"By the way... Mr. Li, Aveiro's villa is right next to my hotel."
The words had barely left his mouth.
All three people in the car focused their attention on Mendes.
Right next to your hotel?
Isn't this distance... a bit too close?
Li Shiguang, who was comfortably leaning back in the back seat, even sat up straight.
"You mean... the place where Cristiano and I were chatting was right next to the place where you and Ferguson were?" After the initial surprise, an inexplicable excitement appeared in Li Shiguang's eyes. "Jorge, how come I never realized you were so bold?"
Before Mendes could reply, Allen, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at Li Shiguang and asked, "Boss, do you need to go somewhere else?"
As the most loyal person in the entire Leeds United team, and someone who will always put Li Shiguang first.
Allen didn't think as much as Mendes and Li Shiguang. He only knew that the FA strictly prohibited contacting players privately outside of the transfer window, and that when his boss met with a player, the other club's head coach was right next door.
If Ferguson were to discover this by accident, it would be a significant blow to Li Shiguang's reputation.
“No need.” Li Shiguang shook his head with a smile. “It’s just that the hotel is next to the house someone bought, not at the next table. There’s no need to be so concerned.”
"There's nothing we can do about it." Seeing that Allen had some objections, Mendes quickly explained, "After all, it's not the offseason now. Given how strict Alex is with the team, if he wasn't so eager to talk to me about Cristiano's contract extension, I don't think he would have agreed to bring Cristiano along."
"Besides, Alex knows that Aveiro owns property in Nyon. Cristiano even invited him to dinner before. If I book a hotel too far from Aveiro's house, Alex will probably become suspicious."
Mendes is right. Ferguson is no novice. He's seen all the dark sides of football.
Normally, there wouldn't be any problem with these informal contract renewal negotiations even if Ronaldo were present.
If Mendes insists on finding an excuse to send Ronaldo far away, Ferguson might actually consider that possibility. After all, today is the draw for the Champions League quarterfinals, and all the most powerful figures in Europe are gathered in Nyon. Who knows where Ronaldo will be and who he'll be meeting once he's out of his sight?
Li Shiguang understood Mendes's intention in making this arrangement from the very beginning.
For Li Shiguang, being able to recruit Ferguson's most valued disciple from such a close location was undoubtedly an extremely exciting experience!
He didn't share the same worries that Allen had; instead, he felt a strange sense of anticipation.
The interior space is spacious enough.
Li Shiguang leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs: "What about Cristiano? Did you tell him you'd be meeting me tonight?"
“No,” Mendes replied immediately. “Mr. Lee, I remember you told me last time not to tell Cristiano that Leeds United wanted to sign him.”
"That's good."
Li Shiguang nodded in satisfaction.
I'm suddenly looking forward to seeing Ronaldo's expression when he sees me at home tonight...
····
Since it was still early, and also to avoid being surrounded by too many people.
Mendes did not take Li Shiguang and his two companions directly to the UEFA headquarters. After parking the car in the hotel parking lot, Li Shiguang and his companions parted ways with Mendes.
After lunch, the three of them wandered aimlessly around Nyon, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the shores of Lake Geneva.
4:30 PM.
Li Shiguang arrived at UEFA headquarters on time with Rivaldo and Allen. As soon as they stepped into the draw ceremony venue under the guidance of the staff, Li Shiguang saw Ferguson sitting in the first row chatting enthusiastically with Rijkaard sitting to his right, while Ronaldo was sitting to Ferguson's left.
Ferguson is in a good mood today.
Lately, things have been going just too smoothly for me.
In the league, Manchester United have won three consecutive games and are now behind Leeds United with 69 points. Leeds United also defeated Arsenal at home yesterday, which has relieved Ferguson and reduced the pressure on them.
In the Champions League, they defeated that annoying Portuguese player and successfully led Manchester United into the Champions League quarterfinals.
Moreover, this year's quarter-final list surprised Ferguson somewhat, as traditional powerhouses like Real Madrid and AC Milan were all eliminated from the quarter-finals.
To be honest.
Of the seven teams in the quarterfinals, only Leeds United, led by Li Shiguang, is a team that Ferguson is not guaranteed to beat.
The others.
Ferguson believes that given Manchester United's form this season, reaching the semi-finals is a sure thing!
However, none of these things made the old lord happiest.
The main reason Ferguson had a smile on his face all day was that the long-stalled contract renewal between Ronaldo and Manchester United finally had a chance to move forward!
Manchester United's performance this season has been so good and so consistent.
In Ferguson's view
The main reason is Cristiano Ronaldo.
After nearly five years of coaching, this talented young man, who used to play football in a flashy and overly elaborate way, has finally matured!
Although Ronaldo still occasionally displays some highly individualistic performances on the field, he has improved significantly compared to previous seasons.
Cristiano Ronaldo's steadily improving performance is a good thing for Manchester United.
However, the ensuing problems also gave Ferguson a major headache.
A player destined to become one of the most dazzling stars in world football is certainly not lacking in admirers.
Starting last year.
Manchester United receive inquiries about Cristiano Ronaldo almost every month. Although they have never agreed to the offer, these calls make Ferguson extremely unhappy for one or two days every month.
at the same time.
The contract renewal negotiations between Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo, which began at the beginning of last year, have been put on hold due to Mendes' exorbitant demands.
To be honest...
If it weren't for that phone call from Mendes a few days ago...
Ferguson is genuinely worried that Ronaldo will be poached by another club after this season ends...
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