The Whale Behind the Fish
“It seems difficult to sign a contract under those conditions.”
Espanyol scout Phil broke into a cold sweat. The unexpected situation had thrown him completely off balance. This is bad… of all people, the guardian turns out to be an agent. What kind of nightmare is this?
“Uh… but… asking for seven hundred thousand euros for a player who’s still in the youth age group is something the club will find very hard to accept.”
“It seems you don’t understand what I’m saying. My request is entirely reasonable. Your club has no idea what this boy is truly worth.”
He has no idea what this boy is truly worth. As Espanyol’s scout, he never imagined he would one day hear the exact same words he had spoken to the club’s youth recruitment manager only a few days earlier.
Felipe, the promising sports agent from Rio de Janeiro, pressed the negotiation aggressively, while Phil found himself at a loss for words because the matter had moved far beyond his usual territory.
“Ha Sunmoon’s situation makes a contract with a Spanish club extremely difficult. The fact that our club has found a way to even offer him a chance is already a minor miracle.”
“I fully understand Sunmoon’s current circumstances. Many European clubs, not just Spanish ones, are bound by those same regulations. I get it. I also understand exactly how interested Espanyol is in signing him.”
“Then let’s try to move the contract in a more positive direction.”
“A contract is still a contract. The only reason we’re continuing these talks despite our differing views is because Espanyol has shown goodwill.”
Phil felt like he was losing his mind. He had thought he had the fish firmly on the hook, only to discover an enormous whale swimming right behind it.
Phil’s expression grew complicated. To overcome this obstacle, he needed more information.
During Espanyol’s video conference, the club’s sporting director asked the scout, “So… we’re looking at Asia now. Phil, I heard the recruitment manager found a rather impressive youth prospect in Asia. Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir. He’s a left-back with solid ability. He matches the profile the club is looking for. However, there’s a small problem.”
“Is it the family’s ability to live in Spain? I already heard about that from the youth recruitment manager. If he has a guardian, we can bring the guardian along, can’t we?”
“It’s not that… We’ve found a solution, but the guardian seems likely to make some unreasonable demands. It may take more time than expected.”
“What? That’s ridiculous.”
“I’ll find a way as quickly as possible.”
The director’s face had brightened at the mention of a promising Asian player, only to harden again at the unfavorable report. Phil quickly connected him to the youth recruitment manager.
“Insane. Seven hundred thousand euros? Wow… that’s crossing the line pretty hard. What kind of player would justify demanding that kind of money for a 2003-born kid?”
“So… just in case, could you connect me with the scout who handles South America—especially the Brazil side?”
“Why?”
“I need more information. I have to speak with solid facts. All I really know about the player is that he’s genuinely talented and that he played for Fluminense.”
“All right, I’ll connect you now. You have about twenty minutes. The director is scheduled to receive a report in thirty.”
Soon Phil was connected to the South American scout.
“Phil? Aren’t you on the Asia side? What business do you have with me? I’m swamped with reports today.”
“There’s a kid we’re trying to bring over from Asia. A Korean named Ha Sunmoon. He played for Fluminense. Do you have any information on him?”
“Fluminense? Ah! I know him. If he hadn’t gone back to his home country, I would have put him on my list. You’re talking about the left-back, right? I’d been keeping an eye out for good full-backs. He was Korean? I thought he was some mixed Japanese kid.”
The South American scout answered immediately. The fact that he recognized the name the moment he heard it was both good news and bad news at the same time.
“The fact that you knew him the second I said his name actually makes me nervous. We were trying to bring him in, but his agent demanded seven hundred thousand euros in salary. Do you think he’s worth that much?”
“His name’s pretty memorable. Sunmoon Ha. Both the given name and family name are unusual, so once you hear it, you don’t forget. But is his talent impressive enough to stick in your memory? Hmm… yeah, it is.”
“Damn. So that’s why they’re asking for that amount?”
“Ah! The money? Seven hundred thousand euros… Wow! He’s worth it. But I’m a bit negative about it. His form was pretty poor right before he returned home.”
His form was poor? Phil felt a small ray of hope.
“If you know anything else about his background, could you tell me?”
“Background? There’s a reason this kid became famous. As soon as he appeared, he tore up the Brazilian U13 league and immediately jumped to U15. By the time he was heading back to his home country, they were planning to play him in the U19s.”
The South American scout summarized Ha Sunmoon’s record concisely.
“They were going to let him play U19? You do know how old he is, right? He’s a 2003-born player.”
“Exactly. That’s what I’m saying. It’s not normal, is it? Ah… if he hadn’t gone back home, I would have been the one recommending him.”
Scout Phil let out a deep sigh. When the scout said “not normal,” he meant a prospect with an absurdly bright future.
“Then do you happen to know an agent named Felipe?”
“Of course. He’s the guy who funnels promising talents from his region in Brazil to Europe.”
“Sigh… that man is Sunmoon’s guardian.”
“Oh no! He knows this side of the business too well? That explains the high demand. Wait—can you give me five minutes? Something very important just occurred to me.”
The South American scout checked several documents, then made a quick phone call. After five minutes of verification, he returned.
“What were you looking up?”
“I was confirming why Sunmoon’s form dropped. Signing him for seven hundred thousand euros would actually be a bargain.”
“What?”
Phil was stunned by the South American scout’s words.
“Felipe had a son. His name was Lucas. He was in Fluminense’s youth system with Sunmoon. A left winger who, just like Sunmoon, kept skipping age groups.”
“Were you going to sign him too?”
“I wanted to, but it didn’t happen. He died last year.”
Phil was visibly shocked by the unexpected news.
“Oh…”
“It seems Sunmoon’s performance declined because of Lucas’s death. But if he’s reunited with Felipe—the man who looked after him and was Lucas’s father—then…”
“Ah… I think I see what you’re getting at.”
“Right. We should assume his mental issues will be resolved. In that case, there’s no problem with Sunmoon.”
If ability was no longer an issue, this deal had to go through.
“And we need to get him to sign as quickly as possible.”
“Of course. That goes without saying.”
“It’s not just urgency. Felipe is a promising agent. As I mentioned before, he’s sent quite a few players from Rio de Janeiro to various European clubs.”
Phil gradually began to feel uneasy. He was starting to understand why Felipe had been so confident.
“In reality, it’s possible that Sunmoon’s side is only showing us goodwill because of your hard work.”
“Really? Can you explain that in more detail?”
“It means he doesn’t actually need to play for our club. He could return to Fluminense, make his professional debut, and then wait for offers from Real Madrid or Barcelona.”
Real Madrid and Barcelona. The names of Spain’s two giant clubs made Phil grit his teeth. Barcelona, especially, sent a chill down his spine.
“Phil. Good full-backs are rare. The kid has talent. He’d be outstanding as a winger too, but his defense is so good they have no choice but to use him as a full-back. You watched him in testing, right?”
“It was only a short time, but he played three matches and wasn’t beaten once.”
“Then let’s not let anyone else steal him.”
Phil’s mind snapped back into focus at the South American scout’s words.
“You’re right.”
“Phil! You contact Felipe. Tell him we’ll accept almost all his requests. I’ll report this to the director. That should get approval quickly. I have more than enough data.”
Phil nodded.
“But… we did this together. Okay? You’ll acknowledge that, right?”
“Of course. Hasn’t the time limit passed already?”
“Oh no! I have to go. I’ll send you a message once approval comes through.”
Performance reviews were important, but Phil was more than willing to share credit if the South American scout’s information helped secure Ha Sunmoon’s signing.
After ending the video conference, scout Phil opened his phone and called Ha Sunmoon’s agent, Felipe.
“Hello, Felipe.”
“Hello. Did things go well with the club?”
At that moment, a message from the South American scout appeared on Phil’s laptop screen.
The director has given the OK. Maximum annual salary up to 1 million euros possible.
Done. Whew…
“Yes. We will follow the terms you proposed as closely as possible, Felipe. Let’s discuss the details when you come to the club in person. Espanyol is prepared to do everything necessary to sign Ha Sunmoon.”