Chapter 588: £85 Million for a Defender, That's Really Sincere!
The taste of failure is bitter, and no one likes to experience it.
Kylian Mbappé, who missed the last penalty, was in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
No one blamed him, because everyone was completely exhausted, too drained to even be angry.
As the Real Madrid players celebrated their championship victory, it was hard to find a Manchester City player still standing on the pitch.
The fatigue from the match, the disappointment of the loss, and the bitterness of missing out on the title had left them physically and mentally drained, without the energy to even lift a finger.
Perhaps the only one still standing was Lin Quan.
Lin stood on the field, looking up at the scoreboard, feeling overwhelmed with bitterness.
The feeling of failure was terrible, but he knew this was part of the journey for every player.
No one can keep winning forever, and this season, Manchester City's form had clearly declined. They had already fallen apart in the league, and their Champions League campaign had been a bumpy ride.
Reaching the final again was already a great achievement.
Facing such a united and determined Real Madrid team, so desperate to win the title, Manchester City making it to a penalty shootout was an overachievement in itself.
Even though all his teammates had fought with everything they had, even Mbappé, who made the final mistake, had stepped up twice to save the team.
Without his two goals, Manchester City would have been defeated by Real Madrid long ago.
So, in Lin's heart, there was no blame for Mbappé.
Instead, he walked over to the sobbing Mbappé, who was kneeling on the ground, and pulled him up.
Mbappé, like a child who had done something wrong, looked up at Lin, choking on his tears as he apologized:
"I'm sorry, Captain... I... I let you down... It's all my fault..."
Before he could finish, Lin pulled him into a hug, patting him firmly on the back as he said:
"Listen, Kylian, if you want to cry, cry your heart out. But once you're done, remember this moment—the humiliation, the regret, and the pain. Then go back, train hard, and make yourself stronger. Next year, we'll come back and get our revenge!"
Mbappé, hearing Lin's words, stopped crying and nodded firmly.
"Yes, Captain! I'll make myself stronger. I won't let this happen again!"
Lin nodded in satisfaction and teased him, "Once we get back, practice 10,000 penalty kicks. Next time we have a shootout, you'll go first!"
"Ah?"
Mbappé was stunned...
On the sidelines, Guardiola composed himself and straightened his clothes before walking over to the Real Madrid bench.
After shaking hands with Zidane and offering his congratulations, Guardiola headed towards the field and his players.
For Manchester City, this year had been a season of near-misses, with only the Club World Cup to show for their efforts.
Compared to the glorious seasons of recent years, this season's results could even be described as disastrous for Manchester City.
However, Guardiola didn't see it that way. In fact, this match had only strengthened his confidence.
Others might have seen Real Madrid dethroning Manchester City and ending their Champions League three-peat, but Guardiola saw the strength of his team's "floor"—the lowest level they could perform at.
This season, City's form had been inconsistent, their squad incomplete, and their midfield core had been injured shortly after the game began.
Even with all these challenges, they had fought Real Madrid to a standstill, losing only at the very last moment.
That performance had exceeded Guardiola's expectations.
Even though Mbappé missed a penalty, it didn't change Guardiola's impression of him. In fact, he believed even more in Mbappé's limitless potential!
With players like him and Lin Quan, along with De Bruyne, Kanté, Van Dijk, and other young and exceptionally talented core players, Manchester City's return to the top was only a matter of time!
...
Real Madrid's victory sent shockwaves far beyond expectations. It wasn't just because they are one of the most iconic and influential clubs in European football, with millions of fans worldwide.
It was also because, for the past few years, Manchester City had dominated the Champions League, and many had longed for a challenger to end their reign.
And Real Madrid did just that, giving everyone a sense of relief.
Moreover, this was Real Madrid's 10th Champions League title, a milestone filled with symbolic significance!
It was a statement to the world: Real Madrid wasn't just the best team in the past; they are the best now, and they will continue to be the best in the future!
Whether others believe it or not, Real Madrid fans are convinced of this!
"Ugh, what's there to brag about? They just benefited from being around in the old days and won a few more Champions Leagues back then," grumbled the Barcelona fans nearby. They didn't like seeing Real Madrid showing off, even if they weren't happy about City's dominance either. But seeing Madrid win was even worse.
"Oh wow, so much bitterness! Who knocked over the vinegar jar?"
"Haha, are you surprised? The mighty Barcelona only has four Champions League titles—not even half of what we have!"
"Haha, yeah, Barcelona's such a big name, but they're so soft. They couldn't even beat Atlético, and they dream of winning the title? Dream on!"
Real Madrid fans were in high spirits, and when they saw Barcelona fans' mocking comments, they immediately hit back with sarcasm, not holding back at all.
Even if you take away the Champions League titles Real Madrid won before the 1990s, they still have four titles, the same as Barcelona, and that's despite going through a long period of decline.
Meanwhile, Barcelona only narrowed the gap slightly during the Guardiola era.
At other times, they were always trailing behind Real Madrid.
So Real Madrid fans had a sense of superiority. They didn't see Barcelona as being on the same level as them.
When it comes to the club's heritage, Barcelona can't compare to Real Madrid!
Feeling mocked by Madrid fans, Barcelona fans fought back without hesitation.
The two sides argued fiercely online, drawing in countless onlookers who were entertained by the drama.
"Given Real Madrid's squad, it's not surprising they beat Manchester City. If they couldn't do it, to be honest, I don't know who could!"
From a neutral fan's perspective, Real Madrid's victory was well-deserved.
Real Madrid displayed championship-level quality. Despite being equalized or even falling behind several times, they held their nerve, stayed calm, and eventually secured the win. That's a difficult feat to achieve.
As for Manchester City, they just had a bit of bad luck. If Mbappé had scored that penalty, the outcome might have been very different.
"If you ask me, Real Madrid's win wasn't exactly fair!"
"Oh? Why do you say that?"
"It's simple. Real Madrid first snatched City's midfield maestro, Toni Kroos, and then early in the match, De Bruyne was taken out with an injury. Manchester City's dual-core midfield from previous championship seasons was completely absent in this game, yet they still managed to equalize multiple times. If those two were playing, I bet Real Madrid would have lost!"
"There's some truth to that. Even if you leave Kroos out of the equation, if De Bruyne hadn't gotten injured, City's attack would have been much more versatile and harder to defend against. In that case, Real Madrid might not have dared to attack so boldly!"
"Bro, your analysis just gave me an idea. The best way to beat Manchester City is to dismantle their squad. If we can buy their best players, City would naturally weaken!"
"That's a good idea, but the problem is, will City sell?"
"Whether they sell or not, we won't know until we try!"
...
These weren't just idle thoughts from fans. In fact, after watching this match, many top clubs started thinking the same way.
Several of Manchester City's young players had caught everyone's attention with their outstanding performances in the match.
Players like Mbappé and Sané, along with others like De Bruyne, Kanté, and Van Dijk, had already been the subject of transfer bids last year.
In the past, prying players away from Manchester City was no easy task, and City's asking prices were often so high that many clubs backed off. They worried that players bought at such high prices wouldn't perform as well in a new environment and system.
After all, Guardiola's ability to develop players was well-known. Many players thrived under his coaching, delivering performances beyond their market value.
But once they left the system Guardiola had built for them, could they maintain that level of performance? That was the big question.
As a result, many clubs talked a big game about wanting to buy players but ultimately backed out.
But then Real Madrid, the first team to take the plunge, won the Champions League!
Toni Kroos's performances, both in La Liga and the Champions League, were clear for all to see. After witnessing his excellence, doubts about whether players could perform outside of Manchester City began to fade.
So this summer, Manchester City was likely to receive a flood of offers from clubs across Europe, enough to fill their entire office!
And of all the players, the most sought after was Mbappé.
Mbappé's Champions League performances were outstanding. Some clubs had expressed concerns about his mentality and future potential after his penalty miss, but just a few days later, he led France to a crushing victory over Sweden in the World Cup qualifiers, dispelling any remaining doubts.
In that match, Mbappé demonstrated the same qualities he had shown in the Champions League final—speed, precision, and ruthlessness!
He was like a supercar that, once in motion, couldn't be stopped.
Sweden's defenders tried everything, including fouling him, but they couldn't keep Mbappé from scoring.
In his first-ever start for the national team, Mbappé scored a hat trick.
This insane performance left the entire country of France in awe.
French fans began calling for this bright star of French football to return to play in Ligue 1!
Responding to the fans' wishes, Paris Saint-Germain quickly took action, becoming the first to make a bid to Manchester City.
Mbappé was considered untouchable by City, so PSG's offer was predictably rejected.
However, accustomed to City's rejections, PSG didn't give up. Instead, they decided to take a different approach, trying to talk to Mbappé's family and agent to see if they could sway the player himself.
Manchester City might reject their offer, but if the player wanted to leave, could they really keep him?
After all, you can't force a player to stay where they don't want to be. If a player decides to leave, the club has little choice but to sell and cut their losses.
Otherwise, it could turn into an ugly situation where both sides end up at odds with each other.
To be fair, PSG had shown plenty of sincerity in their efforts.
To entice Mbappé, they even promised to convince Neymar to relinquish his status as the team's star and allow Mbappé, at just 18 years old, to take the mantle.
Neymar is considered one of the top four players in the world and was brought to PSG for a record-breaking fee of over 200 million euros.
Convincing such a high-profile player to give up his position for an 18-year-old was no easy task.
PSG likely had to make significant concessions, or even use some forceful persuasion, to get Neymar to agree to this.
Their willingness to go to such lengths showed just how much they valued Mbappé.
If it weren't for that missed penalty in the final, Mbappé might have accepted such an enticing offer from his hometown team.
After all, PSG wasn't just offering him the top position in the team but also a salary and bonus package far exceeding what he could earn at Manchester City.
No one turns down more money, especially when City couldn't match those terms.
It wasn't that City couldn't afford it, but if they gave Mbappé such a deal, it would threaten Lin Quan's position in the team and potentially upset the entire wage structure, which would be a huge mistake.
But, despite his family and agent's persuasion, Mbappé refused the offer.
Right now, all he wanted was to take revenge on Real Madrid, and until that mission was complete, he had no desire to leave Manchester City!
Mbappé's firm stance left PSG speechless. What kind of excuse was that?
Does PSG really have so little appeal to players?
Rejecting them is one thing, but at least come up with a better reason!
They didn't believe Mbappé's explanation, and who could blame them? It didn't seem plausible at all.
PSG had offered Mbappé a salary of 18 million euros per year!
Currently, only two players in the entire football world make more than that—Lin Quan and Messi. Even Ronaldo makes less!
And that's without factoring in bonuses!
Including bonuses, Mbappé's annual income would surpass Messi's, second only to Lin Quan!
Aside from those three superstars, who could turn down such a package?
But Mbappé did, leaving PSG completely baffled.
In addition to PSG's relentless pursuit, another surprising team had also shown unwavering determination and sincerity in trying to sign one of Manchester City's players.
That team was Liverpool!
And the player they were chasing was Virgil van Dijk!
Jurgen Klopp had thrown down a massive £85 million offer in a bid to bring Van Dijk to Anfield!
Now that's what you call sincerity!
(End of Chapter)
Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.