◎[35 hours, 37 minutes, 16 seconds!]◎
For Tang Moumou, who was teetering on the edge of life and death, every minute and every second was a gamble with fate.
Therefore, although he enjoyed his first press conference as the Chairman of Manchester United, he had no intention of wasting time on the reporters below the stage.
Instead of letting them interview him and lead him by the nose, it was better to just make them listen to whatever he had to say.
That was his plan, and he acted on it.
Thus, after answering the question from the Manchester Evening News reporter and fulfilling the necessary etiquette, he had no intention of putting down the microphone.
“I know this acquisition came very suddenly. That is because I was in a desperate rush and had no time for anything else.
“I believe only those who truly love Manchester United can understand my feelings and feel my passion.
“But this does not mean I have no plan for the club’s future.
“First, there is the impending summer.”
Summer?
Was he hinting at the summer transfer window?
The eyes of the reporters below lit up.
Under their piercing gazes, Tang Moumou turned back to David Gill.
Gill was an unparalleled master of negotiation; one could only guess how many desired players he had secured for Ferguson.
Tang’s life was so short that he could only rely on this legendary CEO to provide as much assistance as possible.
Seeing the young Chairman looking at him, Gill naturally responded with a smile. Little did he expect that this gaze was actually a hint for him to start working overtime.
In the eyes of the media, this scene became a picture of harmony between sovereign and subject.
Some media outlets even began to speculate what kind of role Gill had played in this lightning-fast acquisition.
Tang Moumou naturally didn’t care about the cameras flashing under the lights.
What he cared about was that the CEO had shown him a smile.
Well, he could interpret that as the CEO expressing his support.
Having settled the man who would help him work overtime, he could now freely spin his grand vision.
“After the painful loss of the title, I will give the club the strongest possible support to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
“Therefore, this summer, there will be no upper limit to our transfer budget.”
Tang Moumou said this with extraordinary extravagance.
We have money—plenty of it.
While making these bold proclamations, his mind was also racing.
180 million Euros seemed like a massive figure, enough to shake the football world.
If he adopted the slick maneuver of endless installments used by the future Chelsea Chairman, Boehly, there would still be a considerable budget left for other things.
For example, renovating the Carrington base, or even rebuilding Manchester United’s “cradle of greatness,” the Cleveland training base, to provide better training conditions for the first-team players and the academy kids.
Although he had even thought of base maintenance, Tang Moumou still had regrets.
Because while he had money, he still didn’t have enough to solve Manchester United’s biggest future problem—
The expansion, or even the complete rebuilding, of Old Trafford.
In 2012, Old Trafford, which could accommodate 76,000 fans, still lived up to its reputation as the “Theatre of Dreams.”
But ten years later, it would pale in comparison to the home grounds of other giants.
More importantly, with Ferguson’s retirement, Manchester United’s sporting performance would decline, leaving them to rely solely on commercial operations. By then, the difficulty of renovating the stadium would be far greater than it was now.
But he didn’t have enough money, and his life wasn’t long enough. Tang Moumou could only bury this regret in his heart. Little did he know that his legendary CEO was currently looking at him with a sense of helplessness.
In fact, if they hadn’t been in front of the cameras, Gill would have been unable to resist asking the young Chairman: “Are you out of your mind?”
Broadcasting to the whole world that there were no limits on transfer fees this summer was essentially saying, “Look at me, look at me, I’m a fat sheep ready to be fleeced!”
When he thought about how Ferguson would react upon knowing Manchester United was viewed as a “fat sheep” by other clubs—and that he himself would be responsible for the negotiations and taking the blame—Gill felt a massive headache coming on.
Tang Moumou, naturally unaware of the CEO’s inner thoughts, was still facing the cameras, making new promises to the world.
“This summer, we will also strive to find time to renovate the Carrington and Cleveland bases.
“While providing better physical conditions for the fans, we will also increase investment in youth players.
“I believe this is what every Manchester United fan expects.”
Hearing this, Gill was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected that even Cleveland would be included in the new Chairman’s plans.
From this perspective, this Chairman was indeed a loyal Manchester United fan.
Tang Moumou’s grand vision continued: “In the future, we plan to continue expanding Old Trafford, focusing on resolving the issues with the South Stand…”
After all, while he didn’t have the money himself, with Manchester United’s commercial development capabilities, in a debt-free state, it wouldn’t be difficult to take out a loan to rebuild or expand the stadium like Real Madrid.
“Our goal is to make Old Trafford the largest, most modern, and most culturally significant stadium in Europe, so that every visiting fan can feel the charm and glory of Manchester United.”
At this point, Tang Moumou’s voice became impassioned.
“I know this is a grand goal and a daunting challenge. But I believe that under the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson, with the assistance of Mr. Gill, the efforts of all Manchester United staff and players, and the support of Manchester United fans worldwide, we will surely be able to achieve our dream!”
The reporters below didn’t know if they were moved by his generous speech or by the impending topics and traffic it would generate, but they all broke into applause and cheers at that moment.
Surrounded by their enthusiastic applause, Tang Moumou turned to David Gill once more.
If the last look was seeking approval, this look…
Gill looked into those black eyes and thought to himself: Why does this look like my son asking me for a compliment?
But as a qualified employee, Gill not only returned a smile but also joined the applause.
Providing money for the summer window, major renovations for the bases, and even planning to expand the stadium—the new Chairman had promised all three elements needed to win over the fans.
He was already looking forward to the fans’ reactions.
Townsend, also very discerning, announced the end of the press conference.
After all, the young Chairman had said what needed to be said, and the effect was explosive. If the questioning continued and the young Chairman said something wrong, it could have a negative effect.
So why not end it now?
After the press conference, Gill followed Tang Moumou backstage.
Although the young Chairman had said there was no upper limit for summer transfer fees, such words were fine for the reporters and the media; he still had to speak the truth in front of him, the CEO.
Being British, Gill spoke very tactfully, leaving plenty of room, but Tang Moumou still understood.
This also made him feel the CEO’s thoughtfulness—he gave the boss face while also wanting to save the boss money. If only Gill could work for him for a few more years, that would be even better.
While Tang Moumou was feeling sentimental, he said decisively, “I truly have no intention of setting a ceiling for the transfer window. I only hope Sir Alex can buy any player he likes. However, I do have a small recommendation of my own.”
Here it comes. Finally!
Gill had laid all that groundwork just for this moment.
What do billionaires want when they buy a club?
Naturally, the thrill of building the club themselves.
Moratti in the past was like this, Abramovich more recently was like this, and now their young Chairman was the same.
While Gill took on the posture of listening intently, he also promised: “As long as Fergie doesn’t object, I will definitely bring him to Old Trafford.”
“Pfft.” Tang Moumou laughed outright.
Because the CEO’s tone sounded like he was saying, “As long as my wife doesn’t object”…
Wasn’t this just stating plainly that he was afraid of Ferguson?
Gill naturally knew why he was laughing and gave a playful wink. “Dear Tang, you must understand—whether it’s Old Trafford or Carrington, he’s the one who calls the shots. Our authority is limited to the London office.”
Manchester United might be the club that belonged to Tang.
But Manchester United was a club where Ferguson had the final say, and Gill hoped his young Chairman would realize this.
Tang Moumou certainly understood his hint and deeply agreed.
After all, he had already seen what Manchester United became without Ferguson, and he never wanted to see that picture again.
Considering the limited time, he didn’t beat around the bush and said the name directly.
“Modrić. I like Tottenham’s Luka Modrić. I think Sir Alex will like him too.”
As the CEO of Manchester United, David Gill certainly understood football, but this name still came as a great surprise to him.
He had thought this Chairman would say something like “Ronaldo, the one we developed,” or the name of some other global superstar. He hadn’t expected his preferred choice to be so… unpretentious.
Uh, he didn’t mean any offense to Luka Modrić, but compared to his ability, the Croatian’s fame was slightly lacking.
This also made him realize that perhaps his young Chairman understood football better than he had imagined?
“I like him,” Tang Moumou emphasized again. “I heard Real Madrid wants to buy him—please trust my exclusive sources. So our time is limited. Can you bring him to Old Trafford within 24 hours?”
The legendary CEO was dumbfounded. “…24 hours?”
Tang Moumou blinked again. “24 hours was enough for me to buy Manchester United.”
Gill pursed his lips.
Who was he looking down on? When it comes to negotiating transfers, I’m a professional!
But he had to emphasize: “24 hours might be possible, but we’ll have to pay a significant premium. And after we buy him like that, the entire football world will think we’re a fat sheep, making every subsequent deal even more difficult.”
He had to explain these implications in advance.
More importantly, “In the midfield, Fergie might have other options. I mean, he seems to really like Dortmund’s midfielder, Shinji Kagawa—”
Gill suddenly stopped, because he suddenly remembered the man in front of him was Chinese, and Shinji Kagawa was Japanese!
Tang Moumou had no idea the CEO was even considering international relations.
He naturally knew Sir Alex liked Shinji Kagawa, which was exactly why he wanted to propose buying Luka Modrić as quickly as possible.
After all, the vibes of Manchester United and Dortmund players didn’t quite mesh, and as the Chairman of Manchester United, he only wanted to see “Mama Modrić” juggling the ball at Old Trafford during his lifetime.
But he couldn’t say it like that.
Tang Moumou smiled slightly, his dark eyes shining as he made a bold statement: “It’s fine, we can buy both. Besides, Modrić is the only player I personally like; I believe Sir Alex will like him too. If Sir Alex doesn’t approve of this choice, I can drop it.”
Gill: “…I’ll give Fergie a call first.”
He had to tell Fergie: You don’t have to live frugally anymore, but at the same time, every club in Europe wants to rip you off!
The “fat sheep” Chairman in front of him, upon hearing this, immediately looked at him expectantly and made a shameless request:
“Will Sir Alex come to Old Trafford? I mean, would I have the honor of taking a photo with him at Old Trafford?”
When players joined Manchester United, they all got to take a photo with the old Sir Alex as a lifelong memento.
He couldn’t be the Chairman of Manchester United and just hold a United scarf alone inside Old Trafford to mark his takeover, could he? He had to have the proper prestige, right?
Gill: “…I’ll tell him.”
Tang Moumou revealed a sincere smile.
At this moment, the piercing bright red was still jumping before his eyes.
[35 hours, 37 minutes, 16 seconds!]