Chapter 94

**Chapter Pre-Thank You: Thank you to reader Ya Yue for the tip.**

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Because Jose recommended you.

Mendes' response was so quick that Lin Sen thought he had already anticipated this question. His seemingly hasty answer was the easiest for Lin Sen to accept. The Jose in Mendes' words could only be one person: Jose Mourinho.

If Mourinho really recommended him to Mendes, then Mendes' call wouldn't be surprising. However, this raised another question: Why did Mourinho recommend him to Mendes?

Although Lin Sen appeared to be under thirty, his mind was that of a nearly forty-year-old man. In Chinese terms, forty is the age of "no confusion," meaning one can discern things clearly without doubt. His relationship with Mourinho was limited to a friendly match and a few brief phone calls. Mourinho treated him like a senior, but not in a condescending way. Their conversations were always brief, but Mourinho always gave personal advice. On this point, Lin Sen couldn't deny that he was grateful to Mourinho, as he was still a coach who had been dismissed by Atletico Madrid at that time.

However, gratitude does not equal trust, though it can easily develop into it. When Mourinho proactively sent him messages and called him, Lin Sen wasn't without a bit of suspicion. After much thought, he concluded that the only possibility was players.

Talking about money can hurt feelings, and talking about feelings can hurt money. The same principle applies to player transfers, which is why agents act as intermediaries. Agents are ostensibly there to professionally handle everything outside of playing, but in reality, their main job is to handle the things that hurt feelings. Lin Sen wasn't without a bit of caution, as he knew the capabilities of the young players under him. Before they became famous, he could snatch them, but once they started to shine, he couldn't stop what would happen next. There are few scouts in the football world, but they do exist. Therefore, when signing contracts with players, Lin Sen always "urged" Livermore to set the minimum buyout clause as high as possible.

However, as December approached and the winter transfer window neared, Lin Sen wasn't completely at ease. What's the difference between a promoted team that becomes a dark horse and a supermarket with a discount sign?

So, Mendes' call came at just the right time.

Lin Sen's thoughts were correct, but he had wronged Mendes this time. The reason Mendes called him was very simple: Lin Sen himself. Mourinho told him that Lin Sen was a potential stock worth signing. As a black gold-level client of Mendes, Mourinho rarely recommended anyone, let alone a fellow coach. As for the players of Malaga, Mendes was indeed very interested, but using the coach to increase the signing leverage? That was a trick Mendes used ten years ago, not now.

After getting Mourinho's recommendation, Mendes started investigating Lin Sen.

People generally think that agents are chosen, but good agents also choose their clients. Why are Mendes' clients all big names? Because his selection criteria are very strict. Mourinho's recommendation came after Malaga lost to Barcelona. During this period, Mendes even secretly watched two of Malaga's matches. It wasn't until the match against Villarreal that Mendes made his decision. But at that time, he didn't rush to contact Lin Sen, as he didn't think it was the right time.

Until now.

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After hanging up the phone, Mendes was silent for a moment, then quickly dialed a number. But after some thought, he didn't call and instead wrote a text message and sent it.

"Jose, you win."

To his surprise, his text message was answered with a call less than a minute later.

Mendes answered the phone with a bitter smile, knowing he couldn't escape. Both he and Mourinho's work, in a way, depended on reading people. It had to be said that in terms of reading coaches, Jose's insight was indeed sharper than his.

"Did he reject you?" Mourinho's voice on the other end of the phone carried a smile, "Don't worry, I can guarantee you'll have many opportunities to work with him in the future."

"I believe that," Mendes said a bit helplessly, but quickly calmed down.

Mendes admitted he was a bit surprised. He thought he had seized the best opportunity. Malaga had been smooth sailing this season, and this was one of the few times Lin Sen was in a low point. But he didn't expect Lin Sen to politely decline his offer. Lin Sen didn't say "no" directly but indicated that he didn't plan to consider an agent before the end of the season. He also gave Mendes a promise that Mendes often considered meaningless: if he needed an agent, he would call Mendes first.

Mendes believed in his own promise but never in others'. He couldn't help but think of the coach rankings currently circulating among European agents and said, "Jose, do you think I should give up?"

Mourinho was surprised that Mendes was seeking his opinion on this.

"I don't advise you to give up," Mourinho said after some thought, giving a somewhat reluctant opinion.

"Do you really think so highly of him?"

"I never underestimate anyone."

"Indeed," Mendes laughed, knowing that overestimating was much cheaper than underestimating. Then, with a decision made, he joked, "You know, Jose, Lin has one thing that's even better than you."

"Oh?" Mourinho's eyebrows raised.

"He speaks more languages than you. Ha ha." Mendes also laughed heartily.

---

Like Mendes, Lin Sen also stared into space for a long time after hanging up the phone.

The famous Mendes wanted to be his agent, and Lin Sen should feel honored. After all, whether admitted or not, Mendes had the halo of being the world's best, while Lin Sen had yet to achieve any honors.

However, Lin Sen's decision to temporarily decline Mendes was surprisingly decisive. It wasn't that he was waiting for a better offer; he undoubtedly needed an agent, but it wasn't urgent. In terms of his personal life, thanks to the European Cup, he was now worth a few million, making him a millionaire at home. While money is never enough, considering his background, having enough was Lin Sen's attitude toward money. This alone reduced the need for an agent by a large margin. The more pressing need for an agent was in his work, especially in contract matters. However, how long had he signed with Malaga? So, when Lin Sen told Mendes to talk after the season, it wasn't just a polite response but a genuine one. After the season, Lin Sen's contract with Malaga would indeed need a professional to handle.

As for now, Lin Sen was thinking about something else: the winter transfer window.

Mendes' call was a prelude and a warning, alerting Lin Sen that the transfer window was approaching.

Lin Sen quickly found the contract information of all the players on the team that Livermore had given him and began to study the "buyout" clauses. However, after a brief look, the professional jargon that seemed designed to be incomprehensible made Lin Sen scratch his head. So, he called Livermore and told him what he needed.

Livermore didn't hesitate to agree to Lin Sen's request. Professionalism is professionalism, and within an hour, Lin Sen received what he wanted. However, after reading it, he immediately felt a bit of a headache.

In terms of the minimum buyout clause, among the players Lin Sen had brought in during the summer, only Gabi had a buyout clause over 30 million. The free transfers generally had a buyout clause of around 15 million, which didn't need further explanation. The players for whom transfer fees were paid had higher buyout clauses, but not by much. Gabi's was the highest at 30 million, while the others were generally below 25 million. On the contrary, the buyout clauses for the original Malaga players were extremely high, often 50 to 60 million, with Gamez's buyout clause even reaching over 80 million, clearly warning others: be cautious when poaching, and if you have any questions, we can discuss them in detail.

Of course, for a team like Malaga, which often fights for survival, many players' contracts included a lower buyout clause in case of relegation, and this amount was more in line with their actual value.

Lin Sen wasn't too worried about the minimum buyout clause, as even the lowest, for Gundogan, was 12 million, which might not be much for big clubs but would make most teams think twice about spending such a transfer fee on a young player who had only played half a season. However, the minimum buyout clause didn't equal the transfer fee. What Lin Sen needed to be more cautious about was whether Sanches would try to pull a fast one, given that Malaga was a "poor and crazy" club, and no one could guarantee that Sanches wouldn't cut his losses to survive.

On the other hand, what Lin Sen was more concerned about were the small clauses in the contracts, especially the buyback clause for Koke and the annoying "25 million" transfer fee. Although the transfer window hadn't opened and there were no rumors yet, Lin Sen was almost certain that, given Sanches' nature, Atletico Madrid would likely exercise this clause in the winter.

Koke had become an indispensable part of Malaga this season. Lin Sen had given him absolute trust from the start, and the young player didn't disappoint. In 14 league matches, he scored two goals and provided three assists. While these numbers weren't outstanding, his average rating of over 7 points per game proved his excellence in other areas. Koke's selection for the new Spanish U19 team was a matter of course.

Many "busybody" Spanish media had already started praising Koke as the "second Xavi." For such a young talent, could Sanches tolerate him continuing to play for Malaga? Lin Sen didn't believe so. But what could he do to stop them?

This damn 25 million clause!