Chapter 128: Little Monkey
Lynn did not tell anyone about his plan to form a new company and acquire other clubs. Now that he was about to put it into action, he would only inform Mo Yuan and no one else around him.
Because once something like this was exposed, it would bring him a great deal of trouble.
It was easy to imagine. Even if Lynn had enough money to buy Manchester United and Arsenal, and even if the shareholders of both clubs were willing to do business with him, the FA would step in to stop it!
Two clubs, one owner—who could guarantee that transactions between the two clubs would be fair? Who could guarantee competitive fairness when the two teams met on the pitch?
Even if both clubs operated independently and there was no secret collusion, how many people outside would believe it?
If Manchester United beat Arsenal, people would say Arsenal had thrown the match for United. If Arsenal beat Manchester United, public opinion would simply reverse!
If the clubs were in different leagues and never met, that would not be too much of a problem.
But what if they were both European clubs and appeared in the same competition?
Something like this had not yet happened, and UEFA had not yet paid much attention to it.
But more than ten years later, when the British investment company ENIC controlled Tottenham Hotspur in North London while also holding shares in other European league clubs, and when two of those clubs both entered the UEFA Cup, what could UEFA do?
All UEFA could do was pray.
Pray that the two clubs would not be drawn into the same group, so that the matches would not be questioned!
It was precisely because of that incident that ENIC's layout and ambitions in European football began to surface.
After holding Tottenham for thirteen years, ENIC's return exceeded fifty times their original investment!
What Lynn wanted to do was seize as much of Europe's football talent as possible!
There were only so many places available.
It was impossible for him to bring every player he considered promising to Swansea.
That simply was not realistic. Players needed starting positions and long-term, stable match experience in order to develop at the fastest rate.
Otherwise, even if Cristiano Ronaldo stayed at Swansea the whole time, he would never become the world-famous "Ronaldo" of the future. He would only remain an obscure Cristiano Ronaldo.
Another reason was that even after reaching this point, Lynn still could not compare to famous coaches because of his nationality, race, managerial experience, résumé, and many other factors. Swansea also did not yet have the appeal of a club above the First Division.
Lynn now wanted to acquire a club that could at least convince young players who had not yet made their names to join willingly. From the perspective of talent acquisition, that would make things simpler and far more efficient.
That afternoon, Lynn and Mo Yuan walked along the seaside. He told Mo Yuan his plan.
The sea breeze blew in waves, and the sunlight was warm. After listening, Mo Yuan suddenly asked something that seemed to come out of nowhere.
"Why don't you sell Swansea to someone on our side, then go buy a more competitive club?"
Lynn thought for a while before saying, "Mo Yuan, I'm not a genius. I'm not the kind of person who can go coach a Premier League club tomorrow and immediately produce the same results I produced with Swansea. It's not that I lack confidence. It's just that you can never underestimate European football.
"Whether it's the tangled complexity of personal connections or the endless tactical changes on the pitch, achieving glory is much harder than people imagine.
"I need to improve too. I need to build experience. At first, I may have thought Swansea was too low a starting point, but after thinking about it carefully, this starting point may actually be perfect.
"It gives me time to grow stronger. It gives me opportunities to correct some immature ideas. And along this road, before I reach the top stage, it allows me to gradually broaden my vision and absorb everything I learn, everything I see, and everything that makes me think, until all of it becomes my own strength.
"I need this process.
"Of course, if I were only an owner, then you'd be right. There would be no problem at all. But right now, I can't bear to let go of the manager's position. No... it should be said that I've already become addicted to this profession."
Mo Yuan smiled. "True. After all, you worked seriously for four years for this job. You poured real passion and willpower into it. Fine. I support your idea. But I want to know one thing. Are you certain acquiring another club can bring long-term profit? This is an age of capital, not an age of ideals."
Lynn stepped on the silver sand beneath his feet and suddenly stopped. Looking out at the rolling waves, he said calmly, "I'm more certain of it than anyone."
"Good. I support you. And for your sake, it's better if you don't personally come forward again in this matter. Let Will Taylor know his partner is you. That's enough. Leave the rest to me, because the more you touch this kind of thing, the more trouble it may cause you in the future."
Lynn smiled. "Exactly what I was thinking."
After they walked along the beach for nearly a kilometer, Lynn took off his shoes and said to Mo Yuan, "Remember how we used to race here a few years ago? Want to do it again today?"
Mo Yuan immediately laughed and took off his shoes too, full of bold confidence. "Who's afraid of who? You won back then, but I've specifically trained my sprinting explosiveness these past few years!"
"Who said I was racing you in a sprint? We're running to the end. First one there wins. Loser pays for dinner!"
As soon as Lynn finished speaking, he tied his shoes together by the laces, hung them around his neck, and sprinted forward. Mo Yuan shouted from behind, "Damn it, you're already this old and you're still cheating? Have some shame!"
"Hahaha! I don't want shame. What are you going to do about it?"
...
On June 18, the "Little Swans Selection" was taking place at the Liberty Stadium. More than a thousand U16 players from across Wales and western England had come to Swansea to participate in the trial event.
Lynn sat in the first tier of the stands with Tony Benn, watching the young players on the pitch display their skills.
This was already the final stage of the selection process. More than a thousand players had been eliminated layer by layer, and fewer than fifty had made it to the "final."
Aside from individual skill displays, the young players would also be grouped by age to play 7v7 matches.
Through real matches, Swansea's coaches could observe their abilities.
Lynn noticed an unfamiliar young man near the touchline, constantly moving back and forth. He directed some staff members to move equipment, then personally ran around notifying players to enter the pitch. He was always busy, yet he did not look tired at all.
"Who's that? One of ours?"
Lynn asked curiously.
Benn followed Lynn's gaze. When he saw the young man, he smiled and said, "That's Joseph Levin. He's a newly hired senior administrator at the club. His performance these past few days has been genuinely impressive. His management work is orderly and highly efficient, and he doesn't complain. He'll do anything. Young people like him are rare these days."
Lynn nodded slightly. "If he's capable, don't cling to fixed rules. If he deserves a raise, give him one. The club should take the initiative in these things. Don't wait for people to ask. If we only give it after they ask, even if we agree, it won't earn us much gratitude."
"Understood."
"By the way, how are Oliver and James's contract renewals going?"
"Oliver's contract has already been agreed. Once he returns to the club, he can sign the renewal. As for James, his brother Lance Cook is asking for a bit too much. We're still negotiating. The gap between the two sides is already very small, so we expect to finalize it by the end of the month."
"Good. And the talks with Manchester City?"
"We're still stuck on the transfer fee. Manchester City will only go as high as £5.5 million. That's still a big gap from our £8.5 million asking price. But Boss, you also know no Second Division player has ever sold for £8.5 million. We're only delaying for time. Once Zlatan returns to the club, we'll still have to accept City's offer."
Lynn raised his head and looked up at the blue sky. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Keep dragging it out. We need the fans to know we don't want to sell Zlatan. If Zlatan returns to the club and personally submits a request to leave, then how much we sell him for won't be what matters most to me anymore.
"In short, we cannot chill the fans' hearts. They are the core group tied to our long-term interests."
Tony Benn nodded. "I understand."
While they were talking, Lynn noticed a thin, small figure on the pitch. It was a young player around ten years old, and he stood out clearly in the U13 match.
He was very fast and heavily relied on his left foot. The level of control he had with that left foot was clearly better than how most children his age controlled the ball with their stronger right foot.
Lynn suddenly stood up.
His eyes locked onto the young player as he watched him dribble through the pitch, bursting left and right. He watched his speed—faster than the others his age—as he raced across the grass. He watched him use his left foot to produce a fairly decent shot.
Tony Benn had no idea why Lynn had reacted so strongly. Lynn quickly walked down from the stands.
He arrived at the touchline, where many people had gathered. Quite a few of them were the children's parents.
"Hi, Boss. I'm Joseph Levin, the club's new staff member. First time meeting you."
The clean-cut, well-proportioned Joseph Levin came to Lynn's side. He thought that since this was the club's big boss, he at least had to say hello. After all, they would be dealing with each other plenty in the future.
But Lynn did not turn to look at him. His eyes remained fixed on the young player on the pitch.
"What's his name?"
Lynn asked without looking back.
Joseph Levin followed Lynn's gaze. Without the slightest hesitation, showing that his preparation had been good, he answered, "He's from Cardiff. His name is Gareth Bale."
A smile appeared on Lynn's face.
Then he asked, "Who did he come with? School? Or his parents?"
Levin replied, "One moment. I'll go ask."
Levin immediately ran off to gather Gareth Bale's information, while Lynn continued staring at Bale's figure, his smile growing wider.
Heh. The future "Great Sage." I was still wondering where I'd find you, and now you've delivered yourself right to my door!
What a pleasantly surprising day.
Wales did not produce many talents, but in the first twenty years of the new century, after Giggs grew old, only two players were truly capable of carrying the Welsh national team.
One was named Gareth Bale. A decade later, he would rise to fame at Tottenham, then join Real Madrid and become one of the top five players in the world.
The other was Aaron Ramsey, who would carve out a place for himself at Arsenal. Together, they would lead Wales into the 2016 European Championship and reach the semi-finals, matching England's best-ever European Championship result. The Red Dragons of Wales would shock the world!
Now, one half of the Welsh twin dragons, Gareth Bale, was right there in Lynn's sight.
Even though the young, tender Gareth Bale currently looked like a little monkey and could not possibly bring Swansea any sporting help or contribution over the next four years, if he was carefully developed, Lynn believed that from the moment Bale stepped onto the professional stage, he would be even better than he had been at the same point in the original timeline!
A young woman in office attire, holding a microphone, came to Lynn's side. Behind her, a cameraman carried a camera on his shoulder.
"Hi, we've come to Swansea manager Lynn's side. Let's ask him a few questions."
Lynn turned and saw the young female presenter with wine-red hair. Her name was Linda Lawless, the newly hired host of Swansea's official television channel, which had only been established half a month earlier.
The official TV channel had already gone online. For now, the signal was free. The plan was to make it free for season-ticket members after one year, while other viewers would have to pay.
Lynn smiled, and Linda asked, "The Little Swans Selection has already reached its final stage. What has Swansea gained from it?"
Facing the microphone she held out, Lynn said excitedly, "Everyone at the club knows that if we want to build a long-term, strong, and stable Swansea, we must focus on developing our youth system.
"This series of matches has allowed us to see that Wales has many outstanding young players. They've shown their love for football and their own talent.
"Just yesterday, the club had already prepared more than twenty contracts and intends to sign the best of these players. At the same time, we welcome parents to send their children here for training.
"Other clubs may charge certain fees, but Swansea's policy is completely free!
"Because we don't only want to build a powerful club. We also want to give back to the surrounding community.
"If you love football, and if you hope your child can play football, please send them to Swansea. Here, they will receive professional training and careful, attentive care. We will help these children become better."
After Lynn finished speaking, Linda continued, "Today is the final day of the selection tournament. Who will win the Little Swan Cup?"
Lynn turned his head toward the pitch. Pointing at Gareth Bale, who was currently dribbling past an opponent, he said, "Him. He will become the first winner of the Little Swan Cup."
As soon as Lynn said this, many people around them began applauding. A pair of parents screamed with particular excitement.
Because aside from a trophy and certificate, the award also came with a £5,000 prize!
As for whether the club could actually recruit the player, that was another matter. The parents and the club would still need to discuss it together. After all, this was not a decision that could be made lightly.