Which Team Should I Choose?
"Which team should I join?"
"Have you ever played at Anfield?"
I was lucky enough to play there a few times. Though I performed better at other grounds than here…
Clive’s expression turned slightly bitter.
"But you still haven’t seen your parents? If they came often, they would’ve shown up on the broadcast."
The cameras follow the players, not the crowd. And… like you said, I’ve spotted them a few times, but it doesn’t look like they sit in those seats… Maybe… they’ve already passed away… Hmm… Honestly, their faces are strangely blurry. Even if I saw them, I’m not sure I’d recognize them.
The faces were blurry. No clear memory remained. Feeling a sudden kinship, Ha Sunmoon quickly offered comfort.
"That’s not true. The moment you see your parents’ faces, the memories will come flooding back. They say blood runs thicker than water."
You think so?
"I know my mother’s face but have no idea what my father looks like. You knew both of them and simply forgot, so let’s call it a draw."
Yah, since when is forgetting your parents a bloody contest? Clive chuckled.
Yet for those who had forgotten their families, or wanted to forget them, or were slowly losing those memories, such light-hearted banter became its own form of consolation.
After finishing the Anfield stadium tour, Ha Sunmoon began exploring Liverpool as Clive had suggested.
"Oi~! You~ Where you from, lad?"
Gasp!
Three white men who looked like pure trouble appeared in front of Ha Sunmoon as he walked the streets of Liverpool with his cap pulled low. The hooded street toughs quickly circled the young man whose East Asian features stood out sharply.
Don’t panic. They’re just the local mutts checking if you belong in their patch.
What kind of thing is that?
Just copy my tone. It’ll sort itself out.
Ha Sunmoon found Clive’s advice ridiculous, but the man’s confidence kept him quiet.
"Hey~ Say something, then."
Oi~ I’ve come back ‘ere~ after a long time~ so I’m askin’~ does the Philharmonic Pub still smell proper mint?
"Oi~ I’ve come back ‘ere~ after a long time~ so I’m askin’~ does the Philharmonic Pub still smell proper mint?"
The thick Liverpool accent blended with military clipped phrasing spilled out. The three hooligans who had seemed ready to grab him by the collar suddenly softened.
"What’s this~ Your face ain’t one of ours~"
"Mixed blood, innit~? Got a problem with that~?"
Ha Sunmoon had perfectly mimicked Clive’s usual speech pattern, and the word “mixed” erased their suspicion.
"That accent~ That’s proper Scouse, that is. Not just anyone can pull it off."
"Philharmonic’s~ probably best you skip it. Heard they’re not open today~"
"Right~ Cheers~"
With that, Ha Sunmoon sent the now-friendly trio on their way.
"Phew…"
Hmm! I thought we might have a scrap, but that went smoothly.
"We were going to fight?"
Yeah! Even with the Liverpool accent, it could’ve gone either way. But the military tone mixed in made them think you were a soldier. They figured tangling with active-duty military would end badly, so they backed off. Heh heh.
"Suddenly I don’t feel like staying in Liverpool anymore."
You’re using the Liverpool accent perfectly. Where’s the disadvantage? They all think you’re a local.
"Did I learn it wrong? Is that even English?"
That accent will make the working-class fans adore you. When you pick up a microphone in the English leagues and speak like that, I guarantee even if you’re a foreigner, Liverpool supporters will welcome you with open arms.
"Hmm…"
Ha Sunmoon shot Clive a doubtful look before heading back to the hotel where Felipe was staying.
Once the Liverpool tour ended and they returned, Felipe got down to serious agent business.
"While you were spending time in Liverpool, I organized the best options."
"Huu…" Finally…
"There are several choices, but only three clubs have shown real interest. Tottenham, Arsenal, and Manchester City."
Ugh…
Clive let out a sigh at Felipe’s words.
As expected… Liverpool is…
Even Ha Sunmoon, who had just enjoyed a good look around the city, wore a slightly disappointed expression.
"Looks like you’re quite sorry Liverpool isn’t on the list. But you’re already at the level where you can make counter-offers to Big Six clubs. It’s not impossible. I’ll focus on the teams that actually have the financial power to buy you."
The first club he mentioned was Tottenham.
"Tottenham has shown interest, and while there would be competition if you joined, it’s a club where you’d have a high chance of breaking through. They have Reguilón, Sessegnon, Royal, and Doherty at fullback, but none of them are truly high-quality options. There’s a chance they won’t buy because they already have fullbacks, but since they’re all somewhat mediocre, that actually increases the likelihood they’ll sign you."
"There must be downsides too, right?"
"Two of them. Chairman Levy behaves like a ‘typical Jewish businessman’ and doesn’t spend money freely. Although Espanyol needs cash, he’s more likely to use that as leverage to drag out negotiations. The deal could fall through. Also… the overall team quality isn’t high enough to put them in title or Champions League contention."
Ha Sunmoon nodded in understanding.
"Still, having a Korean player on the team would be an advantage."
"Exactly. Next is Arsenal. Their squad situation is similar to Tottenham’s, but the downside is they’ve never shown interest in you before. They have Kolasinac, Niles, Tomiyasu, Tavares, Chambers, and Soares—plenty of fullback options—but the drawback is they don’t have any genuinely good ones. With so many fullbacks already, there’s a high chance they won’t touch the position until they clear some out."
"How many fullbacks do they have…? Sounds difficult here."
Felipe nodded.
"Next is Chelsea. They have solid starters plus rotation fullbacks on both sides and haven’t shown any interest in you, so it’s tough. With Ben Chilwell and Reece James, they don’t need to look at fullback at all. The only question is that Reece James is injury-prone—that’s about it?"
"So this one isn’t easy either?"
"Right. A similar case is Liverpool. As you know, they’re rock-solid with Robertson and Arnold. Honestly… even if you went, there wouldn’t be much room for growth. They might tinker with right-back rotation, but after last season’s rash of injuries, they spent heavily in winter to replace the injured players. That means Liverpool will likely tighten their budget this season."
Damn it…
Clive frowned. He had caught the warning signs in Felipe’s explanation that a move to Liverpool was looking unlikely. But the market was what it was, and there was nothing more to say.
Of all times… after that injury crisis last season…
Besides, Liverpool’s competition was simply too strong, so Felipe clearly wasn’t recommending them to Ha Sunmoon.
"Next is Manchester City."
Felipe checked the Manchester City documents.
No way. Sunmoon, absolutely not. If you go to a team with “Manchester” in the name, I’m dead~! I can never cheer for a Manchester team to win!
The moment the word Manchester appeared, Clive began groaning in agony.
"Manchester City won’t be easy either. Originally you could have competed with Zinchenko at left-back, but Manager Pep Guardiola has been using Cancelo there, so both fullback positions are occupied by starters. Still, this club has a completely open squad spot compared to the others, so it’s better than the rest. If you’re willing to fight for rotation, you can definitely get in. That’s why the club has shown interest in you."
"But is it true that Manchester City is actually interested in me?"
At Ha Sunmoon’s question, Felipe nodded.
"It is. To be honest… I don’t know why, but the club said that Manager Pep Guardiola has been keeping an eye on you. Of course… this could just be lip service… With Cancelo playing both fullback roles and Pep’s well-known preference for versatile players, it makes sense. It’s also possible that the time you met him before had an effect, but I think we should treat that as a separate factor."
Felipe spoke coolly about Manchester City. Ha Sunmoon, who had been slightly interested in the club, nodded as if he understood.
"Got it!"
"Right… We’ve looked at all the key Premier League clubs, so now it’s time to decide. Think it over carefully and make your choice. We don’t have unlimited time, but while we’re staying here and sightseeing, take your time and choose well."
Ha Sunmoon, who had been pondering Felipe’s words, suddenly felt something odd.
Why does it feel like I’m forgetting something? Why this feeling?
Then one name flashed through his mind—the team he had completely overlooked.
"But why haven’t you mentioned Manchester United?"
"Ah! That’s right!"
AAAAAAAAAAARGH! It was going so well! Damn it all, why did you have to remember that! At least Manchester City was possible! Manchester United? That place is absolutely off-limits!
Clive’s scream was twice as loud as any he had let out before.