Major Clubs in a Frenzied Arms Race!

"What's wrong? Why do you look so gloomy?"

On June 11th, ten days after the German Cup final, Lin had just finished training at a manor in the southern part of Munich. Returning home, he saw Guardiola slumped on the sofa and couldn't help but ask.

"Bayern's club has hinted to me that they want to adjust the team's goals."

Lin pondered. Could it be that the goal has been raised to defending the Champions League title?

"When they hired me, Bayern had just made it past the group stage and hadn't even played the Round of 16. Winning the championship wasn't certain. So, Bayern hoped I could lead the team to win the Champions League. That was their highest requirement for me."

Lin nodded. This wasn't an unreasonable request, considering Bayern's strength and Guardiola's coaching ability.

"And now?"

"Now that Bayern has won the championship, the higher-ups told me they hope I can help the team transition smoothly without the pressure of defending the Champions League title."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Lin was puzzled. Although pressure could be motivating, there was only one Champions League winner each year. Across Europe, no club could confidently claim they'd win the trophy. If Bayern had set the goal of defending the title, the pressure on Guardiola would be immense. It would be like dancing with shackles, leaving little room for his own style. Guardiola was a man of great personality, and he likely wouldn't enjoy living under such pressure.

"A good thing? The higher-ups setting this goal means they won't make significant investments in the team in the coming years. The annual transfer budget will be very limited."

So it was about the transfer budget!

"How much budget did they approve for you?"

Lin was very curious about Bayern's summer transfer budget.

"30 million euros!"

Guardiola held up three fingers, looking helpless.

"You're kidding, right? That amount won't even buy Götze!"

Götze had already announced his transfer to Bayern. But because Dortmund was determined not to sell him cheaply, Bayern had to pay a 37 million euro buyout clause to bring Götze over. If Bayern's budget was really only 30 million, how would they afford Götze?

"They'll sell players to raise money. For example, your teammate Petersen at Werder Bremen has already been booked for 3 million euros."

Guardiola already considered Lin a Bayern player, so he didn't hide any inside information. Three million for Petersen was quite reasonable. Considering Werder Bremen's lineup, even if Bayern offered five million euros, Bremen would likely still pay.

"Besides Petersen, Gomez also wants to leave. After the Champions League final, he approached me to discuss his role in the team. I told him I would continue using Mandzukic as the main striker, so Gomez expressed his desire to transfer. I agreed and let him find a new club. He's probably already negotiated the terms, just waiting for the transfer window to open."

Guardiola wasn't very good at using traditional center forwards and didn't rely on them much. He only appreciated a good center forward after experiencing the lack thereof, coinciding with the arrival of a player named Haaland. Even if Gomez hadn't requested a transfer, Guardiola would likely have sold him. Mandzukic, a key player in the Champions League win, might also struggle to secure a starting spot under Guardiola's tactics.

Lin nodded. This aspect seemed unchanged. Gomez's new club would likely be Fiorentina in Serie A, offering 20 million euros, with 16 million upfront and 4 million in installments. This was very cheap for a forward of Gomez's caliber. Bayern showed class in handling transfers of key players, not sticking too strictly to transfer fees. 

But it still wasn't much money. Petersen's 3 million plus Gomez's 16 million, along with the original 30 million, totaled 49 million euros. After deducting Götze's 37 million, they'd have only 12 million left. What could 12 million buy in the transfer market? Probably only a young talent under 20, and not a particularly outstanding one. To buy a prime star, they'd have to sell more players.

"Bayern's midfield is a bit crowded. I plan to clear out some players. Between Gustavo and Martínez, I prefer Martínez."

This implied that Gustavo would be sold. The Brazilian had played very few matches this season, appearing only twice in the league. His departure was unsurprising to Lin. Given Gustavo's age and ability, he could fetch around 15 million euros on the market. This would give Guardiola about 27 million euros to work with, enough for a decent player.

"If we didn't buy Götze, I'd have 65 million euros to try and bid for Busquets," Guardiola sighed, genuinely admiring the young player. Busquets was excellent in both attack and defense and had a sharp mind, capable of tricking opponents when needed. Compared to Busquets, Götze was younger but not Guardiola's preferred type. Without Lin, Götze was a good choice. But with Lin, the transfer seemed redundant. Götze was good but overlapped with Lin's position. If Bayern had a large budget, spending 37 million on Götze would be fine. But with limited funds, spending 37 million on Götze made Guardiola unhappy.

Lin quietly thought to himself: Was his 30 million signing bonus included in this year's transfer budget? If so, he might be the reason Guardiola had no money for new signings...

---

On July 1st, the transfer window officially opened. Having already agreed to all conditions, Barcelona eagerly announced Neymar's transfer. Barca spent 57 million euros to bring the highly anticipated star from Brazil. Neymar's addition further strengthened Barca's wings, and people were eager to see his chemistry with Messi. 

With Barca making the first move, their league rivals Real Madrid couldn't sit still. Real Madrid first signed Isco for 30 million euros, then announced the 32 million euro transfer of Real Sociedad's star Asier Illarramendi. Barca spent 57 million, while Real Madrid spent 62 million, showing no fear in spending money. But the biggest deal was yet to come. Real Madrid was in talks with Tottenham's winger Gareth Bale, potentially breaking transfer fee records.

As clubs bought players, they also sold them. After sacking Mourinho, many of his signings were sold. Özil joined Arsenal for 50 million, Higuain moved to Napoli for 37 million, and players like Callejón and Albiol also left. Kaka, who left Real Madrid as a free agent, returned to AC Milan for free.

After La Liga's big moves, other top clubs couldn't wait any longer. PSG from Ligue 1 spent 64 million euros to sign Napoli's star Cavani. Monaco also joined the race, spending 60 million euros on Atlético Madrid's Falcao and 45 million euros on Porto's James Rodríguez.

In the Premier League, Manchester's two clubs also made moves. With Middle Eastern investment, Manchester City spent over 100 million euros on Fernandinho, Jovetić, Negredo, and Navas. Manchester United spent 32 million euros on Fellaini.

---

One multi-million euro transfer after another made this year's transfer market several times crazier than last year's. But in the Bundesliga, especially at Bayern, things were quiet. They hadn't announced any new signings, not even Götze's confirmed transfer. This unusual silence raised eyebrows.

Bayern's general manager Hoeneß felt the pressure and reported to club chairman Rummenigge, "We promised Götze a starting position and playing time. But if we sign Lin, their positions overlap, and we can't guarantee Götze's playing time or starting spot."

Hoeneß implied they could only choose one of the two players. Rummenigge was troubled. Bayern had been in talks with Götze for a long time, offering attractive terms to secure the Bundesliga star. With Götze's transfer already announced, backing out would cause major issues. Bayern's reputation was at stake, and 37 million for Götze was a bargain. His performance in the league and Champions League was undeniable.

But Lin was also exceptional, even better than Götze! Leading a weaker Werder Bremen to the German Cup victory and eliminating Bayern twice, Lin's achievements were impressive. Could Bayern deny his abilities?

"Can we renegotiate with Götze's side? We could promise fair competition within the team," Rummenigge suggested. He didn't want to lose Lin, fearing they'd never get another chance to sign him for free.

"Okay, I'll talk to his agent, but I doubt they'll agree. Götze was the core at Dortmund and is already compromising by joining us as a starter. Asking for more is difficult."

Rummenigge nodded, aware of the slim chances but still asked Hoeneß to try. Meanwhile, he called Sammer to negotiate with Lin, checking if he'd accept a substitute role. Bayern, a top club, played many matches yearly, allowing plenty of playtime even for substitutes.

But would Lin accept? The answer was no. Hearing Sammer's offer, Pere immediately refused, "Mr. Sammer, considering Lin's performance in the Bundesliga, suggesting he be a substitute is absurd."

Sammer agreed it was ridiculous. Lin set Bundesliga records with 42 goals and 21 assists last season. No top player would accept a substitute role. But with Bayern's task at hand, he pressed on, "Mr. Pere, Lin is only seventeen. Playing as a starter at Bayern is unusual."

Using Lin's age against him didn't work. Pere replied, "Many top clubs in the major leagues are willing to guarantee Lin a starting position and playing time. If Bayern insists, we'll move elsewhere."

Knowing Pere's words were true, Sammer couldn't push further and returned to report to Rummenigge. Ho

eneß had similar results. Götze refused fair competition, angered by Bayern's talks with Lin. With Götze's transfer already public, there was no turning back. Returning to Dortmund was impossible, given the extreme fans burning his jerseys outside his home.

Rummenigge was speechless: Götze's situation was indeed dire.

(End of Chapter)

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