Gu Ran immediately said: "Coach! This is a good thing! If Southampton wants to go further, they really need to strengthen their lineup."

Coach Adkins smiled and said, "Yes, and this is all thanks to you. Without you leading the Southampton team, the club's top management would not be willing to add additional transfer funds."

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Then what is your question, coach?"

Coach Adkins said: "You are the core of the team. As long as you don't leave Southampton, I can boldly build the team around you."

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Don't worry, coach. My goal is to bring Southampton back to the Premier League, so I will never leave before Southampton returns to the Premier League."

This is not only to hone himself in the Southampton team, but also to obtain shares and control of the Southampton club.

It is much more cost-effective to buy Southampton shares bit by bit at this time than to buy Southampton shares after Southampton becomes a Premier League team.

Coach Adkins naturally didn't know about this. When he heard Gu Ran confirm that he would not leave the team, he was as happy as a child. "Haha! That's great! Gu! I knew you would not abandon us when Southampton needed you the most! By the way, what position do you think we should strengthen the most now?"

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Coach, this doesn't seem like a decision I should be involved in, right?"

Coach Adkins smiled and said, "Of course, this is not your job, but you are the core. I don't want to waste the transfer money. At least it has to be to your liking."

Gu Ran thought for a while, "In fact, Southampton needs to strengthen in many aspects, such as the forward line, midfield, and defenders, but the priority is the defensive midfielder. The left back also needs to be strengthened, but we still have Luke Shaw. Luke Shaw accompanies me in training every day. I guess he will be able to play next season."

Coach Adkins was surprised and said: "Really? I'm not sure about that... I mean, Luke Shaw is too young, right?"

Gu Ran smiled and said, "If he is trained well, Luke Shaw can become a world-class left-back."

Coach Adkins said excitedly: "Okay, I will pay close attention to Luke Shaw next! We can put the left-back issue aside for now. Aren't you also capable of playing the defensive midfielder position you mentioned?"

Gu Ran said: "Yes, but sometimes, I have to sprint back and forth, so I need a beast waist to fill my position, protect me, and help me do the dirty work."

Coach Adkins agreed, "That's right! If we play mainly in a 4231 formation, we will indeed need two defensive midfielders, and our center is not strong enough, so having a beastly midfielder will really help us stand firm. Do you have any favorite players?"

Coach Adkins, you asked the right person.

Coach Adkins said, "I know Ward. He's doing really well. OK, I'll promote him to the first team when I get back."

Gu Ran added: "In addition, if possible, we can try to sign Phil Jones, the young defender of Blackburn Rovers, or Moussa Sissoko of Toulouse in Ligue 1. Both of these players have strong waists. Phil Jones is very young now, and he cannot be a starter in a team like Blackburn Rovers that is about to be relegated to the Championship. But it won't be long before Phil Jones's strength is known to everyone. We can take action now and use a high-priced contract and the condition of entering the Premier League to convince Phil Jones to come to Southampton."

"As for Moussa Sissoko, it may be a little more difficult, but it is also worth a try. Moussa Sissoko is called the new Vieira by the French, but in fact Sissoko's playing style is different from Vieira. His defensive positioning is not very good, but his physical condition is superb. If you buy him now and sell him in the future when his value appreciates, you can definitely double your money."

"In fact, there is another good defensive midfielder, Jan M'Vila. This kid is very aggressive, but he also has a bad temper and is not very self-disciplined. It would be a time bomb if he was poached, so let's not consider it."

"In fact, the defensive midfielder I admire most is Chelsea's Michael Essien. Unfortunately, our team is too small and it is impossible to poach Essien, not even on loan."

"So, in summary, I think Phil Jones, who is not yet famous as a versatile player, is the best. After he is recruited, he can be directly transformed into a defensive midfielder and can be used on the spot. Of course, Manchester United must also be secretly paying attention to Phil Jones. It is very likely that as soon as we make an offer, Manchester United will raise the price. If Phil Jones's price exceeds 15 million pounds, we can give him to Manchester United and look for an opportunity to talk to Chelsea about whether we can rent Mikel Obi."

Gu Ran paused for a moment and said, "If you need my help, I can go talk to Sister NO directly."

Coach Adkins couldn't help but gasp, "Oh my God! Gu, how do you know so much? It's amazing that you know about the unknown Phil Jones, and you even know about the players in Ligue 1!"

Gu Ran quickly said modestly: "Oh, I like to read professional newspapers when I have nothing to do, so I have some understanding of the conditions of other players."

Coach Adkins immediately said, "Okay! I will recruit players according to the list you provided! Before the winter transfer window closes, I will bring you a fierce defensive midfielder who can do the dirty work!"

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Okay, coach! I'm looking forward to it!"

Coach Adkins said, "Get some rest! We'll see you at practice tomorrow!"

"Okay, coach, have a nice day too."

After hanging up the phone, Gu Ran had some ice and fire therapy, had a simple customized lunch, and then took a short rest before diving into new training.

...(End of this chapter)