Morse is anxious, especially after seeing Deisler score another goal in the last round. With the winter transfer window approaching, if Deisler continues to maintain this good form, he may have more competitors.
After his last conversation with Li Shiguang, Morse immediately approached Newbauer to express his desire to buy Deisler. He also promised that if Newbauer could persuade Deisler to put some pressure on Leeds United regarding the transfer, Liverpool would pay him a substantial commission upon successful acquisition of Deisler. This was why Newbauer was so eager to find Deisler and tell him that Liverpool wanted to buy him.
After the Leeds United vs. Arsenal match last week, Morse called Newbauer again, implying that he needed to reach at least a verbal agreement with the player within two weeks at most, otherwise the promised commission would be off the table.
So on Monday, when he had a day off, Neubauer came to Deisler's apartment again and tried to persuade him, which made Deisler, who had temporarily put the matter out of his mind, worry again.
Although the depression had been cured of him with the help of the recovery card, his indecisiveness was something the recovery card couldn't cure. So, during the training these past few days, Deisler, who was always thinking about things, started to get distracted again, just like last week.
Li Shiguang knew perfectly well that Liverpool must have contacted the player privately, and judging from Deisler's expression, the price they offered must have been quite high; otherwise, he wouldn't be so conflicted.
From Li Shiguang's perspective, he never refuses to sell any player as long as the price is right. The huge advantage brought by information asymmetry and the system means that his team will basically never have a situation where there is no one to replace a player after selling him; he can always find new, or even stronger, replacements.
With the match against Tottenham on Saturday, after much deliberation, he decided to have a talk with Deisler. So, after training, he called Deisler to his office.
After pouring Deisler a glass of water, Li Shiguang got straight to the point: "Sebastian, I don't want to beat around the bush. To be honest, your performance in training these past few days hasn't been very good, but I haven't heard the team doctor report any problems with your physical condition. So, can I ask you about the specific reasons?"
Upon hearing Li Shiguang's question, Deisler, who had just been leaning back on the sofa, immediately sat up straight. From the slightly surprised expression on his face, it was clear that he hadn't expected Li Shiguang to directly point out that there was a problem with his recent performance.
Deisler didn't reply immediately. Instead, he frowned and picked up the water glass he had just put down. He was conflicted. He didn't want to deceive anyone, especially Li Shiguang. But his personality made him unsure how to explain the situation.
Li Shiguang didn't urge him, but just quietly watched Deisler, who was caught in a dilemma, and waited for his answer.
After a long pause, Deisler put down his water glass and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Boss, a club has contacted my agent. They want to buy me."
After saying that, Deisler deflated like a punctured balloon and slowly leaned back on the sofa, but his tightly clasped hands betrayed his nervousness.
But contrary to his expectations, Li Shiguang's expression did not change after hearing these words, as if he had known all along.
Is it Liverpool?
Deisler looked at Li Shiguang in surprise, thinking to himself: So the boss knew all along?
"Don't be nervous, Sebastian. Strictly speaking, you didn't break any rules. Liverpool contacted me first and made a formal offer for you, but I rejected it. Your performance since joining Leeds United this season has been remarkable. You are a crucial part of my squad, so why would I sell you so easily?"
Seeing Li Shiguang's gentle attitude, Deisler's tense mood eased, but before he could reply, Li Shiguang changed the subject again: "So what about you, Sebastian? Do you want to leave?"
Li Shiguang's sudden straight shot caught Deisler off guard, but after hesitating for a moment, he decided to speak his truest thoughts.
"Boss, I have to admit that getting direct entry into the Champions League would give me a better chance of being selected for the German national team. You know, next year is the World Cup year... Besides, Liverpool offered me a very high salary!"
Li Shiguang certainly knew that no footballer could resist the allure of the World Cup, especially since Germany would be the host country next year. It was understandable that Deisler wanted more opportunities to perform in European competitions and compete for a place in the German national team. Moreover, considering the timeline, his injury recovery card would expire after the World Cup. If Deisler's depression flared up again by then, Morse would probably be furious.
So after thinking for a moment, Li Shiguang gave Deisler a reply: "Well then, Sebastian, I understand your thoughts. In principle, I won't stop you. You can have your agent contact Liverpool, and as long as they can make a sincere offer, I will let you go. But there's one thing I need to remind you: you are still a Leeds United player. I hope to see a normal you on the training ground tomorrow. Otherwise, I will keep you on the bench until the winter transfer window opens. Do you understand what I mean?"
Hearing that Li Shiguang wouldn't stop him from leaving, Deisler finally felt relieved. He repeatedly assured Li Shiguang that he could fulfill his request and thanked him before leaving Li Shiguang's office.
ยทยทยทยท
Newbauer was indeed a very proactive agent. After receiving Deisler's call, he immediately conveyed Li Shiguang's agreement to release him to Morse. So, around 4 p.m., Li Shiguang, who was about to leave work, received another call from Morse.
As before, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Morse got straight to the point, raising his offer by 1 million euros to 16 million euros to acquire Deisler.
Just when Morse thought Li Shiguang would happily agree to the price, Li Shiguang proposed another way of trading, which surprised Morse.
Because a sly glint flashed in Li Shiguang's eyes on the other end of the phone, and then he said, "I don't want money, I want you to exchange people for me!"
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