayern Munich, Munich Was My Only Choice." ]
Robben's signing interview, loaded with lip service to Bayern Munich, went public.
It was plenty to rile up Union Berlin fans.
After battling Bayern for Robben, his praise for them felt off-putting.
[ Union Berlin Clashes with Bayern Munich Again Over Mario Gomez.... ]
Even after that, the transfer tussles between Bayern Munich and Union Berlin raged through the summer window.
Union Berlin fans were increasingly viewing Bayern Munich as a rival.
- These Union Berlin punks have no cash, so why keep butting in? Annoying like mosquitoes.
- Shut your trap, you bastard.
- We were the champs last season! Loser bitch.
- Hmph. Last season was that idiot Klismann screwing up. Not our team's fault.
Meanwhile, as Union Berlin and Bayern Munich fans waged online wars.
Having missed Arjen Robben, Union Berlin turned its eyes to....
[ Union Berlin Misses Robben, Goes for Chicken Instead of Pheasant? Targeting Tottenham's Gareth Bale? ]
└ ??? Lost a winger, now hunting a wing-back?
└ Sticking with 3-5-2 this season too, looks like.
└ Ugh, that Bale guy's trash AF.
└ If it's Park Chan-hyuk, who knows....
└ LOL yeah right, like Park's some wizard who'll revive Bale.
Gareth Bale, who had bombed out at Tottenham Hotspur and earned the nickname "Gafail."
***
"Nice to meet you. I'm Daniel Levy, chairman of Tottenham Hotspur. It's an honor to meet Park Chan-hyuk, the manager making waves in football lately."
"Yes, I've been eager to meet you too."
The moment Union Berlin floated an offer for Gareth Bale.
The transfer negotiation table was set between Tottenham and Union Berlin.
Tottenham Hotspur was practically salivating at Union Berlin's proposal.
Gareth Bale's standing was that dire.
Once hailed as a top prospect with blistering pace.
But last season, Bale's overzealous attacking had made him the scapegoat for defeats.
Now, Tottenham fans called him "Gafail."
The second Union Berlin's interest leaked, Tottenham fans overwhelmingly demanded he be shipped out.
Wilted by the backlash, Bale faced the worst: medical tests revealed a knee injury requiring two months of rehab.
With his already dismal form and now missing early season games.
Chairman Daniel Levy decided to offload Gareth Bale.
Levy hyped Bale aggressively to fetch top dollar.
Sadly, no one bit.
'....Why no reactions?'
Normally, other big clubs eyeing Union Berlin's moves would've pounced.
But disappointingly, no one entered the Bale sweepstakes.
They pegged Union Berlin's aggression as a smokescreen to mask their real targets from the press.
"We need at least 15M (1.5 billion won)."
In that climate, Tottenham's Daniel Levy boldly demanded big.
"Haha, let's talk first. Chairman Levy, are you married? When did the hairline start receding?"
Moments later, as Park Chan-hyuk stalled and moved to leave.
Daniel Levy couldn't hold back his anger at him.
Park Chan-hyuk's vibe screamed zero interest in Bale.
"Oh. Handle the transfer talks with our chairman. I just came to say hi."
After the mutual sniping.
Gareth Bale's transfer fee settled at 12M (about 1.2 billion won).