Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 47

47: Ready to Leap Again

Jonathan Landris explained Abdou Diallo’s recent match records and contract situation, which he had displayed on the screen.

“In his first season after transferring to PSG, he played in 16 games, and in his second season, he played in 22 games, solidifying his position as a rotation player. However, after Mauricio Pochettino took over as manager in the 2020/21 season, he was completely excluded from the plan. He only played in one game throughout the first half of this season…”

“…Didn’t he?”

Jonathan Landris grinned at Helena’s question.

“The problem is that his contract expires in June next year.”

“Ah… !”

“In a situation where he doesn’t get a chance to play like this, the player will never renew the contract, so PSG is forced to release him at a bargain price. Well, from the perspective of the Qatari government, which owns PSG, the money they spent to recruit him is just pocket change.”

John Vanaskowitz, who was listening to Jonathan Landris’ explanation, raised an objection.

“He’s going to be a free agent in six months, and you want to pay money to sign him now?”

Jonathan Landris shook his head at John Vanaskowitz’s point.

“If we participate in the free agent recruitment battle, we will never be able to bring him in. Famous clubs have already caught wind of it and started to move. We have to move quickly in this kind of situation.”

“How much do they want for the transfer fee?”

Jonathan Landris answered Helena’s question.

“I contacted PSG unofficially, and it seems like they will respond to negotiations for around 2 million pounds. I also talked to the player’s agent, and I confirmed that he is willing to play for Burnley under Kim’s leadership.”

“What about the salary?”

“It’s the same as or even slightly less than our main center backs, James Tarkowski and Ben Mee.”

While the board members were lost in thought, Hyungmin received a nod from Jonathan Landris and took over.

“I agree with the idea that we need to reorganize our squad as a whole, and I also agree with recruiting promising players under the age of 23 with sufficient potential. It’s a shame that we’re not renewing contracts with James and Ben, but it’s also burdensome for us to bear their rising weekly wages, and I also agree with the idea of significantly lowering the age of the squad.”

Hyungmin briefly moistened his throat with the water cup in front of him.

“But I think it would be a mistake not to seize this opportunity. He’s only 25 years old! He can take charge of our defense for the next 3-4 years, and 28 years old is the peak age. Even if we sell him again, we can get more than 2 million pounds. If we do well, we might even get 20-30 million pounds.”

“Well, we had to find replacements for Ben and James anyway.”

As Mike Garlick effectively agreed, John Vanaskowitz nodded in agreement with his opinion.

Now, the eyes of the people gathered in the conference room turned to Helena, who held the purse strings.

Helena shook her head from side to side, ran the calculator in her head, and finally nodded.

“Okay. The transfer fees we received from Jack Cork and Erik Pieters’ transfers will mostly cover the transfer fee to sign Abdou Diallo, and the weekly wages should be sufficient with the allowance created by those two leaving.”

“…It’s Diallo, not Dailo, but thank you anyway.”

As Jonathan Landris politely corrected her, Hyungmin and Arthur next to him shouted ‘Alright!’ and exchanged high fives.

Helena smiled as she looked at the warm atmosphere spreading in the conference room.

“So, how many times did the people here practice this scenario to persuade me alone?”

“Cough, cough!”

Everyone, including Mike Garlick and John Vanaskowitz, avoided Helena’s gaze.

***

Less than a day after finalizing the final board meeting to prepare for the winter transfer market in a warm atmosphere.

The faces of the club’s management and key personnel, who had gathered again, were dark.

Newcastle, which had been struggling in the relegation zone this season, was acquired by the PIF [Public Investment Fund] consortium in October after the Premier League’s owner and director eligibility test was completed.

It was only natural that the enraged executives of the remaining Premier League clubs, excluding Newcastle, requested the Premier League Secretariat to impose strong restrictions on financial support from outside sources at a meeting convened by them.

The regulations, passed with 18 clubs in favor and 1 club against, succeeded in significantly restricting Newcastle’s financial power.

Of course, in order not to fall into the self-contradictory trap and grab their own ankles, the limit was to lower the PIF consortium’s investment from 1 billion pounds to about 500 million pounds.

Nevertheless, Newcastle’s new owners began to undertake the task of reorganizing the club one by one.

First, Newcastle, which had dismissed existing manager Steve Bruce, appointed Eddie Howe, a British national, as manager.

Manager Eddie Howe is a renowned manager who led the small club AFC Bournemouth, which had been struggling in the relegation zone of the 4th division, to the 1st division, the Premier League, while leading them to three promotions in seven years, and as a bonus, led them to survive in the Premier League for five consecutive seasons.

Now, one of the most promising young managers in the Premier League, along with the new owners, began to properly wield that enormous financial power to reorganize the Newcastle squad in earnest in the first transfer market.

“Is there no way to stop this?”

Technical director Jonathan Landris frowned as he answered Helena’s question.

“We can’t intervene because they triggered the buyout clause [a pre-set fee that allows a player to move clubs if met]. The conversation has moved directly between the opposing team and the player. For reference, the buyout clause is the amount that the other party must agree to sell without further price negotiations. Chris had a buyout clause…”

Before the transfer market even opened, Newcastle completed the signing of Kieran Trippier, the main right back for the England national team, from Atletico Madrid, the champion of the Spanish Primera Liga [Spanish top division] last season.

Of course, Kieran Trippier was now 31 years old, so the transfer fee itself was not that high.

However, the football world was shocked by the fact that a player of the England national team’s starting level had joined a team in the relegation zone of the Premier League.

While the media was making a fuss about the huge salary and additional conditions that Newcastle was expected to have offered Kieran Trippier, Newcastle, which had publicly stated that it would reinforce at least one defender, midfielder, and striker, turned its attention to the attacking position this time.

Newcastle’s radar picked up Chris Wood, Burnley’s central striker, who had recorded a whopping 15 goals and 1 assist in 19 games in the first half of the season, and who they vividly remembered scoring against them recently.

He is a Premier League-level striker and recorded 16 attack points in 19 games in the first half of the season, but since there is even a buyout clause of only 25 million pounds, there is no need for transfer fee negotiations.

The people gathered in the conference room could easily guess that they were excited and immediately triggered the buyout clause.

“If it’s moved on to negotiations with the player, can’t we persuade Chris Wood directly?”

“Honestly… Newcastle is a bigger club than Burnley in itself. And with Saudi Arabia’s financial power, we have almost no offer that we can make to Chris.”

Mike Garlick answered Helena’s question in a gloomy voice.

“I’m the one who joined after the acquisition, so it’s a bit much to say this… But it’s really a damn money game.”

Mike Garlick and John Vanaskowitz smiled bitterly at Helena’s words.

Mike Garlick, who took office as the owner of his hometown team, Burnley Football Club, in the rural north of England in 2012, had worked hard to grow the club with renowned manager Sean Dyche for eight long years without even receiving a salary.

And that effort was rewarded by spending 6 of the last 9 seasons in the Premier League.

Of course, people always said that Sean Dyche played football that focused on strong lines and solid defense.

Uninteresting, passive defensive football.

But what they don’t realize is that Sean Dyche doesn’t want to play that kind of football.

Sean Dyche also had the ability to show a much more dynamic and exciting game if he had world-class players from top-tier clubs like Manchester City or Liverpool.

Even the squads of mid-tier clubs like Leicester or West Ham were rated as much richer and more capable than Burnley’s.

However, in order to survive in the Premier League with a small club like Burnley, with limited finances and limited resources, they had no choice but to focus all their attention on survival, even if it was rough and clumsy.

Mike Garlick sold the club to an outside investor in order to provide more support to the manager who had suffered with limited players and limited resources through such years of endurance.

But that came back in less than a year to almost completely losing the financial foundation that had been built up with eight years of blood and sweat.

The reason for selling the club to ALK Capital was to avoid being pushed back in this kind of financial power struggle, but ALK Capital went bankrupt and fell out.

Now, the Cartwright Fund had come in and was struggling to normalize the bad assets together, so it was understandable that he felt empty.

“Anyway, it’s right to assume that Chris is leaving. And I have no intention of holding on to a player who wants to leave.”

As Hyungmin coldly spoke after glancing at Mike Garlick and John Vanaskowitz’s empty expressions, the people gathered in the conference room exchanged glances, slightly surprised by the manager’s cold reaction.

Hyungmin, conscious of their gazes, added more softly.

“And I don’t think it’s our job to hold on to a player who wants to play on a bigger stage. What’s important here is to quickly find a replacement when Chris leaves. If we receive a transfer fee, how much of that money can we reuse?”

Jonathan Landris answered Hyungmin’s question.

“If it’s even 1 pence short of 25 million pounds, they will refuse, saying that the buyout clause was not paid, so either 25 million pounds comes in or Chris doesn’t leave, only one of the two can be established.”

Helena took Jonathan Landris’ words.

“It was an unexpected profit anyway. I will approve up to 80% of the incoming funds to be used. Of course, Chris’s weekly wage will be paid to the new recruit as is.”

Hyungmin, Arthur, and Jonathan Landris nodded slowly.

Jonathan Landris, who exchanged glances between the three, spoke to the board of directors on behalf of them.

“If possible, it would be good to recruit young prospects from a long-term perspective, but since the situation is what it is, we may have to recruit players who can contribute immediately. I’m sorry, but this time, we will temporarily not consider the standard of being under 23 years old and select candidates.”