Bab 247: Chapter 247: Bidding

When Gao Shen arrived at the Naples headquarters office, De Laurentiis and Marino were already waiting for him in the conference room.

Both men looked anxious, and when Gao Shen knocked and entered, they seemed to find their backbone immediately.

Before Gao Shen's arrival, De Laurentiis had been the undisputed boss of Napoli. But since Gao Shen's arrival, his authority over football decisions had diminished significantly, especially after last season's exceptional record.

"The latest update is that Arsenal has raised their offer to 10 million euros," Marino reported as soon as Gao Shen sat down.

Napoli had already rejected three offers from Arsenal, but it was clear that the Gunners were serious and determined.

"Wenger is dead set on poaching from me," Gao Shen said with a bitter smile. He couldn't understand why Wenger seemed to have such a vendetta against him. Was it because he had robbed him of a Champions League runner-up spot?

"You mentioned Gervinho called you?" De Laurentiis asked, his concern obvious.

Gao Shen nodded, "Yes, he told me he wants to leave and hopes I will agree to let him go."

De Laurentiis' face darkened, and he immediately cursed under his breath, clearly annoyed. He felt Gervinho was being disloyal.

The club had already promised Gervinho a pay raise, even though it couldn't match Arsenal's offer. But this?

"Honestly, I understand him," Gao Shen said calmly.

De Laurentiis and Marino looked surprised.

Understand him? Was Gao Shen planning to let Gervinho go?

The two men exchanged glances, unsure of how to interpret Gao Shen's words.

"He said he didn't like the environment in Italian football and wanted to go to Arsenal. I didn't say yes, but I told him I'd consider it."

De Laurentiis was still visibly upset. Over the past year, due to Napoli's success and Gervinho's own impressive performances, the Ivorian had become a target of racial abuse from rival fans, something that was unfortunately all too common in Italy.

Just like Gao Shen, who faced insults and derogatory comments at almost every match, racial discrimination was an ongoing issue in Italian football. The Italian Football Association often turned a blind eye to it.

Punish offenders? How? Punish the whole country? Even Napoli's own fans might get caught in the crossfire.

As much as it hurt, in many cases, tolerance was the only viable solution.

"What's your stance on this now, Gao?" Marino asked cautiously.

Gao Shen nodded firmly, "Let him go."

He had already made up his mind on the plane ride back to Naples.

There was no point in keeping a player who wanted to leave. Di Maria could replace Gervinho; this had been part of Gao Shen's plans for some time.

While Gervinho was undeniably talented, his physical limitations made him less suited to the rigorous demands Gao Shen required of his players.

"He was one of our best performers last season," Marino reminded him, trying to emphasize the weight of the decision.

"Exactly," Gao Shen replied, his tone resolute. "Which is why, even if we do sell him, we can't just give him away. Otherwise, other teams will see us as an easy target, and they'll all rush in to raid our squad. We can't allow that."

There was a real risk that if other clubs sensed Napoli's vulnerability, they would start aggressively pursuing their players.

It was like trying to guard against thieves you can't protect against them forever, but you can make it expensive for them.

"If we let teams pick off two or three players easily, Napoli will fall apart. Everything we've built over the past year will be for nothing."

Gao Shen's words carried the weight of conviction. He was determined to ensure Napoli would not be seen as a mere supermarket for Europe's elite clubs.

"Well said!" De Laurentiis praised. "If they want our players, they should pay dearly for it."

"What about replacement options?" Marino asked, still concerned.

If Gervinho left, Napoli would be left with Di Maria, Sanchez, Callejon, and Mertens on the wings. While promising, this still left the squad a bit thin.

Gao Shen had already anticipated this.

"Contact Villarreal in La Liga. They have a player named Antonio Valencia from Ecuador. He was on loan at Wigan in the Premier League last season. Wigan is negotiating to extend his loan. But I want you to buy him. The estimated price should be around 1.5 million euros."

Antonio Valencia—Manchester United fans knew him well.

Although controversial, his loyalty and commitment to Manchester United were beyond question. However, opinions on his abilities were more divided.

Ferguson brought Valencia in to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, a task that was almost impossible.

Valencia had incredible speed, similar to Ronaldo in his prime. But while Ronaldo had dazzling footwork and could cut inside with ease, Valencia was more straightforward. He preferred crossing the ball from wide positions and rarely cut inside due to his weaker left foot.

Yet, despite these limitations, he had the ability to beat defenders time and time again.

The same had been said about Arjen Robben, another one-footed winger: everyone knew where Robben was going, but no one could stop him. (Fr Fr)

There was even a saying in football that had stuck with Gao Shen: "If Valencia hadn't broken his leg, he'd have been one of Europe's top wingers."

That was the level Antonio Valencia had been capable of.

De Laurentiis and Marino had come to expect Gao Shen's eccentric decisions, but they were still a bit taken aback by this suggestion.

A player who had struggled for game time at Villarreal, loaned to Wigan, and barely a regular starter could he really replace Gervinho?

Sensing their doubts, Gao Shen smiled. "How much did Gervinho cost us?" he asked.

De Laurentiis glanced at Marino, who handled the transfers. Marino quickly recalled the figure.

"600,000 euros," Marino replied. It had been a year since they'd signed him.

"Look," Gao Shen continued, "I'm expecting to pay double that for Valencia. If you trusted me to find Gervinho for 600,000, why not trust me with Valencia at 1.5 million?"

De Laurentiis and Marino exchanged looks again. They understood what Gao Shen was getting at.

Gervinho, after all, was now being valued at 10 million euros by Arsenal.

More than a 10-million-euro price difference.

If the deal went through, Gao Shen would be entitled to 20% of that profit—2 million euros in his pocket.

That realization made De Laurentiis' heart ache. The club had borne the costs of Gervinho's development, paid his salary, provided world-class facilities, and now Gao Shen stood to benefit significantly.

De Laurentiis couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. Why had he been so generous in agreeing to that clause in Gao Shen's contract?

Initially, it had seemed like a fair punishment for any bad decisions. But now, it was turning into a costly arrangement for the club.

He tried to suppress his frustration. He knew Gao Shen was ultimately helping the club, and the profits they were generating were still enormous. But splitting 20% of the profits with Gao Shen stung.

Marino, on the other hand, was blissfully unaware of De Laurentiis' internal struggle. He was still excitedly discussing how they could push Wenger and Arsenal to increase their bid even further.

Gao Shen, De Laurentiis, and Marino continued their strategy discussions.

Gao Shen had already secured Gervinho's cooperation. The player wouldn't make any moves that would undermine the club's negotiating position. And the Ivorian winger had agreed not to pressure Napoli publicly.

With that in mind, the trio devised a plan to further inflate Arsenal's offer.

The next day, in an interview with local media in Naples, De Laurentiis casually mentioned that they had received an offer from a Premier League club but had rejected it for being insincere.

"Chelsea signed Malouda from Lyon for 20 million euros," De Laurentiis noted. "I don't think Gervinho is any worse than Malouda."

The comment sent shockwaves through Italian football.

Malouda's value was 20 million euros? Did that mean Gervinho was also worth 20 million?

De Laurentiis added fuel to the fire, revealing that three Serie A giants had also inquired about Gervinho.

"I won't say which clubs they are," he teased, "but I can confirm that they're interested in Gervinho and are in active negotiations with us."

After that, De Laurentiis claimed he had already said too much and couldn't reveal any more information.

Gao Shen chuckled when he read the interview.

Did De Laurentiis really think he was being subtle?

Everyone already knew the three clubs were Inter Milan, Roma, and Juventus. The media had reported on it for weeks.

All three clubs had expressed interest but had balked at Napoli's steep asking price.

Serie A clubs, after all, didn't have the financial muscle of their Premier League counterparts.

Juventus, for example, had just signed Iaquinta from Udinese for a little over 10 million euros. There was no way they'd spend more than that on Gervinho.

But the media jumped on the story anyway, and soon enough, rumors of Gervinho's rising value spread like wildfire.

Gao Shen and Napoli had made their high asking price known. Now, they just had to wait for Wenger and Arsenal to come back with a better offer.

As Gao Shen predicted, the pressure mounted for Arsenal. Wenger, keen to bolster his squad with the talented Ivorian winger, couldn't afford to let Gervinho slip away. Napoli's firm stance in the transfer negotiations and De Laurentiis' public comments had driven the price up, and Arsenal were now in a position where they had to make a move or risk losing the player to another club.

For Gao Shen, this was all part of the plan. He knew how to play the transfer market, and he understood that patience was a virtue. Arsenal's desperation would soon translate into a higher bid, one that would meet Napoli's expectations and allow the club to profit significantly from the sale.

Meanwhile, Gao Shen focused on the replacement strategy. Antonio Valencia, the Ecuadorian winger from Villarreal, was the perfect fit for Napoli's needs. While some doubted his abilities, Gao Shen had no reservations. Valencia's speed and strength on the right wing would provide the team with the attacking dynamism they needed to fill the void left by Gervinho.

Gao Shen's confidence in Valencia's potential stemmed from his deep understanding of the player's capabilities. He had seen what Valencia could do, and he believed that with the right guidance and development, Valencia could flourish at Napoli, just as Gervinho had.

Now, all that was left was for Arsenal to meet Napoli's asking price. Gao Shen knew it was only a matter of time before Wenger caved and raised his offer.

As he sat back and waited for the deal to unfold, Gao Shen couldn't help but smile. Once again, his strategic thinking and careful planning were paying off, not only for him but for Napoli as well.

In the world of football, it wasn't just about talent on the pitch, it was about knowing how to navigate the complexities of the game off the pitch, and in that arena, Gao Shen was proving himself to be a master.