The First to Recognize His Worth
Felipe had just stepped out of the Manchester United offices when his phone began ringing frantically. He snatched it up. “What’s going on?”
“Inquiries about Ha Sunmoon are flooding in from every direction! You need to review them right away. We can’t keep stalling them much longer.”
The agent’s own office was under siege as well. His staff were struggling to hold off the clubs’ relentless calls.
“So the same clubs that were freezing us out, claiming the market had gone cold, are suddenly blowing up our phones?”
“The only explanation we can find… is a video from a popular YouTuber that’s been circulating on social media.”
“A YouTuber?”
“Yes. He did a deep dive on Ha, and the assessment was exceptionally positive. It looks like the summary has been spreading through social media and reaching the clubs.”
“All this noise just because of one YouTuber’s opinion?”
“Well… apparently this particular YouTuber is known for being brutally objective when he evaluates players.”
Huh… so they’ve finally realized what Ha Sunmoon is worth?
The capable employee had succeeded in identifying the cause amid the nonstop calls. When Felipe heard the reason, he was almost speechless. Surprisingly, this sort of thing happened more often than people realized. Clubs usually had a firm grasp of the players in their own league but far less knowledge about those in other leagues. Top-flight players were one thing, but Ha Sunmoon had spent the previous season in the second division; that was why interest from other clubs had been comparatively lukewarm.
Still, this is a relief… at least now I can breathe.
But the important thing wasn’t the sudden wave of inquiries.
“Has Espanyol been in touch? Have we received any official offers?”
An official offer. In the end, nothing moved until a club made a formal bid. Felipe prayed he would hear exactly those words on the other end of the line.
“We have. We just received confirmation—Manchester City have made an offer.”
“Yes!” Felipe clenched his fist. “That’s excellent news. We’ve cleared the worst hurdle. Does it look like the club is willing to accept?”
“It seems so. But with inquiries pouring in like this, it’s questionable whether Espanyol will let him go at that price…”
“That’s the real problem. We’ll have to hear what the club thinks.”
The Korean football community was thrown into confusion by the sudden yet straightforward report.
The Korean fans found it hard to understand why this sudden wind was blowing from overseas.
Manchester City fans in Korea had no way of knowing that Ha Sunmoon was one of Pep’s picks, and the same confused atmosphere prevailed among the local City supporters.
But then—
Only a short time after Manchester City’s offer, several other clubs began submitting their own bids for Ha Sunmoon.
When Ha Sunmoon returned to Espanyol, his mood had grown noticeably subdued. He already felt a pang of regret at having to leave the club. On top of that, contrary to what Felipe had told him, no team had come forward with genuine interest, and his self-confidence had taken a serious hit. He had maintained a good relationship with Real Madrid’s Marcelo and had hoped that might open a door, but after hearing it would be difficult, and learning that even Premier League clubs had yet to call—only counter-offers were being discussed—his spirits sank even lower.
Then the phone rang.
“Sunmoon, inquiries from clubs are exploding and we’ve received multiple official offers! Espanyol has confirmed bids from three clubs.”
Finally, the news he had been waiting for.
Thank goodness. I thought my stomach was going to twist itself into knots.
Clive Harrison had been anxiously waiting as well, aware the situation was unfavorable, but the tension had now completely lifted from his face.
“So what do we do?”
“More offers could still come in. Since they’re not straying far from the clubs we discussed before, think about where you’d like to go. With so many offers arriving, Espanyol seems interested in raising your price a little. I’ll ask them to negotiate at a reasonable figure, so start preparing yourself for whichever team you choose.”
“Understood. But which clubs have definitely made offers?”
“Manchester City, Tottenham, and Manchester United.”
With his mind in turmoil, Ha Sunmoon headed first to Raul’s restaurant.
“Ha! It’s been a while!”
Because he had spent so much time in England recently, Raul greeted him like a long-lost friend.
“I was in England for a bit.”
“Then all those recent articles were true. You’ll be leaving us soon.”
Raul looked a little melancholy. Although Ha Sunmoon had not been at the club long, he had visited the restaurant more than anyone else, so their bond was strong.
“Yes. I’ll probably miss this place.”
“Have you decided where you’re going?”
“Not yet. That’s why I’m struggling. Which team… for what reason… I keep turning it over in my head, but it’s hard to decide.”
Ha Sunmoon was clearly deep in serious thought, yet Raul answered with surprising ease.
“Then just follow the natural order. Isn’t that what professionals do?”
“The natural order?”
“If money matters most, go to the club that offers the most. If you need a better environment, choose the club that provides it. If playing time is the priority, pick the one that guarantees you’ll start…”
Hmm… that makes sense.
“If there’s a club you’ve dreamed of since childhood, going there wouldn’t be bad either.”
“I can’t go there. The club blocked it.”
“Real Madrid, right?”
Raul guessed it immediately. Ha Sunmoon nodded.
“That’s how the world works. The place you want most is never easy to reach.”
“There is another club I’m considering… but they haven’t made an offer…”
Ha Sunmoon glanced sideways at Harrison. Harrison wasn’t exactly Liverpool’s representative, but he looked uncomfortable and pretended not to notice. Liverpool had not made an offer for Ha Sunmoon.
“Still, you have plenty of time. Another chance will come. You’re not even twenty yet.”
That’s true. I can go to other teams.
Ha Sunmoon nodded at Raul’s words.
“I’ve heard many players choose the club that truly needs them. Or perhaps going to a club that needs you is also an option?”
After carefully considering Raul’s advice, Ha Sunmoon finished his meal at the restaurant and called Felipe.
“Felipe.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“I’ve decided where I want to go.”
“Really? Which club?”
“Before that, I have a question. By any chance…”
“This is incredible. Did Marcos cast some kind of spell?”
Espanyol’s vice-chairman Carlos was extremely pleased with the sudden change in circumstances.
“Offers from ten clubs already…”
It was all thanks to Marcos’s article and the YouTuber’s video; Ha Sunmoon’s popularity had skyrocketed in no time.
“As expected, the talent was there all along—it just wasn’t widely known. Our eyes weren’t wrong after all.”
Clubs generally knew far less about players in other leagues than people assumed. Had Ha Sunmoon been performing in La Liga proper, other teams would have made offers immediately, but since he had played in the Segunda the previous season, clubs outside La Liga might not have known much about him. Even if they had heard of his success in the second division, many players who shone there struggled in the top flight, so first-division clubs from other leagues had kept their distance even if they were aware of him.
But then Manchester City’s surprise offer arrived. The moment City tabled a substantial 30-million-euro bid, other clubs belatedly began to follow suit. Some of the teams that joined the hijacking late pushed their offers as high as 40 to 45 million.
“Vice-chairman, we’ve received a call from Ha Sunmoon’s agent.”
“His agent?”
“Yes. He said it concerns the transfer.”
“A transfer? It seems he has a preferred club.”
Carlos took Felipe’s call.
“This is Espanyol vice-chairman Carlos.”
“This is Ha Sunmoon’s representative, Felipe. I’ll be direct. Ha Sunmoon has chosen the team he wants to join. Since Espanyol refused a La Liga move, I hope you’ll at least grant this request.”
“Understood. We’ll consider it positively. Which club does he prefer?”
“The first club to make an offer was Manchester City, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“Manchester City made their offer faster than any other club’s inquiry. He says he wants to go to the club that recognized him first. Just like Espanyol did before.”