Chapter 26

On August 17, 2004, the English newspaper The Observer reported that Girls Aloud's lead singer Cheryl had been spotted at Chelsea's Cobham training ground, and even managed to capture a photo of her leaving alone with sunglasses on. Journalist Andrea made a bold prediction: Cheryl could not have been at the training ground as a player's girlfriend, and since the team's head coach Gianhian was gay, it was clear that Cheryl was in a hot romance with Chelsea's assistant coach Boas!

Boas could only laugh bitterly at this news, while Gianhian was exasperated, thinking these paparazzi and unscrupulous journalists were all out of their minds!

However, compared to such trivial gossip, a significant event had indeed occurred in Chelsea's dressing room. The results of the forward Adrian Mutu's medical examination were shocking!

Drug use! The cocaine test was positive, confirming that Mutu was using drugs!

The club's CEO Kenyon, the Director of Sport Jorisano, assistant coach Boas, and others gathered in the head coach's office, waiting for Gianhian to handle the matter. Everyone had a stern expression.

Boas spoke first: "Gianhian, I think we shouldn't publicize this. A punishment within the team would suffice. He is a high-level player, and if we handle it according to the rules... it would be too much of a waste."

Gianhian tapped his fingers on the table and said calmly, "Paper can never wrap up fire! What are FIFA's regulations on this?"

Kenyon sighed, "A global ban for seven months! If we really have to do that, for the sake of the club's image and interests, Chelsea must terminate Mutu's contract."

Mutu had wasted 1 milliliter of the precious Source No. 1 that Gianhian had given him and did not attend the dinner where Gianhian confessed his love to Cheryl, which made Gianhian have no good feelings towards Mutu. He waved his hand and said solemnly, "There are laws in the country and rules in the home! This is his own doing, so we will handle it according to the rules!"

Boas did not want to lose such a talented player and was about to persuade, but Gianhian waved him off and asked, "Mr. Kenyon, has Owen's transfer been finalized?"

Mentioning Owen, Kenyon's gloomy face cleared up, and he looked at Gianhian with admiration. Owen had said that the reason he agreed to transfer to Chelsea was because he valued Chelsea's head coach Gianhian and his aggressive offensive tactics. Moreover, Liverpool and Chelsea had always had a good relationship, and there had been transfers of stars like Torres, Sturridge, and Moses in the future, which facilitated Owen's move to Chelsea.

Kenyon smiled, "The contract has been agreed upon. The transfer fee is 18 million pounds, a five-year contract, and a weekly salary of 110,000 pounds. He is currently undergoing a medical examination by the club."

Gianhian nodded, "Very good. Tell the medical department to keep it simple. I want to take Owen to the training ground this afternoon! Oh... and since we are terminating Mutu's contract, start selling Owen's No. 7 jersey in the store."

With Wayne Rooney not yet fully developed, Owen was the undisputed top striker of England, and he had even won the European Golden Ball! The club was very pleased to have such a star, and the displeasure caused by Mutu was completely gone.

At 1 PM, Gianhian gathered all the first-team players at the Cobham training ground, including Wayne Rooney, who was still recovering from an injury.

Gianhian had a smile on his face, but Boas looked worried. Their contrasting expressions sparked a flurry of whispers among the players.

Gianhian, with his hands behind his back, announced loudly, "Today, I have two announcements to make, one good news and one bad news!"

Terry, who seemed honest and straightforward, was actually the type who could be secretly mischievous, like the "friend's wife" scandal, which even angered the FA and led to the loss of his England captaincy.

Seeing the stark difference between Gianhian and Boas, Terry whispered to the young Ramos, "Hey, buddy, do you know what the good news is? It must be that the boss has won over Cheryl, and we have a legitimate mother-in-law now!"

Ramos looked disbelieving, "The boss isn't that shallow, right? If that's the good news, what's the bad news?"

Terry said smugly, "You clearly aren't English, not paying attention to the English media. Did you see today's Observer? It said Boas had put a green hat on the boss. Do you think the boss would be happy?"

"Ah?" Ramos was shocked, "If that's the case... could the boss be firing Boas? No wonder he looks so worried. What a pity, he's the most responsible and excellent assistant coach I've ever seen..."

Gianhian glared at Terry and scolded, "John, what are you and Sergio discussing? Look at you two, sneaky and suspicious. Each of you, run five laps as punishment!"

"Ha ha..." Many people heard Terry and Ramos's gossip and burst into laughter, their shoulders shaking.

Gianhian made a gesture to calm everyone down and said sternly, "First, the bad news. After investigation, it was found that Mutu used cocaine, seriously violating the club's rules. We have reported it to FIFA, and the club has terminated his contract. I hope everyone takes this as a warning and does not follow his example."

"What?" Everyone was shocked, especially the older players in the team, who were extremely surprised. In their minds, the Romanian forward was a talented and skilled player, and they never imagined he would be using drugs!

The new signings, who had less interaction with Mutu, remained relatively calm. Young Ramos even muttered under his breath, complaining that Terry had gotten him into trouble.

Gianhian made a gesture to calm everyone down, shrugged, and said loudly, "Of course, this is just a minor issue. The good news is the main reason I've gathered everyone here today! Now, please give a warm welcome to our new player, the best forward of the English peninsula—Michael Owen!"

"Owen? Owen really came?"

"Turns out the media reports were true, Owen is here!"

"Boss, you're amazing!"

...

Amid cheers and thunderous applause, Owen, dressed casually, quietly joined Gianhian, pushing the atmosphere on the training ground to its peak! Terry was even moved to tears, shouting in his heart, "Boss, if you could bring Beckham to Chelsea, I'd be willing to run five more laps!"

Owen, the second most renowned and popular player in the England national team after Beckham! The undisputed top star of the English peninsula today! With his handsome appearance, along with the newly transferred Kaka, Ramos, and the handsome Gianhian, they formed Chelsea's F4!

Wayne Rooney, who could already walk freely, shouted, "Oh, God, Michael, why didn't you tell me you were coming to Chelsea?"

Gianhian laughed and waved his hand to quiet everyone down, saying with a smile, "Alright, we're all teammates now. We can talk later! Let's hear Michael Owen's first words as a Chelsea player!"

Owen took a deep breath, smiled, and said softly, "To be honest, my initial plan was to go to Real Madrid this summer. But Mr. Gianhian's charisma changed my mind, and the first big win against Manchester United solidified my decision to come to Chelsea."

"Ha ha, we know, Liverpool and Manchester United have always been bitter rivals!" As an England national team teammate, Lampard waved to Owen.

Owen shrugged and said, "Maybe. But... although I have had less interaction with Mr. Gianhian, as a young person, I believe we can communicate more easily, and... I am a forward, so I prefer an aggressive style of play!"

"Michael, you're right about that!" Chelsea's left winger Joe Cole laughed, "At first, I was a bit puzzled when the boss criticized Eriksson's tactics as rigid. But after spending more time together, especially after the big win against Manchester United, I realized how perfect the boss's aggressive tactics are!"

...

On August 18, Chelsea and Liverpool officially announced that they had reached an agreement on Michael Owen's transfer, though the specific transfer fee was not disclosed. Liverpool's official website also published a "Michael Owen Special" article, recalling his growth in the club from a young and inexperienced player to the "wind-chasing boy" of 1998 and the European Golden Ball winner of 2001. The highlights of his goals and the image of the "wind-chasing boy" brought tears to the eyes of many KOP fans.

The front page of the Liverpool Echo read, "Reds' Owen Leaves with Tears, Blue Lions Gain a Powerful Boost." The article provided a detailed report on the entire summer of Owen transfer rumors, from Owen's refusal to leave England to his rejection of Wenger's contract and his move to Chelsea, which made English fans marvel at the capabilities of "Big Gun" Gianhian, despite his brash words.

Rafael Benitez, the new manager of Liverpool, who had led Valencia to the La Liga and UEFA Cup titles last season, also commented on Owen's departure, expressing regret but respecting Owen's choice and hoping for his success at Chelsea. He also praised "Big Gun" Gianhian as a young and talented individual who would work well with Owen to achieve great results.

Hearing these words, Gianhian was almost moved to tears: "Damn, this is probably the first time I, Gianhian, have been praised? By a world-renowned coach like Benitez? This feeling is simply amazing!"

After a few days of silence, Chelsea and "Big Gun" Gianhian once again became the hottest topic in the English media!

Gianhian constantly hyped himself and indirectly helped Chelsea build its influence. Such media management even made the club's CEO Kenyon admit defeat, and he even considered suggesting to owner Abramovich to increase Gianhian's salary. After all, a weekly salary of 20,000 pounds was quite meager.