Chapter 45

In the sport of football, those responsible for scoring goals are always naturally at an advantage, whether in terms of actual income or the level of attention they receive, which is something that defensive players cannot match, especially in the attack-oriented La Liga. If possible, Lin Sen did not want to completely dismantle the main framework of the team from last season, both subjectively and objectively. However, the problem was that most of the substitutes for Malaga either had their contracts or loans expire. The few remaining players were simply not worth much in the market.

The offensive line that Malaga fans were proud of last season had lost its most important link with the departure of Citalgo. Whether they liked it or not, Malaga's offensive line would inevitably undergo a significant change in the new season. After the departure of two substitute forwards, Malaga was left with only two main forwards: Balista and Bah. These two, who were key contributors to Malaga's promotion, were also among the few players currently generating rumors. This was not surprising; in a small club, once a player performs well, they immediately stand out like fireflies in the night, not only being distinct and outstanding but also cheap and practical. They can serve as starters to lead the attack or as substitutes to ensure a steady profit, making them essential for any top team.

Could there be no rumors?!

If possible, at least in terms of performance, Lin Sen's impression of the "double Ba" on the front line was even higher than that of most people. The reason Citalgo shone so brightly last season was closely related to the sacrifices made by his partners on the front line. Last season, Bah scored ten goals, while Balista scored only seven. Scoring is an important standard for evaluating forwards, but it is not the only one. Lin Sen was a supporter of this view. The second half of the match between Atletico Madrid and Deportivo La Coruna was still vivid in his mind. For him, players who were willing to lower their status and take on responsibilities not originally theirs for the team were good players. This had nothing to do with the players' abilities but everything to do with their attitude.

But now, there was no choice. Sacrifice and gain, one must give to receive. Having decided where to make changes, the next steps would be more concrete.

The goalkeeper position did not need his immediate attention. The backup goalkeeper, Arnaud, provided just the right amount of pressure on the main goalkeeper, Godea. Godea was a traditional goalkeeper, and in Lin Sen's view, he was average. He did not have any particularly impressive saves throughout the season, but he also did not make any low-level mistakes. In short, he lost the balls he should have lost and saved the balls he should have saved. Such a goalkeeper had little presence on the field and was easily overlooked by fans, but for a coach, he was more reassuring than a "manic" type of goalkeeper. As for Arnaud, who lost his starting position last season, he was the captain of Malaga at the age of thirty-three, which was not old for a goalkeeper. Whether he was willing to give up his starting position to Godea was unknown, but it would be better if he was not.

The double insurance meant that Lin Sen did not need to make significant changes in this area, just a minor adjustment for a third goalkeeper who was optional.

On the defensive line, the main central defender partnership of Wellington and Rosario, who were just put together last season, had lost many goals in the first half of the season due to a lack of chemistry. However, in the second half, as their chemistry improved, this central defender partnership showed complementary qualities. Notably, Wellington was on loan from FC Zurich, and Lin Sen planned to have Livermore execute the buyout clause, but the price would need to be negotiated down. Otherwise, if the buyout was based on the original contract's 800,000, Lin Sen would be left with nothing before selling the player.

The two full-backs, Gámez and Rosato, were both homegrown. Gámez, the right-back, had become the de facto captain of Malaga last season, being a traditional Spanish full-back. The left-back, Brazilian Rosato, like many Brazilian defenders, was stronger in attack than in defense, with free kicks being his specialty. As for the other defenders, Carrion, who often played as a full-back, was actually a winger, and Lobato was a versatile player. The rest either had their contracts or loans expire. In short, to ensure that each position had at least two options, Lin Sen still needed to think hard.

Compared to the defense, the midfield, which was the main target for transformation, was destined to undergo a complete overhaul. The midfield was the position that caused Lin Sen the most headaches last season, as the biggest highlight of Malaga's midfield was Citalgo, who had already left. Despite having a decent defense, Malaga's goal count remained high, and a lack of effective protection from the midfield was a significant reason, especially in the center. This was a drawback of the diamond-shaped midfield, where the two wingers, Celis and Elizondo, focused too much on the flanks, leaving the defensive pressure entirely on the defensive midfielder, Apoño. Alone and isolated, he could only do his best and leave the rest to fate, with predictable results.

Currently, everyone knew that Malaga needed to find a replacement for Citalgo, but for Lin Sen, this replacement would exist, but the role they played in the team in the new season might not be the same as Citalgo's last season. Lin Sen's "stability" was reflected in the lineup and style, but not in the tactics, and it could not be reflected in the tactics. Each coach had their own requirements, and Lin Sen was no exception. For the new season, Lin Sen planned to use a five-man midfield with a double defensive midfielder setup. In other words, he intended to add a solid midfield barrier in front of the defense, which would be a crucial part of the new defensive system of Lin Sen's Malaga. Moreover, the "Citalgo" of the new season would not be able to avoid participating in defense like Citalgo did last season.

After considering the three lines, Lin Sen realized that even if he only wanted to "patch up," he actually needed to add quite a few players. Three to four defenders, three to four midfielders, and since he had decided to make changes to the forward line, he would need at least two more. In total, it was almost the number of players needed for a starting lineup. According to the plan Livermore proposed during their first meeting, the new signings for Malaga in the new season would mainly be on loan, with the promotion of young players, and the rest would have to rely on the free agent market. This was the survival strategy of most small clubs.

For this recruitment strategy, Lin Sen had no choice but to adjust the priorities. The main recruitment method of loans became a backup, and in its place, he adopted a gold-digging approach. At the time, Livermore, who always wore a smile, frowned and silently accepted it. Lin Sen did not want to explain further; after all, the whole point of fighting for transfer rights was for this. He directly gave Livermore four names.

De Gea, Koke, Alba, Isco.

Of these four names, Livermore was more familiar with De Gea and Koke due to Lin Sen's experience with Atletico Madrid last season. The other two names, Alba and Isco, left Livermore completely puzzled. At the time, Lin Sen rolled his eyes and told Livermore to turn left and head to Valencia, which Livermore did with some doubt.

De Gea and Koke did not need much introduction. As for Alba and Isco, the former was currently playing for Valencia's reserve team. Without Malaga's intervention, he would have moved to Tarragona in the Segunda Division and made his debut there. It was his performance there that gradually caught Valencia's attention. Lin Sen seized this timing; after all, a team that could play in La Liga like Malaga was more attractive than Tarragona. As for Isco, Lin Sen was just advancing the time of his joining Malaga. Born in Malaga, Isco would join the team two years later and gradually become a European Golden Boy. The call from his hometown team made it unlikely that Isco would refuse.

Now, almost a week had passed, and Lin Sen planned to check on Livermore's progress.

One good news and one bad news.

When Lin Sen called Livermore and heard him say this, he felt another pang of discomfort, but at least Livermore did not keep him in suspense.

The good news was that, except for De Gea, who was explicitly rejected, the other three clubs were willing to let their players go. The bad news was that, in addition to Alba, both Koke and Isco came with conditions.

Koke, Atletico Madrid required a buy-back clause, and Isco, Valencia preferred a loan. On the contrary, Valencia did not set any obstacles for Alba: 200,000, and he would be delivered.

This result was not entirely unexpected for Lin Sen.

Since Abbiati was returning to AC Milan for the new season, Atletico Madrid's intention to keep De Gea as the third goalkeeper had been known to Lin Sen while he was still at Atletico. Including De Gea in the target list was more of a trial, and whether it succeeded or not did not need to be overly worried about.

Compared to De Gea, Lin Sen placed more importance on Koke. Although Atletico Madrid required a buy-back clause in the Koke deal, Lin Sen did not think it was because Atletico finally recognized Koke's potential; it was more likely a routine measure.

It was well-known that after the "Raul tragedy," Atletico Madrid, which had once disbanded its youth team, re-established its emphasis on youth training. This emphasis became a team-building strategy under the leadership of Cerezo. Almost every season, Atletico Madrid promoted young players from the youth team to the first team for training. This emphasis on youth training made Atletico particularly cautious in the transfer of its young players. The buy-back clause for Koke was just a manifestation of this caution.

It had to be said that Atletico Madrid's caution was a wise move. "Once bitten, twice shy." This proverb, though not entirely positive, had a clear effect: it reduced the probability of being bitten again.

Thinking about this, Lin Sen had to admit that the buy-back clause, though rarely used, was a good thing tailored for big clubs. Compared to this clause, another mandatory regulation in La Liga, the minimum release clause, was more practical. The minimum release clause was not uncommon in European football, but only La Liga made it mandatory. Any player over the age of seventeen must have a minimum release clause in their contract, and the minimum release amount, as the name suggests, was self-explanatory in its purpose and intent.

Both Alba and Isco, who belonged to Valencia, had their transfers facilitated by the minimum release clause. Alba's minimum release clause was only 250,000, and given that he was currently playing as a winger, it was not surprising that Valencia did not set any obstacles for his transfer. Looking at Valencia's current left wingers—David Silva, Juan Mata, and Vicente—it was clear why Valencia did not set any obstacles for Alba. As for Isco, who was under seventeen, he had already made a name for himself in the youth team. Young players who relied on their skills to stand out were always more noticeable, and without the constraint of a minimum release clause, it was not surprising that Valencia preferred a loan.

Regardless, it seemed that the main transfer targets for the first phase had not encountered any significant obstacles from the clubs. Lin Sen had delayed the announcement of Malaga's signings to facilitate these transactions. One club had a former coach's reputation, and the other had just experienced a setback. Whether they were magnanimous or not, Lin Sen did not mind using a bit of cunning.

After telling Livermore to finalize these transactions before the European Cup, Lin Sen quickly sent him a fax: the list of second-phase transfers and clean-ups.

Then, he casually packed his luggage and prepared to return home.

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