Chapter 10

In 2004, the era of big-money football had already begun. Although clubs like Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Monaco had not yet attracted huge amounts of funds, Chelsea and Real Madrid had already stirred up a wave of big-money transfers in the world of football.

There was no need to mention Real Madrid; after Florentino Perez took charge, the policy of signing superstars had already seen the club spend heavily on players like Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Luis Figo, and David Beckham. After bringing in the new champion, José Mourinho, from Porto, the club even boasted of spending 150 million euros to expand the team's roster.

Although this figure had a bit of hype, Real Madrid's determination in the transfer market was clear: "No one can compete with me for the players I want!"

Indeed, this was the case. Despite Roman Abramovich approving 100 million pounds for transfers, Chelsea had no intention of competing with Real Madrid in the transfer market.

Firstly, at this time, Chelsea and Real Madrid were not on the same level. The players preferred to showcase their talents on the larger stage of the Bernabeu. Secondly, many positions in the team needed to be restructured, and after careful calculation, 100 million pounds might not be enough.

Therefore, Jowan Xian had already decided to avoid Real Madrid in the transfer market, at least for this summer.

On July 22, Real Madrid officially announced that the club had spent 30 million euros to sign central defender Ricardo Carvalho and 20 million euros to sign right-back Paulo Ferreira. Both players were former Porto players and part of Mourinho's inner circle!

It seemed that the assertive Mourinho had already secured enough authority from Florentino. It was expected that Carvalho would replace Pavon as the starting central defender, and the injury-prone Salgado's starting position might also be taken by Ferreira.

Upon hearing this news, Jowan Xian smiled and made two transfer requests to the club's CEO, Kenyon: Petr Cech, a young goalkeeper from Rennes, and Arjen Robben, a wing player from PSV Eindhoven.

When Kenyon saw these requests, he frowned slightly. First, they had just signed a player under 20, Wayne Rooney, and now they were requesting two more young players. A young team was good, but it might not be stable enough.

Fortunately, Robben had shone brightly in the European Championship, and although Cech had been overshadowed by the Czech team, his excellent goalkeeping skills, tall stature, and quick reflexes had left a deep impression.

Without hesitation, Kenyon smiled and gave Jowan Xian a positive response, saying he would immediately discuss and operate the transfers with the sports department.

Jowan Xian was delighted, but Kenyon suddenly remembered something and picked up a document from his desk, frowning deeply. "Mr. Jowan, the club has just received an offer from Inter Milan for Veron. I know Veron is an excellent player, but he has just submitted a transfer request. He thinks..."

"He thinks he won't have a future with me, right?" Jowan Xian smiled contemptuously.

Kenyon nodded awkwardly.

Jowan Xian knew that Veron had transferred to Chelsea from Manchester United for 15 million pounds last season. His poor performances at both clubs might have made him dislike the Premier League's pace and want to return to Serie A to relive his glory days. Jowan Xian frowned and asked, "What is Inter Milan's offer?"

"8 million euros. Although it's their first offer, the final offer will be around 10 million euros." Kenyon was a bit bitter, as he had been the one to operate Veron's transfer last season, and now the value had dropped significantly.

Jowan Xian, however, was pleasantly surprised and clapped his hands. "Great! But we won't ask for a penny!"

"Ah?" Kenyon was shocked. "Are you kidding? Is Moratti your father?"

Jowan Xian chuckled and changed the subject. "However... it's not that easy to get a bargain. They want Veron, so let's trade for Cannavaro!"

"Cannavaro?" Kenyon frowned and pondered for a moment before exclaiming, "Cannavaro? The Italian central defender who is often injured and rarely plays under Mancini? And he's already over 30. Why would we want such a player?"

Jowan Xian sneered. "You don't know. Cannavaro reached his peak after leaving Inter and even became the 2006 World Footballer of the Year! We can't let such an excellent player go to Juventus for free!"

However, Jowan Xian didn't say this out loud. Instead, he said seriously, "Mr. Kenyon, you can't always look at the surface. Just like Rooney, this strong player suffered a serious injury under Eriksson's tactical system. Mancini doesn't know how to use Cannavaro, but I... can bring out his full potential!"

Kenyon felt a bit disheartened. "You criticize Eriksson, and now Mancini? The media calls you 'Big Cannon Jowan,' and it's not without reason!"

However, as the Premier League team manager had absolute command over the team, Kenyon reluctantly nodded. "Alright, God bless. I hope you're right."

Jowan Xian sat comfortably in the manager's office, sipping coffee and smirking. He could almost see the grim look on Mourinho's face: "I know you admire Cech and Robben, but at Real Madrid, no matter how assertive you are, the chairman won't allow such transfer requests!"

He could also imagine the lively appearance of Cannavaro, feeling even more elated. "Florentino, you can't build a team of all superstars, but I, Jowan Xian, have the ability and capital to create an all-star team!"

In the afternoon, the team continued its rigorous physical and tactical training, but Jowan Xian left the training base alone and went to the London Radcliffe Clinic to visit Wayne Rooney, who was recovering from an injury.

Rooney, younger than Jowan Xian and trusting him, had a very good impression of him. When Rooney, who was doing upper body exercises in bed, saw Jowan Xian's sudden visit, he was so surprised that he almost fell off the bed.

Jowan Xian quickly helped him, smiling. "Don't hurt yourself again. I don't want my first signing to be out for the entire first season."

Rooney smiled apologetically and asked in surprise, "Boss, shouldn't you be training the team now? Why are you at the clinic?"

Jowan Xian waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "It's fine. I've left it to Boas. Nothing major. Right now, the most important thing for me is your injury!"

Rooney, born into a poor working-class family, was very sensitive to human emotions. Seeing Jowan Xian's sincere concern, he was deeply moved and almost choked up. "Thank you, boss!"

Jowan Xian smiled and patted his shoulder, then took out a CD from his pocket and handed it to Rooney. "This is what I asked Boas to compile, mainly about my football philosophy and tactical ideas. Since you can't go to the training ground, you can study it in the ward."

Rooney took it with both hands, looking at his injured leg, feeling a bit lost. He had cost the club a huge transfer fee and caused so much trouble for the boss, making him feel ashamed.

Jowan Xian, understanding his feelings, said gently, "Don't worry. I signed you to be the starter! Once you recover, you'll definitely be the team's starting striker! Chelsea's number 9 jersey will always be reserved for you. Focus on your recovery!"

Rooney took a deep breath, feeling the immense trust from Jowan Xian. Remembering his comments about him during the European Championship, Rooney felt a sense of being favored. He silently vowed in his heart, "Boss, I won't let you down!"

Rooney, now 19, understood the meaning of a man's strength. He shook his head and said casually, "Boss, I heard you're making big changes to the team. The club will have many new signings?"

Jowan Xian smiled. "Yes, the current team is too rigid and lacks vitality. Such a team can't possibly win a championship."

Mentioning the championship, Rooney's face lit up. He glanced at the door and whispered mysteriously, "Boss, what do you think of Michael Owen?"

"Owen? You mean Liverpool's Owen?" Jowan Xian was surprised.

Rooney continued his mysterious tone, whispering, "Boss, Owen is my good friend. Partnering with him in the England team makes me feel very happy!"

Jowan Xian looked at Rooney in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

Rooney lowered his voice even more. "Boss, I have a secret to tell you, and I hope you won't tell anyone. During the European Championship, Owen told me that his contract with Liverpool will expire next summer, and his negotiations with the club have broken down..."

"Ah?" Jowan Xian was shocked.

Jowan Xian recalled and finally remembered. In the summer of 2004, Owen transferred to Real Madrid for 12 million euros plus a young player. Could this be the reason?

Michael Owen, the European Golden Ball winner, was worth at least 35 million euros, but the low price made sense after hearing Rooney's words.

Owen had a falling out with Liverpool, and the club didn't want to lose him for free next summer, so they decided to sell him at a low price this summer!

Owen, the young player who chased the wind, the handsome English golden boy, was loved by fans worldwide. Jowan Xian, a fan of handsome men, had an indescribable interest in Owen.

Transferring the English forward line to Chelsea would undoubtedly focus the attention of all English fans on Chelsea. Both Abramovich and Kenyon would definitely support this transfer.

However... should he really compete with Real Madrid for Owen?

To be honest, competing with the richer and more famous Real Madrid made Jowan Xian feel a bit nervous.

PS: Will Owen go to Real Madrid or Chelsea?