"According to reliable intel we've received, Hidalgo, the agent of Genoa's Argentine striker Diego Milito, is currently in London and has met with representatives from Manchester United. We don't know how the negotiations have progressed."
At noon, Gao Shen met with Carlo, Sarri, Lucas, and other members of the coaching staff at a high-end restaurant in Alderley Edge. They had heard the food here was excellent, so Gao Shen decided to treat everyone out of his own pocket.
Fernando Lucas shared the latest transfer news as they dined.
"Diego Milito?" Gao Shen raised an eyebrow in surprise.
It seemed that the current trajectory of the Premier League and even European football was unfolding in ways he hadn't expected.
The biggest variable in the Premier League was Liverpool. Biglia had replaced Xabi Alonso, making them significantly stronger.
Manchester City hadn't raided Arsenal for players, so the Gunners remained competitive.
In La Liga, Di María had joined Real Madrid, Sánchez had gone to Barcelona, and with the additions of Thiago Motta and Vargas, Barça no longer had the financial capacity to sign Ibrahimović or Zielinski.
That meant two of Guardiola's worst signings during his tenure at Barcelona hadn't happened—yet.
But this caused a chain reaction.
Without Ibrahimović moving to Barcelona, Eto'o wouldn't have been forced out to Inter Milan. Guardiola would have had to continue working with him.
If the Swedish striker didn't transfer, Inter wouldn't have been able to sign Diego Milito.
As a result, Genoa's star forward was still at Genoa.
Gao Shen still couldn't wrap his head around why Mourinho's Inter Milan looked weaker than in his previous life, especially in key areas. The core signings that had shaped their legendary treble-winning season—Milito, Sneijder, and Thiago Motta—hadn't arrived yet.
Instead, Moutinho had taken Sneijder's place.
Inter had also nearly signed Deco from Chelsea this summer, but Ancelotti had insisted on keeping him.
Given all these changes, Gao Shen had no idea whether Inter Milan could win the Champions League this season.
Unless Ibrahimović somehow managed to break through his limitations and shed his reputation for underperforming in the Champions League, Inter's chances looked uncertain.
Now, due to this butterfly effect, Diego Milito remained available, and his agent's presence in London was a clear sign. In today's European football landscape, the only clubs capable of affording him were Premier League teams.
Juventus had some funds, but their primary target was Manchester United's powerhouse forward, Tevez.
If United really signed Diego Milito, Berbatov's situation would become even worse.
The Bulgarian striker's talent was undeniable, but his work rate was a glaring issue.
As the media often mocked, Berbatov ran less than Neuer, a ridiculous stat for a forward.
Sometimes, Gao Shen really couldn't understand certain players. Character determined fate.
Whether in his past life in the corporate world or now as a football coach, he had encountered too many people like that.
…
"Are you sure United wants to sign Diego Milito?" Carlo asked with concern.
It was clear that Ferguson was still favoring a system where the striker played to support the midfield.
"There's no final confirmation yet," Lucas replied, "but from what we've gathered through Hidalgo, United is highly interested. Milito himself wants to play in the Premier League, but nothing is certain until the last moment."
To be precise, the transfer window was closing today.
Gao Shen had no idea if a fax machine or some other technical issue might interfere at the last minute.
"But this isn't the biggest story."
As soon as Lucas said that, everyone at the table turned their attention to him.
"From what I've heard, Manchester United has started working on bringing in Sneijder from Real Madrid."
"Sneijder?" Gao Shen was taken aback.
Because of Moutinho's presence at Inter, Sneijder hadn't moved to Milan yet and was still struggling at Real Madrid.
After Robben's departure, Sneijder had also been placed on the transfer list, but he hadn't found a new club yet.
This was largely due to his underwhelming performances at Real Madrid.
Unlike Robben, whose struggles were mainly due to injuries, Sneijder's issues were performance-related. There were even reports about him frequently visiting nightclubs after his divorce.
Players like that were always a gamble.
"United has been playing 4-4-2 most of the time. Is there even a place for Sneijder in their midfield?" Carlo asked with a frown.
Everyone turned to Gao Shen.
At some point, they had all come to completely trust his tactical insights.
"Sneijder's biggest strengths are his ability to arrive late in the box, his long-range shooting, and his passing," Gao Shen analyzed. "But he's definitely not suited to playing as one of the two central midfielders in a 4-4-2."
Manchester United's 4-4-2 wasn't a diamond midfield like Chelsea's. It was structured with two central midfielders, often two defensive-minded players.
For Ferguson, midfielders needed to contribute defensively, at least to the level of Carrick and Anderson.
In fact, Ferguson didn't even fully trust Giggs and Scholes to play as the central duo in a 4-4-2.
Sneijder had some defensive ability, but it wasn't his strength. His work rate also wasn't particularly high. That made him unsuitable for a traditional 4-4-2 setup.
However, as a player developed at Ajax, Sneijder was well-suited for a 4-3-3 or the No. 10 role in a 4-2-3-1.
"United rotated between two tactical setups last season. The 4-2-3-1 is something Ferguson regularly uses," Gao Shen continued. "Bringing in Sneijder and switching to 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 could work well for them."
Everyone at the table nodded in understanding.
"But does Manchester United even have that much money right now?" Lucas asked.
Both Sneijder and Diego Milito wouldn't come cheap, especially Milito. The Argentine striker had been outstanding in Serie A. While his market value wasn't as high as Cavani's, it was still significant.
That was precisely why no club had dared to make a move for him until now.
"It all depends on whether Ferguson can convince the board to loosen the purse strings. Selling Tevez could generate some funds, but the real question is whether he'll be allowed to reinvest that money into transfers."
Unlike before, when Tevez was only on loan at Manchester United from West Ham, the Red Devils had now fully bought him. However, Ferguson and the Argentine forward had grown increasingly at odds.
At the same time, Manchester United was heavily in debt.
After the Glazer family took control of the club through financial maneuvers, they had transferred all the debt onto Manchester United itself. That was why Gao Shen had previously said that United was the most indebted club in the Premier League—they had no grounds to criticize Manchester City's spending.
Reports suggested that, aside from the purchase of Valencia, the Glazer family had no intention of reinvesting the money from Ronaldo's sale.
"Ferguson must be feeling the pressure now!" Gao Shen chuckled, looking at his assistants.
With Manchester City's rise, the competition for a top-four finish in the Premier League was fiercer than ever.
Traditional powerhouses like Tottenham and ambitious challengers like Manchester City, along with teams like Aston Villa and Everton, meant that securing a Champions League spot in the new season would be an all-out war.
At the moment, both Manchester City and Tottenham had won their first four games. While part of that was due to favorable fixtures, their performances had been convincing.
For teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea, the threat was real.
Given their current situations, could any of them truly guarantee a top-four finish?
Even a seasoned expert wouldn't dare to be complacent.
The Premier League was so competitive that if a team let its guard down for even a moment, someone else would snatch their place. Who could say with absolute certainty that they would finish in the top four?
United's reluctance to make signings earlier was due to Ferguson's confidence. But after four matches, even the legendary manager was starting to worry.
"This just proves that we've done a great job," Gao Shen said with satisfaction.
While others might feel disheartened or pressured by Manchester United's efforts to strengthen, Gao Shen saw it as a positive.
He had come to the Premier League to challenge the best.
Whether in football or in life, one should never fear strong opponents or difficult situations.
Life was like rowing against the current, there was no standing still.
Only by continuously challenging obstacles could one live a fulfilling and exciting life.
…
As Gao Shen and his coaching staff wrapped up lunch and discussed their plans for the afternoon, Lucas received breaking news from Madrid.
Sneijder had joined Manchester United for a transfer fee of 15 million euros!
On the final day of the transfer window, the Red Devils had successfully secured the Dutch midfielder from Real Madrid, a move aimed at strengthening Ferguson's midfield.
This transfer immediately made waves across the Premier League.
Sneijder was a talented player. If he could regain his form, he would significantly improve Manchester United's midfield creativity. Some media outlets even speculated that he would take over from Scholes and become the new heartbeat of United's midfield.
However, as the evening progressed, no further transfer announcements came.
The Sun, known for its ability to dig up transfer news, revealed that Manchester United had indeed met with Diego Milito and his agent, Hidalgo. The two sides had even reached a verbal agreement, but negotiations with Genoa had hit a snag.
The main issue was the transfer fee.
Manchester United had offered 20 million euros, but Genoa demanded at least 25 million euros—a 5 million euro gap that neither side was willing to budge on.
Additionally, Manchester United's proposed installment payment plan was unacceptable to Genoa.
The Sun reported that the main roadblock was the Glazer family's unwillingness to sanction additional spending. The money used to buy Sneijder had only been made available after Manchester United sold Tevez to Juventus.
The Argentine forward had been sold for 25 million euros. From that, 15 million was used for Sneijder, while the Glazers had only allowed another 10 million to be reinvested.
As for funding a move for Diego Milito?
Forget about it!
By the time the transfer window officially closed, no further deals had been completed.
In the end, on the last day of the window, Manchester United had finalized two major transfers, Sneijder arriving, Tevez departing.
Most notably, the addition of Sneijder had undoubtedly strengthened Manchester United's midfield.
(To be continued.)