At the same time in London, an elderly man with thick-rimmed round glasses and silver hair was sitting in his study, carefully reading the Yorkshire Post. He was Bates, the former Chelsea owner who had once proposed to Li Shiguang's father to acquire Leeds United.

After selling Chelsea, he did not give up investing in football, but instead turned around and acquired West Bromwich Albion, wanting to continue to make great strides in football.

As a shrewd football businessman, Bates, who already owned a Premier League club, had a keen sense of Leeds United's financial crisis and realized this was the perfect opportunity to acquire the club at a lower price. The negotiations, which were just about to enter a substantive phase, were temporarily put on hold due to the sudden passing of Li Shiguang's father.

His plan was not to immediately invest heavily after the acquisition, but rather to take over the club and maintain the status quo for a period of time. He knew that in the future British football market, clubs with a large fan base like Leeds United would become popular investment targets. He planned to resell it at a higher price then, making another substantial profit.

But now, looking at the newspaper in my hand...

Bates couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Hahaha, this Lee, he really is someone who knows nothing about football."

It seems that the team lost too many key players, which drove him to desperation. He actually signed a notorious butterfingers player. In Bates' view, this transfer was utterly foolish.

However, for Bates, this actually made him abandon the idea of ​​acquiring Leeds United before the start of the season.

The Championship season kicks off next weekend, and with Leeds United's current squad and low morale, it's unlikely they'll achieve much in the new season.

If I make a move then, wouldn't it be like getting something for free?

·······

At this moment, Li Shiguang was studying the system interface with complete concentration.

Suddenly, I received a call from my assistant, Allen.

"Boss, the offers you arranged earlier have been accepted by all the clubs. I will arrange for people to negotiate personal contracts with the players as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this news, Li Shiguang breathed a sigh of relief.

The new season is about to begin, and relying on just one goalkeeper is not enough to achieve the goal of promotion.

On the way to Manchester, Li Shiguang had already compiled a list and instructed club staff to make offers to the clubs to which these players belong.

They are Adebayor, Chiellini, Tevez, and Sneijder.

These future stars are currently undervalued, but he knows they will all deliver outstanding performances, causing their market value to skyrocket. He plans to sell them then, which should completely resolve the club's financial crisis.

After deducting Howard's €3 million transfer fee, he still has a budget of €17 million, which he must carefully manage until the winter transfer window opens.

Thanks to the system's power and his own rebirth, as long as he resolves the financial crisis and has the first transfer funds, Li Shiguang can ensure that his team is full of future talents at any time.

Now that Leeds United's offer has been responded to, all that's left is to focus on negotiating individual contracts with the players.

Once the players' issues are resolved, it's time to address the coaching.

The thought of Blackwell's round, smirking face made Li Shiguang feel nauseous. That old bastard dared to betray me. Let him run wild for a couple more days, then I'll find a reason to get rid of him.

August 7, 2004.

Elland Road Stadium.

Leeds United vs Derby County

Leeds United's first match of the new season is about to begin.

The players from both sides are already warming up on the field.

The commentator, Erre Geddi, is introducing the starting lineups for both teams.

When it was announced that Leeds United's starting goalkeeper would be Howard.

The fans in the stadium erupted in boos.

"We don't need a butterfingers!"

"Leeds United is finished. This Asian man doesn't understand football at all. How could he sign a goalkeeper who can't even hold the ball?"

"Oh my God, is Blackwell senile? How could he put Howard in the starting lineup?"

“My cousin works at the club. He heard it has nothing to do with Blackwell, but with that damn Asian guy. He actually agreed to Howard’s demand to start, and even wrote it into the contract!”

"We can't let this Asian man ruin Leeds United any further! Where's Bates? Wasn't he going to buy Leeds United? Why hasn't he made a move yet!"

"Get this Asian out of Elland Road! Leeds United don't welcome him!"

The Derby County fans, who had traveled a long way, were laughing so hard they were doubled over, watching the giant electronic screen on the pitch.

Looking at Leeds United's starting lineup, a winning start should be no problem.

Meanwhile, Bates, whom Leeds United fans were talking about, was watching the game on television.

When he heard that Howard was in the starting lineup, he also let out a gloating laugh.

In his view, Leeds United should tank for the new season.

This is good, because the worse Leeds United's performance is, the greater the advantage we will have when making a takeover bid, and the more support we will receive from the fans.

After the warm-up, the players returned to the locker room to hear the coach make final tactical arrangements.

Then, led by the referee, the players from both sides entered the field.

The Leeds United players had already heard huge boos from the fans in the players' tunnel.

The team's turmoil during the transfer window had already made the players anxious, and the huge boos and insults from Elland Road put even more pressure on them.

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