The Greatest Manager of All time

Tony Benn was just about to begin transfer negotiations with Manchester City when Paul Harrison stopped him.

Harrison went to Lynn's office. It was already after working hours, and Lynn was in no mood to keep reading scouting reports.

He had just finished tidying everything up. The desk he had kicked crooked had been pushed back into place, and the shattered remains of his phone had been thrown into the trash.

Seeing Lynn's expressionless face, Harrison asked, "Are you sure you're letting Ibra leave?"

Lynn was in a foul mood and said darkly, "What, am I supposed to force him to stay and disgust me every day?"

Harrison nodded, but still said, "Fine. He goes. But this can't move too quickly. Never mind, let's talk over dinner. You're in a bad mood, and I know when you're in a bad mood, what you need most is a proper meal. My treat today."

Lynn suddenly let out a weak sigh.

No matter what else, Harrison had spent enough time around him to know him fairly well. He knew that when Lynn was unhappy, what he needed most was good food.

On the way to the restaurant, Lynn bought a new phone.

They drove to the Imperial Garden Chinese Restaurant, where Lynn found a corner table and told the owner to serve him hotpot!

Imperial Garden normally did not serve hotpot. The smell was too strong for the dining hall and would disturb other guests, while all the steam and smoke would make the dining environment worse.

But Lynn was a regular. The owner had given special instructions before: whatever Chinese food Lynn wanted, the restaurant was to find a way to make it happen!

Harrison tried to adapt to the way hotpot was eaten. He did not have much of an appetite. The important thing was to talk some sense into Lynn.

"Boss, Ibra wants to leave, and you're willing to let him leave."

"I'm not willing. Right now, I wish he'd hurry up and get the hell out! I'm sick of his arrogance, his ego, his damn attitude. He doesn't have even the slightest bit of gratitude! Not even a little! He has no idea what I put into him! Money? Fuck the money!"

Lynn ate mouthful after mouthful of hotpot lamb, only to realize that no matter how much he ate today, it still couldn't make him happy.

So this was how it felt. In the past, his unhappiness had only been over small things. When something truly serious happened, even food couldn't fix it.

Harrison scratched his head. Perhaps even he could not fully understand Lynn's current rage.

He was a public relations specialist, not a football expert. In his eyes, Charisteas and Ibrahimović might not be that different. Perhaps Charisteas simply had fewer chances to perform.

The focus of what he wanted to tell Lynn was not whether Ibrahimović should leave or not. Since they had already decided to let him go, then from the perspective of the club's and Lynn's interests, they had to handle it more beautifully.

"Boss, what are you planning to do? Sell Ibra tomorrow?"

Lynn told him about calling Walter Raleigh.

"I'll use the media to clarify the club's position. I'm not the one forcing him out. That arrogant bastard is the one who insists on leaving!"

"But if Swansea announce tomorrow that Zlatan Ibrahimović has transferred to Manchester City, Boss, what would you think if you were a fan? Would you believe what the newspapers said, or would you make your own judgment?"

The piece of lamb Lynn had just picked up with his chopsticks froze in front of him. He stared at Paul Harrison as if he had been struck by sudden clarity and blurted out, "The club sold Ibra for money."

Paul Harrison nodded solemnly. "Exactly. So yes, he can be sold! But at the very least, he can't be sold immediately. Otherwise, Manchester City make an offer today, Swansea agree tomorrow, and the day after that, we say the player wanted to leave and the club couldn't keep him? No one will believe Swansea are innocent.

"Everyone will think Swansea saw the money and opened their hands. Worse, they'll think the club is trying to push the blame onto the player! At that point, we'll never wash that suspicion away.

"So, Boss, my suggestion is to turn the negotiations into a drawn-out battle. Even if we're only arguing over one pound, we argue with Manchester City to the end. During that period, we keep expressing our stance and make the fans believe we're innocent. We were hit by another club poaching our player, and by pressure from the player himself. Only in the end did we agree to the transfer."

Lynn carefully weighed Harrison's suggestion. Finally, he nodded and said calmly, "You're right. I'll call Tony."

After saying that, he immediately called Tony and told him to delay negotiations with Manchester City. They would only respond when Manchester City took the initiative to ask again, and once negotiations began, they were to deliberately drag the process into a long tug-of-war.

That night, Lynn met Walter Raleigh at EK Bar. The two sat in a booth and talked the whole night. It was not until three in the morning that Lynn staggered home drunk, with Raleigh personally driving him back.

The next day, the previously calm city of Swansea was thrown into chaos by an article in the South Wales Argus, written by Walter Raleigh.

"Swansea Striker Ibra Longs for Manchester!"

In the article, Walter Raleigh revealed that Manchester City had submitted a £5 million offer for Ibrahimović, and confirmed that Ibrahimović had taken the initiative to ask the club for a transfer.

The Swansea club phone lines were nearly blown up.

Reporters, fans, and even players called in to ask whether the news was true.

Lynn did not go to the club that day. Reporters with connections called his mobile directly, and when he answered, he confirmed that the club had received Manchester City's offer, as well as the fact that Ibrahimović wanted to leave.

Welsh media outlets quickly followed up on the story. This was a transfer that would shake Swansea!

Once completed, Ibrahimović would become the most expensive player Swansea had ever sold.

It also meant that one of Swansea's starting strikers would leave.

Even supporters' group representative Richard Cork called Lynn to confirm the truth.

Lynn was driving his Lamborghini along St Helen's Road when he held the phone and said impatiently, "Richard, how many times do you want me to say it? If I wanted to sell him, I wouldn't sell him right now. This isn't even the time to maximize profit. But he wants to leave. He already told me clearly that Swansea is a small club and can't keep a god like him. What the fuck do you expect me to do?"

Lynn hung up the phone, then turned north at the next intersection toward the Mansel District.

Today, he was meeting Will Taylor.

Ever since the league season ended, Will Taylor had been trying to arrange a meeting with him, but Lynn had never agreed. Now, after the Ibrahimović transfer had exploded, Lynn realized that another one of his plans had to move forward as soon as possible!

He parked his car outside 411 Nightclub, then walked straight inside.

The nightclub had just been cleaned, but the air still carried the smell of smoke and alcohol.

Will Taylor was sitting on the second floor. When he saw Lynn arrive, he immediately got up and went downstairs.

Lynn found the nearest seat and sat down. He was holding a document envelope.

"Hey, Lynn. Have you had breakfast?"

Lynn looked up at Will Taylor and said flatly, "If I wanted breakfast, I wouldn't have come here looking for you. Will, let's keep this short. The reason I'm willing to cooperate with you comes down to two things.

"First, I need a partner.

"Second, you represent the Taylor family, and the Taylor family's credibility acts as a guarantee. If you step out of line, I'll settle the account directly with the Taylor family, because what I'm about to discuss with you is a major business worth at least £500 million over the next ten years."

Will Taylor's face immediately lit up. He said, "Relax. I'm absolutely someone you can trust. The friendship between our families will not be ruined in my hands. Like Uncle Philit said, I hope we can be lifelong friends."

Lynn frowned and asked, "When did he say that?"

"Uh... at a family gathering."

Will Taylor almost let something slip.

The last time he had heard Philit Taylor say something like that had been here, after Lynn and Mo Yuan had left, when Philit Taylor had said it to Alan from the Piler family.

Will Taylor had observed the situation for a while afterward and found that the Piler family had not caused Lynn any further trouble. Only then did he truly realize that Lynn was more powerful than he had imagined.

He sat down and rubbed his hands together. "So what kind of business are we doing?"

Lynn placed the document envelope on the table. Will Taylor immediately reached for it, but Lynn pressed his hand down on top of the envelope and said, "Do you actually have £30 million? Don't waste my time."

Will Taylor immediately said, "If we confirm the partnership right now, the £30 million can arrive immediately."

"Good. Take a look."

Lynn let go. Will Taylor eagerly opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of documents. He carefully looked through them, but the more he read, the faster he flipped through the pages. When he finally finished, he looked up at Lynn and asked, "Did you bring the wrong documents? These... these are all football club profiles!"

Lynn nodded solemnly. "That's right. There are profiles of five clubs here: Lens and Toulouse from France, AZ Alkmaar from the Netherlands, Braga from Portugal, and Rayo Vallecano from Spain.

"You choose one club. We'll establish a new company in an offshore financial center, then use that company to fully acquire the club. From then on, you'll be the company representative and the public-facing owner of the club. I'll be the hidden investor.

"Oh, and you put in £30 million, while I also put in £30 million. But I take sixty percent of the shares, because making money will depend on me."

Will Taylor's expression shifted back and forth. Confused, he asked, "Can buying a club make money?"

Lynn finally smiled. "Just buying one won't make money. The money comes from operations."

Will Taylor looked suspicious. "You've been running Swansea for a year. Have you made money?"

Lynn honestly shook his head.

"Then why invest in this?"

Lynn said calmly, "Because a year ago, including the club's debts, I put in a total of £60 million. If Swansea are promoted to the First Division a year from now, the club's assets plus the value of the players will be worth at least £80 million.

"Two years. A £20 million profit.

"If two years from now Swansea are promoted to the Premier League... heh, at least £100 million. Three years, £40 million in profit, and this is my conservative estimate.

"Did you see today's news? If Ibra transfers for £5 million, then on that one player alone, I'll have made roughly £2 million in one year. That doesn't even include the sporting value he brought while playing for the club this season."

Will Taylor weighed the gains and losses of the project. While he hesitated, Lynn continued, "Will, whether you're involved or not, I'll still establish an offshore financial company and then find an agent to acquire a club. The only difference is that I'll have to spend more money, and finding a reliable agent is troublesome.

"This market is huge. I need a reliable partner to build the biggest profit machine in European football over the next ten years, twenty years, or even longer.

"You have ambition, but you're not a professional. If you're going to do this, you need to think clearly. Either stand obediently to one side and be a mascot, then happily count money when it's time to receive dividends, or show real ability and take responsibility.

"There will be more opportunities waiting for you and me in the future. The matter is simple. Are you joining or not?"

A struggle appeared on Will Taylor's face.

He truly could not understand how investing in football could make money.

But the instant he heard Lynn's words, one thought flashed through his mind.

Lynn was putting money in too!

And it was also £30 million!

There was no way he was doing this as a joke.

No one would throw £30 million into the water for fun.

Will Taylor gritted his teeth and said, "I take forty-nine percent, and you take fifty-one. You'll still have controlling power!"

Lynn scoffed. "Don't play that game with me. You don't have the right to negotiate terms. If you don't put in £30 million, I don't care. At worst, the early accumulation will be a bit slower. It won't have much impact.

"If you keep bargaining with me, you won't even get forty percent."

Will Taylor looked at Lynn, who was cold, forceful, and even ruthless at the negotiating table. Helpless, he nodded and said, "Fine! I take forty percent, you take sixty. I'll listen to you. What do we do next?"

"I'll find someone to sign the contract with you. Then we'll establish the new company. After that, we put in the money. Then we go make money.

"You'd better go back and do your homework. Whether you plan to be a decoration or truly stand on your own, you need to learn how to be a proper club chairman."

Will Taylor watched as Lynn collected the document envelope and left. He was not happy.

Lynn's domineering attitude left him with no room to resist. He kept telling himself that he was not submitting to Lynn.

He was submitting to money.

And submitting to money was nothing shameful.

Lynn drove home. Now, he had to begin preparing the establishment of the new company.

In truth, he had once again played a move of getting something for nothing.

He needed to keep his liquid funds available for something important in September. So he had sought out Will Taylor first, letting Will appear publicly and use Will's money to acquire the club. Then they could sweep the transfer market this summer.

In the agreement, Lynn would stipulate that his own money would be transferred into the company account before the end of the year.

In any case, once October arrived, £30 million would be nothing more than pocket change to Lynn.

In Lynn's eyes, it was not only the financial markets that held enormous profits.

European football was also full of gold.

From this moment on, he would officially begin building an unprecedented dynasty in European football!