Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 126

126: Headhunting

Less than an hour after Hyungmin received the news from Helena.

The Burnley board of directors and football director Jonathan Landris were urgently summoned and were racking their brains in the meeting room.

“They probably have a few ideas in mind.”

Jonathan, who was almost completely outmaneuvered by top clubs, especially Chelsea, in the previous summer transfer market, slowly counted his fingers and continued.

“First of all, they probably didn’t think Kim would actually come mid-season. But just in case, apart from Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool and Pep Guardiola of Manchester City, they’re probing the young manager who’s leading Burnley, a team that was considered weak, to the best performance in the Premier League.”

The first finger was bent.

“Even if he doesn’t come, if they can shake Kim’s mind and interfere with a manager of a team ranked higher than Chelsea, that’s two.”

The second finger was bent.

“If they can expose the news to the media and shake up the squad and fans, that’s three.”

The third finger was bent.

“After being exposed to the media, Kim will be linked every time clubs sack their managers, so in terms of long-term interference, that’s four.”

After bending the fourth finger.

“And finally, Burnley has to take some action to keep Kim, and that action usually leads to contract renewal and salary increase, so in terms of shaking Burnley’s finances, that’s five.”

Jonathan summarized his thoughts, bending his thumb last.

The board of directors looked shocked at Jonathan Landris’s statement, which examined Chelsea’s motives in five different ways.

“No matter how great they are… do you think they really thought that far ahead and proceeded with this?”

Jonathan shrugged at John Banaskiewicz’s trembling voice.

“They may have only thought of a few of these, or I may be overinterpreting.”

Jonathan Landris looked around at the directors and sighed.

“But the problem is that these five things have already happened or will happen to us.”

Unsurprisingly.

The next day, the headlines of every media outlet in the UK that covered sports even slightly were speculative articles about Hyungmin’s potential appointment as Chelsea’s manager.

Another countermeasures meeting continued the following day.

“Anyway, I think it would be good for us to review Kim’s salary system and extend his contract to quell the rumors.”

The directors all nodded at Jonathan’s words.

Jonathan, who was explaining while opening his laptop to find something, tilted his head and said.

“Ah, but I don’t have any data related to Kim’s salary or contract. I think it’s because the contract was signed before I took office, but who handled the contract?”

Mike Garrick and John Banaskiewicz looked at Helena at the same time.

“Helena?”

Mike Garrick called her, who was burying herself in her chair as if trying to sink under the table, her face getting lower and lower.

“Yes? Ah, yes. Hyungmin’s contract.”

Helena said reluctantly, as if she had been paying attention to something else.

“Well, I can review the detailed contract details and bonus system again, so let’s just decide on the overall structure here. First of all, how is Kim’s weekly wage set?”

Helena answered something quietly to Jonathan’s words.

“Uh, Helena. I couldn’t hear you well.”

“Hyungmin’s weekly wage is… 3,000 pounds.”

This time, Mike Garrick and John Banaskiewicz, who were sitting next to Helena, also tilted their heads.

“Haha, I think my ears are getting worse as I get older.”

John Banaskiewicz said with a smile.

“Could you please say it again? Strangely, I can’t hear the amount well…”

“It’s 3,000 pounds! 3,000 pounds!”

The other three people sitting in their seats tilted their heads at Helena’s shout.

“Uh, are my ears still bad? I clearly heard 3,000 pounds…”

This was John Banaskiewicz, who still had a good-natured smile on his face.

“That’s strange. I’m sure it’s 30,000 pounds, but I heard 3,000 pounds.”

Jonathan Landris said with a puzzled expression.

“…Could it be…”

Mike Garrick turned pale.

“He said he didn’t want it! He said to use that money to sign players!”

Helena protested, her face slightly red as if she was a little embarrassed.

“Are you kidding me right now! The weekly wage of the club’s key figure is lower than that of the youth players?!”

Jonathan Landris’s shocked and angry shout.

For some reason, the three directors present heard the words ‘Please raise my weekly wage too!’ echoing in their ears.

***

The rumors and speculations about Hyungmin, who had suddenly risen to the top of the odds for Chelsea’s new manager, subsided with the news that he had signed a new 3-year + 1-year contract with Burnley Football Club.

Of course, even with a 1,000% increase, Hyungmin’s weekly wage still formed the bottom tier compared to other Premier League managers.

However, the Burnley board of directors and football director Jonathan Landris were relieved to have confirmed the manager’s willingness to stay at Burnley through the renewal and duration of the contract.

And Hyungmin, who led the team without paying attention to such offers, rumors, and speculations, defeated 4th division Scunthorpe in the FA Cup 3rd round and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals 2-1 respectively, and drew against Leicester in the Premier League 18th round, showing that he was not paying attention to such rumors.

“…Was he really not interested?”

The first team’s meeting room, where the results of the 0-0 draw with Leicester were being analyzed.

In the chaotic atmosphere after the result analysis was completed in the meeting room where only Hyungmin and the first team coaching staff were gathered, Taejin asked Hyungmin.

Paulo Morais, who looked like he was curious but couldn’t bring himself to ask, and Carolina, who had already had a similar conversation in the first half of the season, watched with interest, while Hyungmin fixed his gaze on the air and pondered for a moment.

“Well… it would be a lie if I said I wasn’t interested at all.”

“Hoo…”

Paulo Morais exclaimed quietly next to him, while Hyungmin looked at Taejin as if he had sorted out his thoughts.

“But I thought it was right not to go.”

“What’s the reason?”

In fact, Taejin, who had known Hyungmin for much longer than Carolina and was not officially affiliated with Burnley, was the one who could ask the question.

Hyungmin hesitated to answer his high school classmate’s question, but after confirming the gazes of Carolina and Paulo Morais, who were looking at him as if waiting, he realized that an explanation was necessary.

Generally, when a manager of a top European league moves, the coaching staff also moves with him.

It’s not always the case, but when you take over a new club, having a coaching staff that works well with you can reduce trial and error, and conversely, even if you are sacked, the existing coaching staff is often pushed out as the newly appointed manager brings in his own coaching staff.

Neither Carolina nor Paulo Morais had ever said they wanted to go to Chelsea, but he wanted to explain because he realized that his decision would affect them in some way.

“There are… maybe three reasons?”

“What are they?”

“First of all, I didn’t want to leave the Burnley project in this state.”

The three people who were listening to Hyungmin all nodded as if they understood.

Last season, he took over Sean Dyche’s team and won the FA Cup and soared to 6th in the league.

And then, in the summer transfer market, he received significantly less financial support compared to other clubs, but he was able to wield practical full authority in player selection together with Jonathan Landris.

The young team that had been reorganized in this way was just getting on track, and they were in the Europa League round of 16 and 4th in the Premier League, so it was a shame to leave here.

“Then what’s the second reason?”

Hyungmin shrugged at Paulo Morais’s question from the side.

“The second reason is that even if I leave, Chelsea is ambiguous.”

“Ah…!”

Chelsea rose to the ranks of prestigious clubs under Roman Abramovich, but Chelsea has been notorious for having a lot of internal conflict and instability, both in the past and now.

The recruitment of famous players who suit the owner’s taste rather than the manager or football director, and the bloated squad as a result.

Veterans who are recognized as more important than the manager, and who are notorious for disobeying or slacking off at every opportunity.

After forcing them to create a masterpiece by giving them parts that the manager didn’t want in the first place, they immediately sack the manager if the work doesn’t come out as expected, which is a very unreasonable measure.

Chelsea’s success in the Premier League and European stage has been overshadowed by the fact that there are actually many managers and players who have been brutally sacrificed behind Chelsea’s glory.

It is very different from Manchester City or Liverpool, who have been building and maintaining the squad and working together on transfers and releases with the manager for a long time to create a project.

Moreover, it has only been 6 months since Todd Boehly took office as the new owner, so it is impossible to confirm what kind of tendencies he has.

“Then what’s the last reason?”

“Can I really do well even if I go to a big club? Honestly, I’m not very confident yet.”

Hyungmin answered honestly to Carolina’s question.

“That’s a bit…”

Hyungmin shrugged at Carolina, who was slurring her words.

“Am I being too timid? But what can I do? That’s who I am. I’m still in the process of learning and growing. If so, I think Burnley, where I’m involved from the beginning and creating a project, is better than Chelsea, where all sorts of dirty things are hidden under the bright lights.”

Whether it’s conservative, timid, or wise.

Hyungmin tried to smile at the gazes of the three people looking at him.

“Okay, anyway, Chelsea has been rejected, and it’s a gone story, so let’s talk about something more important.”

After it was announced that Hyungmin had signed a contract renewal with Burnley and rejected the Chelsea managerial position, Roberto Mancini, who had resigned from the Italian national team managerial position after being eliminated from the World Cup and was living as a recluse, was the number one candidate for Chelsea’s new manager.

While rumors that detailed contract terms were being discussed were widespread, Hyungmin focused the coaching staff’s attention on the upcoming game.

“Paulo is probably going to be terrible now. I’m sick of them too.”

The middle-aged Portuguese coach smiled and shook his head at Hyungmin’s words.

The next game is the Carabao Cup semi-final.

They can win the Carabao Cup if they win just two more games, but unlike Chelsea, who were in a mess due to the aftermath of the manager’s dismissal, the next opponent is not easy.

First of all, the head-to-head record that Hyungmin has recorded since taking over as Burnley’s manager is 2 wins and 2 losses, which looks even on the surface.

However, last season, they were aiming for a quadruple [winning four major trophies in a single season], but they missed most of the championship trophies that were in their hands after being caught by the ankle, and Burnley interfered at crucial moments twice.

First, the Carabao Cup, where they finished as runners-up after being pushed by Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds.

Then, the FA Cup, where they were eliminated after being caught by Burnley in the semi-finals.

And decisively, in the final Premier League game, where they would have secured the title on their own with just a draw, they were properly hit by Burnley and pushed to runners-up in the Premier League.

Of course, they saved face by winning the coveted European Champions League, but it was impossible to deny that Burnley had become a thorn in their side in the process of failing to win the quadruple that would go down in history.

Thanks to this, they are determined to win all the trophies this season, and they are one of the absolute top 2 in the Premier League, with one of the best managers in Europe adding one of the best squads in Europe and one of the best strikers in Europe.

Burnley’s next opponent was Manchester City.