Chapter 143: Two Tall Lads
"Let me get straight to the point—Mallorca is very interested in your club's Daniel Van Buyten. We'd like to bring him in, and I assure you, Standard Liège won't be shortchanged in this deal. I'm here with genuine sincerity." Seated across from Dreyfus, José smiled as he laid out his intentions.
Dreyfus chuckled. "We understand that well enough. Your official letter made things very clear... but Van Buyten is a starting center-back for the Belgian national team and a highly valued player at our club. We know he wants to play in one of the top four leagues, but if the transfer fee is too low, it'll be hard for us to justify the move."
"How about $1.5 million?" José offered with a grin.
"You wound me," Dreyfus replied, clearly displeased. "Are you saying a starting defender for Belgium is only worth that much? Take a look at the European transfer market right now—where can you find a player for just $1.5 million?"
"You're right; the market is full of overpriced deals... but that only applies to players who have already proven themselves in the top leagues. More specifically, those who have made a name for themselves in La Liga or Serie A. A defender who has never played in a top league simply won't command a price beyond the million-dollar mark... Let's do this—$2 million. I doubt any club would bid higher for Van Buyten. And he's not that young anymore—if he stays in Belgium for a few more years, interest in him will only decline. Besides, joining Mallorca will give him valuable experience in the Champions League and La Liga, which will also benefit the Belgian national team." José smiled as he made his case.
"$3 million. We won't discuss anything less than that," Dreyfus said gruffly.
"$2 million." José grinned. "I can't go any higher."
...
After several rounds of haggling, Dreyfus realized he wouldn't be able to squeeze any more money out of this young negotiator. In the end, they settled on a transfer fee of $2.7 million. The next step was to negotiate with Van Buyten himself.