Chapter 416: Chapter 416: PSG Makes Another Move, 280 million Shocks the Football World
Chapter 416: PSG Makes Another Move, 280 million Shocks the Football World
Paris, Paris Saint-Germain Club.
As the first club to pursue Lin Quan, Paris Saint-Germain is also the least confident. They had been rejected by Lin Quan several times, and even though they were prepared to offer more money this time, they still felt that their chances of luring Lin Quan were slim.
Superstars of Lin Quan's caliber are not like Cavani or Thiago Silva, who can be bought with money alone. While Cavani and Silva are strong players, there are others in the football world at their level, even if they are few. But as for superstars, there are very few who can match Lin Quan, and even fewer who surpass him. PSG had never acquired such a player before and did not know what it would take.
Therefore, despite being the most proactive in bidding for Lin Quan this summer, they did not believe they could convince him to leave Manchester City. So, while pursuing Lin Quan, they privately began contacting Barcelona's rising star Neymar as a backup plan. If their attempt to sign Lin Quan failed, they would switch to acquiring Neymar.
Compared to Lin Quan, signing Neymar seemed more feasible. After all, his contract with Barcelona included a clear release clause, meaning PSG could bypass the club and deal directly with the player by paying the release fee. If they could agree with Neymar's agent, Barcelona would have no choice but to watch him leave.
Now the key question was whether Neymar wanted to leave.
"How did Neymar's agent respond?" one official asked.
"Neymar's agent outlined several conditions. If we meet these conditions, he will persuade Neymar to accept our offer and join PSG," another official replied.
Hearing this, PSG officials breathed a sigh of relief. While these conditions might not be easy to meet, as long as there were conditions, there was a chance. They feared a situation like with Lin Quan, where they didn't even get a meeting. Neymar's conditions included three main points:
1. Salary and Benefits: This included annual salary, image rights, bonuses, etc. Although Neymar's status in the football world was not as high as the three superstars, he was essentially the top player below them, so his salary could not be too low. Leaving Barcelona to join PSG, a club considered less prestigious, meant his exposure and commercial revenue would decrease, requiring PSG to compensate him.
2. Team Status: To attract Neymar, PSG needed to ensure he would be the team leader and the star player in the locker room. Without this guarantee, he would rather stay at Barcelona, where he was already seen as Messi's successor.
3. Transfer Handling: Neymar's camp wanted PSG to handle all aspects of the transfer without him having to publicly express any desire to leave. They wouldn't cooperate with any strikes or protests to force the move. Neymar had enjoyed his time at Barcelona and didn't want to leave on bad terms.
This meant PSG had to negotiate with Barcelona or simply pay the release clause to get Neymar. Given Barcelona's reliance on the MSN trio for their Champions League ambitions, they wouldn't easily let Neymar go. Thus, PSG needed to activate the release clause in his initial 2013 contract, which was 190 million euros, lower than the renewed contract's 220 million euros.
For PSG, this amount was manageable. They agreed to Neymar's conditions, knowing they had the financial resources to fulfill them.
"Alright, we won't leave empty-handed this summer!" With Neymar's deal nearly finalized, all that remained was to pay Barcelona the release fee and bring Neymar to the Parc des Princes. However, before making this move, PSG hesitated, still hoping they could somehow secure Lin Quan.
"For other clubs, acquiring two superstars simultaneously might be impossible, but for PSG, it's entirely feasible. We have the money; any problem solvable with money is no problem at all." But buying Lin Quan wasn't just about money, and that was troubling. Manchester City had already rejected PSG's first offer, and they hadn't been able to contact Lin Quan directly.
As a French club with a Qatari owner, PSG didn't have the connections in Spain like local giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, making it difficult to arrange a direct meeting with Lin Quan.
Regarding contacting the player's agent, PSG never got the opportunity. Thus, there was only one route left—offering more money.
On July 10, PSG gathered their courage and submitted a second offer to Manchester City. They added an extra 30 million euros to their initial offer, money they had saved from the Neymar negotiations. With this addition, PSG's offer reached an astonishing 280 million euros.
Upon receiving PSG's offer, Manchester City was taken aback.
"These people are insane. Do Qataris not value money at all? Spending 280 million euros just for one player?"
Though Manchester City was also considered a nouveau riche club backed by a wealthy Middle Eastern conglomerate, they felt humbled compared to the lavishly spending Qataris.
City had never made a transfer exceeding 50 million euros. The most expensive player they had signed was Kroos from Bayern for 50 million euros during the 2013 winter transfer window. Lin Quan, on the other hand, had joined Manchester City on a free transfer. And now, this free signing could potentially bring in 280 million euros—an unimaginable sum.
News of PSG's increased offer quickly spread. When people learned that PSG had offered a record-breaking 280 million euros for Lin Quan, they were shocked.
"280 million euros? Should I say PSG is dumb and rich, or do they have a sharp eye for talent, genuinely believing Lin Quan is worth that much?"
"With that amount, you could probably buy most teams in the top five European leagues."
"The current transfer record is only 100 million euros. If this deal for Lin Quan goes through, it will shatter the football transfer record."
"And once this record is set, it might be unbreakable for the next decade."
"280 million euros—no traditional club could afford that, except maybe those backed by wealthy Middle Eastern owners."
"Indeed, I doubt even Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Bayern could come up with that much."
"Manchester City inflated player values on the transfer market over the past few years, but PSG has taken it to the next level."
"Exactly. Player values and wages are soaring, while revenue can't keep up. If this continues, small and medium-sized clubs in football won't survive."
"Forget small clubs—how many big clubs aren't facing financial losses?"
"Only Bundesliga clubs seem to have somewhat healthy finances. Clubs in other leagues, like Real Madrid and Barcelona, are heavily in debt. Their large membership bases are barely keeping them afloat. Any other club would have collapsed under such a salary structure."
People were concerned about the rapid rise in player values and wages, fearing it would harm the health of the leagues. Thus, many viewed PSG's offer as a bad omen.
If this transfer happened, it would set a new benchmark in football. Transfer fees would skyrocket, making it almost impossible to buy top players for less than a billion euros in the future.
Apart from PSG fans, few wanted this deal to go through. PSG fans were unaware that their club had secretly secured Neymar. They were thrilled about the potential of signing a superstar like Lin Quan. Even though neither Manchester City nor Lin Quan had responded, many believed no club could refuse such an offer.
In addition to offering Manchester City a record 280 million euros, PSG prepared a highly lucrative contract for Lin Quan. They proposed a five-year deal with an annual salary of 35 million euros, a 100 million euro signing bonus, and a 250 million euro loyalty bonus. If Lin Quan joined PSG and completed his contract, he would earn 625 million euros over five years, averaging 105 million per year—far more than Manchester City's offer.
However, if Lin Quan agreed to join PSG, they would no longer pursue Neymar. Given Neymar's 30 million euro salary, PSG couldn't afford both players due to UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations.
Lin Quan was unaware of PSG's proposed contract and wouldn't be interested even if he knew. Messi's time at PSG hadn't been enjoyable; fans had booed him for national team matters, showing little respect.
Given Messi's experience, Lin Quan had no interest in PSG. Three years later, Spain might face a resurgent France in the World Cup. If he joined PSG and Spain beat France to win the World Cup, he might be the one booed.
Moreover, while Messi had only signed a two-year contract with PSG, Lin Quan's proposed contract was for five years. If the World Cup happened during his contract, he couldn't leave as easily as Messi.
Thus, Lin Quan saw PSG as a potential trap to avoid. Furthermore, he didn't have a good impression of the Qatari owners behind PSG. Unlike the professional and steady approach of Manchester City's Abu Dhabi owners, PSG's owners seemed to prioritize politics over football, aiming to promote the Qatar World Cup.
Their approach lacked long-term planning, focusing only on buying big-name players for instant fame. This led to a lopsided team with star forwards but a weak defense, making them struggle in tough matches. This amateurish team-building strategy showed a lack of seriousness or respect for the sport.
Therefore, Lin Quan had no interest in PSG. Over the weekend, he visited La Masia, as promised, and met with his national teammates and even Xavi, who had left Barcelona. He also met Johan Cruyff, the founder of La Masia.
(End of the chapter)
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