As they settled into the car, Woodward stretched his legs and exhaled deeply. "Alright, Mr. Business Wizard, where do we go next?" He glanced at Tiger King with a mix of admiration and curiosity. "I swear, at this point, I'm just here for the ride. You tell me where, and I'll prepare the contract."
Tiger King leaned back, arms crossed, and replied calmly, "To Rennes. I want to sign a future world footballer."
Woodward raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "A future world footballer? And let me guess—you're going to tell me you already know his price?"
Tiger King smirked. "Of course. But let's not ruin the suspense."
As the car sped toward Rennes, Woodward couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. "You're either the luckiest guesser I've ever met or you have a time machine."
Tiger King just chuckled. "Let's just say, I have a good eye for talent."
Upon arriving in Rennes, the duo wasted no time heading to the club's training facilities. Tiger King had already done his homework—he knew exactly who he wanted. A young prodigy with dazzling footwork, electrifying pace, and an uncanny ability to change games single-handedly.
As they entered the club's offices, Woodward leaned in and whispered, "Alright, who is this supposed 'future world footballer' you're after?"
Tiger King turned to him with a knowing smile.
"Ousmane Dembélé."
Dembélé had never been given a real chance at Rennes. The club didn't see him as a player with any significant potential, so Tiger King smoothly activated his termination clause and signed him for just 1 million euros.
When Tiger King shook hands with the young winger, he smiled and said, "You have the potential to become the best player in the world one day."
Dembélé chuckled, assuming it was just polite encouragement. But Tiger King knew better.
In the original timeline, Dembélé would explode onto the scene at Borussia Dortmund, dazzling the Bundesliga with his pace, dribbling, and creativity. During the 2016-17 season, he would notch 10 goals and 21 assists, quickly making a name for himself as one of the brightest young stars in Europe. His meteoric rise would lead to a staggering 150 million euro move to Barcelona in the summer of 2017—a fee that shocked the football world.
Even the Barcelona president at the time had boldly declared, "Dembélé is the future best player in the world!"
Tiger King smiled to himself. He had just secured a player with world-class potential for the price of a squad rotation player.
Woodward looked at the list of transfers Tiger King had made so far. He ran his fingers down the page and shook his head in disbelief.
"Tiger, your 15-man shopping spree… except for Lewandowski and Isco, who slipped through our fingers, and Fekir, whom Lyon refused to sell, you've already secured 11 players. Now, there's just one name left… and he's all the way in Brazil."
Tiger King smirked. "I already have names in my head. The goalkeeper position is critical; we need someone reliable as a backup. The striker must be capable of stepping up when needed, and the midfield reinforcements should bring creativity and stability. As for the playmaker, I want someone who can change the game with a single pass."
Woodward nodded in agreement, flipping through his notes. "You make it sound so easy. So, we're looking at four more signings—one goalkeeper, a striker, a midfielder, and a playmaker."
He let out a deep breath and smirked. "So, what's the plan? Are we flying across the Atlantic next?"
"Yes, my back-up Goalkeeper is there." replied Tiger King
"Let's take a day off first. I am really tired working with you on the transfers. It would have been better to use associates for half of the transfers but you just had to visit these youngsters personally."
"Anyway, I agree to the break. Let's go." replied Tiger King agreeing to the break and looking to relax.
Summer Transaction Status
1. Marcos Alonso (Age = 23) - LB - Free Transfer - Five Year Contract
2. Dele Alli (Age = 16) - Midfielder - Free Transfer - Joined the Youth Team
3. Leroy Sane (Age = 17)- The Next No. 7 - 800,000 Euros
4. Joshua Kimmich (Age = 18) - Young German Defender - 1,000,000 Euros
5. Virgil van Dijk (Age = 22) - CB - 5,000,000 Euros
6. Marco Asensio (Age = 17) - Nimble Attacking Midfielder - 1,000,000 Euros
7. Eric Bailley (Age = 19) - CB - 2,500,000 Euros
8. N'Golo Kanté (Age = 22) - Defensive Midfielder - CDM - Free Transfer
9. Riyad Mahrez (Age = 22) - Replacing Ryan Giggs - LW - 500,000 Euros
10. Anthony Martial (Age = 18) - Forward - 6,000,000 Euros
11. Ousmane Dembele (Age = 16) - Forward - 1,000,000
Pending Transfer Budget: 33.2 Million Euros