Capítulo 229: Transfer Window Opens
At one of the stands in the Etihad Stadium, Kevin De Bruyne, like the Manchester City fans present, watched the familiar figure on the pitch with some anxiety.
Scoring directly from a free kick is difficult. Even for a free-kick specialist, it's impossible to guarantee a goal every time. Lin had already scored from a free kick in a previous match, so Liverpool was surely prepared this time, making it even harder for him to score.
Lin closed his eyes, trying to recapture the feeling of that perfect free kick. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and started to move.
As Lin began to step back, the Manchester City fans in the stadium held their breath, their hearts racing.
Will he score?
Everyone wanted to ask, but no one could answer.
After stepping back about eight or nine meters, Lin focused on Liverpool's goal, then began his run-up!
Here it comes!
Everyone in the stadium, including Liverpool's goalkeeper, widened their eyes, not daring to blink for fear of missing the outcome of this crucial free kick.
With all eyes on him, Lin completed his run-up, swung his right foot, and struck the ball with force.
With a loud thud, the ball rocketed toward Liverpool's goal like a cannonball. The ball soared over the wall, rising rapidly.
In the wall, Liverpool players like Suarez, Sturridge, Gerrard, and Sterling instinctively turned to follow the ball's trajectory. It seemed to be rising too high, as if it was going to fly over the goal.
Did he kick it too high?
Many started to think so. But just as they were sure the ball would sail over the crossbar, it suddenly dipped sharply as if some magic force was pulling it down.
Here it comes!
It was Lin's signature move—the "knuckleball."
Goalkeeper Mignolet quickly crouched and dove in the direction he anticipated the ball would go.
If he didn't dive now, it would be too late!
However, as he made his move, Mignolet couldn't be entirely confident. The ball's trajectory was far from typical. If he hadn't studied Lin's free kicks beforehand, he wouldn't even know how to react.
Despite watching countless video clips and practicing with teammates, once in the game, Mignolet still felt uneasy.
Compared to his teammates' free kicks, Lin's were faster, more deceptive, and far more challenging to defend.
Mignolet stretched out his hand toward the ball's predicted path, but he touched nothing. The ball dropped faster than he anticipated, just grazing the bottom of his gloves before smashing into the net!
It went in!
De Bruyne, who had jumped to his feet, stared at the ball in disbelief as it nestled in the net. He could hardly believe his eyes.
The fans shared his shock, taking a few seconds to process what had just happened. Then, a thunderous cheer erupted throughout the stadium.
Seeing that Lin had really scored, City players went wild, rushing over to embrace him.
Once again, Lin had delivered a last-minute goal—his free kicks were nothing short of miraculous.
On the other side, Liverpool players were dejected. The three points that had seemed within reach were now reduced to just one. Their expressions were filled with frustration and resignation.
Suarez stood with his hands on his hips, helplessly watching Lin being celebrated by his teammates. A mix of emotions filled his heart. Twice he had faced Lin with his national team, and twice he had been defeated. He thought he might finally get revenge at the club level, but once again, his team fell victim to Lin's last-minute heroics.
Was it possible he would never be able to beat Lin?
As he looked at his teammates, Suarez recalled what his agent had told him before the game:
"Luis, Liverpool is not a strong team. They haven't been in the Champions League for a long time. Your teammates' abilities are limited, and staying here will only waste your time and prime years. You should move to a bigger and stronger stage, where you can chase the Champions League trophy and the Ballon d'Or."
Suarez turned to look at his teammates again, seriously considering his agent's advice.
Liverpool captain Gerrard didn't know what was on Suarez's mind, but seeing the frustration on his face, he walked over and patted him on the shoulder, offering some comfort:
"It's okay. At least we broke their perfect home record. Next time, when we're back at Anfield, we'll win for sure!"
Given Liverpool's recent strong form and improving results, Gerrard had the confidence to say such words.
Suarez nodded, but his thoughts were elsewhere: If I leave Liverpool during the winter break, can they still beat Manchester City at Anfield?
…
Although Lin's late equalizer saved Manchester City from defeat against the surging Liverpool, he didn't feel much joy.
This game, like the previous few league matches, had been exhausting—at least mentally for Lin.
"You came to watch the game? What did you think?" After the match, Lin received a call from De Bruyne, who told him he had been at the Etihad.
Being the host, Lin naturally invited De Bruyne out for a gathering.
"I've watched your matches on TV before, but this was my first time seeing one live. If you want my honest opinion, I think your team is still very strong, deserving of being the Premier League leaders."
"Cut the pleasantries. I asked you to help me find out where the team's problems are, not to hear you flattering us."
Lin knew there were issues with the team but couldn't quite pinpoint them. With De Bruyne visiting, he hoped to get an outsider's perspective.
"Alright then. I think your team's front-line attack system has some problems. Your teammates are more comfortable when you're organizing the attack from the front. Once you move up to the front line, the attack loses its edge because there's no one organizing in the midfield."
Lin thought for a moment. When he moved to the front line, the threat to Liverpool's goal indeed decreased significantly, just as De Bruyne had pointed out.
"The club is aware of this issue and plans to bring in a top midfielder during the winter break to solve it."
De Bruyne's eyes lit up at the mention of a "top midfielder." Could that be me?
"Oh, really? Who are you looking at?"
He tried to probe for more information, curious if he was a potential target.
"Real Madrid's Modric, Barcelona's Iniesta and Fabregas, and Bayern's Kroos."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Seeing De Bruyne's disappointed expression, Lin burst out laughing. "Don't worry, I've already recommended you to the club!"
Realizing he had been tricked, De Bruyne decided to turn the tables. He pretended to hesitate and said, "Although I might reluctantly agree to join City, Chelsea might not agree to let me go!"
Lin nodded. "That's true. After all, we're direct competitors in the league. Chelsea certainly wouldn't want to see us getting stronger."
Mourinho is a top coach, and he would have noticed the issues within City's squad. It made sense that he wouldn't want to let De Bruyne go.
However, De Bruyne had performed poorly under Mourinho and had been completely sidelined from the team. Mourinho might not even have a clear understanding of De Bruyne's abilities.
Perhaps Mourinho would think selling De Bruyne to City was a good idea—after all, they could make some money and prevent City from acquiring another top midfielder. Letting City bring in someone like Modric or Fabregas would be worse for Chelsea.
So Lin believed that if City offered a high enough bid, there was still a good chance Chelsea would agree to the deal.
After all, Chelsea was also looking to strengthen their squad during the winter break. Rumor had it they were in talks with Basel to bring winger Salah to Stamford Bridge. Additionally, Mourinho was reportedly trying to bring back his old favorite, Drogba, from the Turkish league to bolster Chelsea's attack, which had been a major headache for him.
All of these signings would require money, and with Mourinho's strained relationship with club owner Abramovich and manager Emenalo, his transfer budget might not be sufficient. If they didn't sell any players, there might not be enough money to buy the players Mourinho wanted.
…
The day after the match against Liverpool, Manchester City remained at home to face Crystal Palace. Thanks to Lin's goal in the 76th minute, City narrowly won the match.
With this victory, City secured the Premier League's mid-season title with a 9-point lead. After 19 rounds, they had an impressive record of 16 wins, 3 draws, and 0 losses, totaling 51 points.
This achievement set a new record in Manchester City's history, but unfortunately, they fell just one point short of breaking Chelsea's record for the best mid-season performance in the Premier League.
During Mourinho's first tenure at Chelsea, they had an incredible record of 17 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the 2005-06 season, accumulating 52 points—the highest ever for a Premier League mid-season tally. Chelsea had also used this lead to secure the league title that season.
With Chelsea's success in mind, Manchester City fans could breathe a little easier after securing the mid-season title.
City was currently 9 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal—a significant lead. Considering Arsenal's habit of collapsing in the second half of the season, City's chances of winning the league were high as long as they didn't experience an even worse collapse.
However, City wasn't without concerns. Despite winning the match, their form was still worrying. Both teams failed to score in the first half, which
was rare at the Etihad. City's attack clearly had issues, which made the fans increasingly anxious.
Chelsea, plagued by their own lack of goals, had seen their performance decline significantly this season, with Everton almost catching up to them in the league standings. If City followed in Chelsea's footsteps, the second half of the season could become very unpredictable.
For this reason, City was even more determined to strengthen the squad during the winter transfer window.
On January 1, 2014, the transfer window for Europe's top five leagues officially opened. Clubs that had already identified their targets quickly moved, waving their checkbooks to make bids.
Manchester United was the first to act. As soon as the window opened, they made a £30 million bid to Chelsea for midfielder Juan Mata.
Like De Bruyne, Mata wasn't the type of player Mourinho favored. Since Mourinho's return to Chelsea, Mata's playing time and performance had dropped significantly. This season, Mata had only played 14 games for Chelsea—10 in the league, 2 in the League Cup, and 2 in the Champions League. Out of those 14 matches, he only managed to score one goal, and that was in the League Cup, a lower-level competition.
Compared to his previous seasons as Chelsea's standout performer and the team's absolute core, Mata's current status had declined sharply. Unable to secure a regular starting position and guaranteed playing time, the Spaniard began considering a move.
To secure his spot in the upcoming World Cup, Mata didn't want to spend any more time warming the bench at Stamford Bridge, so he expressed his desire to leave.
Manchester United, needing a top midfielder after Scholes' retirement, seemed like a good destination for Mata, and the move appeared beneficial for both parties.
Mourinho didn't try to stop Mata from leaving. Instead, Chelsea's director Emenalo, acting on Abramovich's instructions, attempted to persuade Mata to stay.
After all, Mata had been a key player in helping Chelsea win the Champions League, and Abramovich had a soft spot for such loyal players. However, Mata was determined to leave, and Emenalo's efforts were unsuccessful.
After some negotiation, the two clubs finally agreed on a £37 million deal, and Mata officially left Chelsea to join Manchester United.
This transfer made sense but was still surprising. Mata had been Chelsea's star player and mainstay for several seasons, yet after Mourinho's return, he was quickly sidelined. It really was a case of "a new king ushers in new rules."
This transfer left both Lin and De Bruyne a bit worried. With Mata gone, Chelsea's midfield competition wasn't as fierce. Could this give De Bruyne a chance to play? Would it affect his potential move to City?
"Uh, do you think Chelsea will still let you go now?"
De Bruyne wasn't sure either. "I don't know. It shouldn't make much difference, right? There's still Oscar, Willian, and Hazard."
Oscar and Hazard were Mourinho's favorites. Mourinho viewed Hazard as his own Messi, practically insisting he play in every match. Oscar was also highly valued, often getting picked over Mata. Then there were players like Willian, Moses, and only then would it be De Bruyne's turn.
So, with Mata gone, De Bruyne's situation hadn't changed much.
While the two were discussing De Bruyne's transfer, Spanish outlet *AS* reported that Manchester City had made a €45 million bid to Real Madrid for their star midfielder Luka Modric.
If Real Madrid accepted the offer, it would be the highest transfer fee of the winter window. However, Real Madrid didn't hesitate to reject the offer.
Undeterred, Manchester City upped their bid to €50 million and offered Modric an annual salary of €7 million, the same amount Arsenal had paid for Özil. Many agreed that Real Madrid had overcharged Arsenal for Özil, given his current performance in the Premier League. Özil simply wasn't worth €50 million—€35 million would have been more reasonable.
Modric had only been at Real Madrid for a short time, but he was already showing signs of becoming a great player. Considering that he had joined Madrid for €35 million, seeing his value increase by €15 million in just a year and a half was quite significant.
Given Manchester City's extremely high salary offer, Real Madrid began to hesitate. Should they take the money?
"We can't let Modric go. We've just stabilized our core squad, and now is the time to push for the title. Selling him now would ruin our chances of winning the league and the Champions League," said Ancelotti, strongly opposing the transfer. As a coach, he didn't want to see his carefully constructed tactics fall apart due to the loss of a key player.
Real Madrid was doing well in both the league and the Champions League. After spending big money to bring in Bale, their goal was the Champions League trophy. It didn't make sense to sell their midfield core for a bit of extra cash.
So, Florentino made the final decision: "Reject Manchester City's offer. Also, notify Modric's agent that we need to renegotiate his contract—we'll give him a pay raise."
Modric's current annual salary was €4.5 million after taxes, and Manchester City's offer was half as much. Real Madrid couldn't just reject the offer without making some gesture in return. They needed to retain Modric not just by offering him a starting position and emotional appeals, but also by giving him a raise to ensure he didn't feel underappreciated.
Real Madrid planned to offer Modric €6 million per year, putting him in the second tier of earners at the club alongside Casillas and Ramos, just behind Ronaldo and Bale.
Modric had only been with the team for a little over a year, yet the club was already offering him a raise. Florentino couldn't help but wonder how the other players would react to this. Would they demand raises too?
The thought of this gave Florentino a headache.
"Damn City, why did they have to bid for Modric? One bid, and now our entire wage structure might collapse! Damn those oil-rich owners!"
City wasn't surprised by Real Madrid's rejection. They quickly shifted their attention to Bayern Munich's midfielder Toni Kroos.
On January 4th, Munich Daily reported that Manchester City had made a €35 million bid for Kroos.
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