Free Web NovelChapter 533: Chapter 106: Poaching Wang Shuo! Do You Want to Become a Legend?
With that, Thomas Essien briefed Wang Shuo on the intelligence he’d gathered after contacting both sides.
To put it simply, Chelsea hoped for Wang Shuo to join them during the winter break.
Ideally, they wanted the transfer completed before January 1st. That way, he could still make the last game of the Premier League’s grueling Christmas fixture list.
Specifically, the Matchday 21 fixture, Chelsea’s home game against Aston Villa.
That match was scheduled for January 2nd.
Dortmund, however, didn’t want Wang Shuo to transfer during the winter break. They hoped he would stay with the team and finish out the season.
To a certain extent, Wang Shuo’s departure from Dortmund seemed to be a foregone conclusion.
The real questions were which team he would go to next and when it would happen.
"Chelsea just lost again in Matchday 15 of the Premier League. They surrendered their spot at the top of the table, which is why they’re so desperate now."
Shen Qinghe was studying in London, so she was quite familiar with news about the Premier League.
"Chelsea’s in a tough spot right now. They’ll almost certainly have to rebuild their squad. Plus, Ancelotti’s job isn’t very secure, and the locker room is unstable."
"Ancelotti’s having problems with the players?"
Shen Qinghe shook her head. "It’s the veteran players’ contract renewals."
It dawned on Wang Shuo.
That was indeed a very thorny problem.
"Wang, what are your thoughts?" Thomas Essien asked with concern.
’With Wang Shuo’s current market value, a transfer would mean his agent would make an absolute fortune.’
’But Thomas Essien was more concerned about Wang Shuo himself.’
A warmth spread through Wang Shuo’s chest.
’At the very least, Thomas Essien wasn’t pushing him to make the transfer. He was still the same rookie agent who had taken him to trials at eighteen different clubs all those years ago.’
"The timing isn’t right," Wang Shuo said calmly after careful consideration.
’Why do all teams and players dislike transferring during the winter break?’
’Ultimately, the risk is just too great.’
’Especially for someone in my position. If I go to Chelsea now, how am I supposed to handle facing Drogba and Anelka in the locker room?’
’Am I supposed to just show up and steal their starting spots?’
’But if I don’t fight for a starting spot, then what’s the point of me going?’
’It’s like showing up for a new job, only to find the person you’re replacing is still there—and you’re not there for a handover, you’re expected to coexist. How awkward is that?’
’If Drogba wasn’t so established at Chelsea, it might be manageable.’
’But the problem is, this is Drogba we’re talking about!’
’Would he be content to sit on the bench?’
"From a technical standpoint, I don’t think I’m a good fit for the current Chelsea team either."
This was something Wang Shuo had figured out a long time ago.
’Chelsea’s midfield can’t provide me with enough support.’
’It might even be worse than Liverpool’s.’
’After I get there, will I have to become a tactical center-forward like Drogba?’
’Otherwise, wouldn’t Chelsea also have to sign a number 10? And strengthen their midfield?’
’That’s a massive project, practically a full-on rebuild.’
’If that’s the case, then Chelsea should be coming to me with a comprehensive rebuilding plan to discuss.’
’But right now, there’s nothing!’
’And more importantly, Dortmund is poised to reap the rewards in the second half of the season.’
’The league title is pretty much in the bag.’
’That’s 150 Passive Value points!’
’And then there’s the European Golden Boot. I’m on a roll right now and have already scored so many goals. If I transfer to Chelsea and my goal-scoring takes a hit, how am I supposed to compete for the Golden Boot Award?’
’That’s another 150 Passive Value points!’
Thinking about it, Wang Shuo figured the deal wasn’t worth it.
’The risk is too high, and the potential losses are too great.’
’Instead of transferring during the winter break, it would be much better to wait until next summer.’
’By then, I’ll have collected the Passive Value I’m due, and I’ll have a lot more time to integrate with the new team. Wouldn’t that be much better?’
Having thought it through, Wang Shuo had already made up his mind.
He turned to look at Shen Qinghe and saw that she was also looking at him, clearly not planning to offer an opinion.
That was just like her.
She wasn’t an expert on football, so she rarely offered her opinion on the matter.
"I don’t think a winter transfer is a good idea," Wang Shuo said calmly.
"Since Dortmund doesn’t want me to transfer, it proves the club is determined to make a serious push for trophies. I have no reason to leave at a time like this. Otherwise, what would the fans think of me? What would my teammates think?"
If the club wanted to sell him, that would be a different story.
But as it stands, Dortmund didn’t want to sell, so there’s no reason for Wang Shuo to leave mid-season.
’Chelsea?’
’At this point in my career, I’m the one choosing the club, not the other way around!’
’Other players might be terrified of missing the chance to join a top-tier giant like Chelsea, but I’m not short on opportunities like that.’
’If anything, these clubs should be waiting for me!’
’It’s just like Ronaldo at Real Madrid or Messi at Barça. If they wanted to transfer, would they ever worry about not having a club to go to?’
’So why should I take the risk?’
"I understand," Thomas Essien said, grasping Wang Shuo’s point.
...
News of Chelsea’s attempt to sign Wang Shuo quickly got out.
This was to be expected.
There weren’t many secrets in this line of work.
Of course, the media reports wouldn’t specify who brokered the deal or how the contact was made.
There was just one headline: Chelsea wanted to sign Wang Shuo for sixty million euros.
Moreover, the story came from the British Sun, a newspaper famous for its inside scoops on transfers, giving it a high degree of credibility.
Dortmund, already prepared for this, immediately issued a response to deny the rumor.
