Li Shiguang did not receive the answer he had imagined from Raiola.
After he finished speaking, Raiola's brows furrowed deeply: "Mr. Li, the possibility is very small."
"Why?" Li Shiguang asked, puzzled. "Isn't he almost crippled already?"
"There are several reasons," Raiola explained calmly.
“Adriano is very valuable. Inter Milan paid a high price to buy back all his ownership from Parma in 2004. So Moratti is unlikely to agree to sell him for too low a price before Adriano’s career is completely over. That’s the first point.”
"The second point is the player's personal choice. In the past two years, his teammates, coaches, team management and fans have all helped him a lot, which has made Adriano develop a deep affection for Inter Milan. So, unless the club explicitly says that it will give up on him, he should not be willing to leave the San Siro."
After Raiola finished speaking, Li Shiguang rolled his eyes so hard they almost flew to the sky.
Is there a magnet or something on that piece of land in Milan?
Why is it that Kaká before and Adriano now are both club members who don't want to leave?
Weren't Brazilian players supposed to be all about money and not relationships? Now they're taking the victim route?
But giving up without even trying is not Li Shiguang's style. Moreover, if Li Shiguang knew about Adriano's sure-fire deal and didn't intervene, it would be worse than killing him.
So he lowered his head and thought for a while, then told Raiola his thoughts.
“Mino, you have to help me with this! As for Moratti, I'll have Allen make an offer through the proper channels first. Then, you can help me with the persuasion of Adriano. Don't say too much, just let them know that Leeds United wants to buy him. After I've settled things with Moratti and finished this busy period, I'll go to Milan to talk to him in person!”
"Oh, Mr. Li, you've really put me in a difficult position!"
"Why is it a problem?"
"So, should I say whether I'm still going to Brazil or not?"
····
Raiola ultimately decided to make a trip to Brazil. After all, he had to play his part. But before leaving, at Li Shiguang's instruction, Raiola went to see Allen and accompanied him to the youth training base, securing Harry Kane's agency contract.
Li Shiguang acted quickly; no sooner had Raiola left than Allen sent Inter Milan an email offering Adriano for his services.
33 million euros is a rather ambiguous price.
Rumors circulated that Moratti spent approximately €27 million to buy back Adriano's remaining half of the ownership, but in reality, he only spent less than €23 million. This means that Adriano's net worth in 2004 was only around €46 million.
However, as his form deteriorated, it was only natural that his market value decreased, so Leeds United's offer was quite sincere.
But Raiola was right.
Inter Milan rejected Leeds United's offer immediately after receiving the email, and their reply contained no jargon such as the price not being commensurate with the player's value.
Their reply was just one sentence: "Sorry, Adriano is not for sale at Inter Milan."
When Li Shiguang saw the email Allen sent him in the office, he was truly speechless.
Why make it sound so high-sounding?
Not for sale?
In the world of football, there are no unsellable items. The only reason they're not sold is simply because the price isn't right.
So after training in the afternoon, Li Shiguang returned to his office and called Moratti.
····
"Hello, who is this?" A moment later, the voice of the Italian oil tycoon came through the phone.
"Hello, Mr. Moratti, I am Li Shiguang, the owner of Leeds United."
"Mr. Li?" Moratti looked at the phone with surprise, checked the unfamiliar number again, and then put it back to his ear. "Hehe, I didn't expect you to call me so soon."
“Delaying is not my style, Mr. Moratti.” Li Shiguang cleared his throat and took the initiative to talk about the main purpose of the call, “I saw the email from your club this morning, but when I asked for your private phone number, you did not refuse. Can I take that to mean that we can still discuss this business?”
“Mr. Li, you may have misunderstood me. There is no way I can sell Adriano. The reason I didn’t refuse your request is because I thought there might be room for cooperation in other areas.” Moratti smiled and closed the window for Li Shiguang to buy Adriano.
Seeing Moratti's stubbornness, Li Shiguang was too lazy to beat around the bush and said directly, "Mr. Moratti, the only reason I called you today is to purchase Adriano. As for the other aspects of cooperation you mentioned, if I may be so bold, I don't think it's necessary for the time being."
Moratti had heard from others that Li Shiguang was very assertive in negotiations.
Experiencing it firsthand today still made Moratti, who is also very wealthy, feel somewhat uncomfortable.
So he replied coldly, "If that's the case, Mr. Li, I think there's nothing more to discuss between us. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll leave now..."
"Mr. Moratti, what is your price range for Adriano?"
Before Moratti could finish speaking, Li Shiguang interrupted him.
The meaning was quite straightforward: if you want money, just say so. What kind of hero is one who hesitates and begs?
"No! You don't understand the bond between us. Adriano is extremely important to Inter Milan! It can't be measured in money!"
Upon hearing this, Li Shiguang really wanted to crack open the head of this over sixty-year-old man to see what was inside.
I know you're a sentimental person, but not to this extent. Are there any players in the world who can't be measured by money?
Perhaps! But that only applies to the players themselves!
For a club, results and profits are the only criteria for measuring its success!
Li Shiguang then said with a cold smile, "Come on, Mr. Moratti, you've owned Inter Milan for over a decade now, haven't you? After all this time, do you still think there's anything in the world of football that money can't measure? If you think my offer is too low, we can discuss it. Business is business, and back and forth is normal! But if you maintain this attitude after I've said that, then I'll have to think you might not be suited for the football industry!"
? ? ?
Li Shiguang's sharp retort left Moratti completely bewildered, unsure how to respond.
Having been over sixty years old and having managed Inter Milan for over a decade, this was the first time he'd heard someone in their thirties say they weren't suited for the football industry...
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