Around the turn of the century, Chelsea always gave the impression of being extremely wealthy. However, unlike the Chelsea that would emerge after Abramovich's takeover, the current club spent heavily on players without producing a corresponding improvement on the pitch.
Chelsea's squad that season included famous names such as Zola, Desailly, Wise, Deschamps, and Weah. Yet their league position had actually dropped two places from the previous season, leaving them fifth. Sutton, the striker Vialli had signed for a substantial fee, was also facing intense criticism.
Although Vialli withstood the pressure and led Chelsea past Aston Villa to win the FA Cup, the rebuilding of the squad continued, with the forward line the highest priority.
Chairman Bates had already given up on Sutton, and the club was searching for a buyer. Weah was unlikely to stay either. During his six months at Chelsea, he made eleven league appearances and scored only three goals, a return that did not justify his high wages. At thirty-four, most people believed the former World Player of the Year was approaching the end of his career.
With Sutton and Weah set to leave, Chelsea could not rely on Flo and Zola alone for an entire season. They therefore turned their attention to Atlético Madrid, who had just been relegated from La Liga, hoping to sign Hasselbaink. The prolific striker was exactly the kind of goalscorer Chelsea lacked.
However, Vialli still felt that three forwards would not provide enough depth and wanted the club to sign one more. His attention fell on New Manchester United's Žigić and Gudjohnsen of Division One side Bolton.
Žigić was the National League's leading scorer and had been nicknamed the tallest player in the world by New Manchester United supporters. He was physically powerful, dominant in the air, and possessed an outstanding scoring record. In his first season after joining New Manchester United, he adapted immediately and scored thirty-five goals in forty-one appearances, breaking the National League's single-season scoring record.
Gudjohnsen was two years older than Žigić and an important player for Bolton. He had made forty-one appearances the previous season and scored thirteen goals. He was also considered a player with great potential, and as an Iceland international, he did not require a work permit to play in England.
After carefully weighing their options, Chelsea opened negotiations with Bolton. Bolton immediately demanded £7 million. Gudjohnsen had already attracted interest from several clubs, and although Bolton did not want to sell him, they knew there would be no shortage of buyers if they did.
Chelsea negotiated with Bolton for some time, but the price refused to move. They therefore turned their attention back to Žigić. In their view, a player from the National League could not possibly cost as much as Gudjohnsen, perhaps not even half as much.
New Manchester United did not appear determined to keep Žigić either. His performances had already attracted attention from several higher-level clubs. In addition to Bruce, who wanted to take him to Birmingham, Liverpool and newly promoted Premier League side Manchester City had also expressed interest and contacted New Manchester United about his price.
The player himself had begun showing signs that he wanted to leave, so there was little reason to force him to stay. It would be better to sell him while his value was high. New Manchester United still had Crouch, Kitson, and Olić in attack, and as long as they signed one more forward, the squad might not be any weaker than it had been the previous season.
As Ethan had said before, Žigić's outstanding performances owed a great deal to New Manchester United's aggressive wing play. Without that constant supply from the flanks, he would never have scored so many goals.
In other words, Žigić's role at New Manchester United was not completely irreplaceable.
When Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, and the other interested clubs made inquiries, New Manchester United initially demanded £3 million. Every club hesitated, especially Manchester City, who were struggling financially and were the first to withdraw.
However, after failing to make progress with Gudjohnsen, Chelsea quickly returned to New Manchester United. They first offered £1.2 million, but that remained well below New Manchester United's valuation.
The more Vialli considered the matter, the more convinced he became that Žigić would be a good signing. He especially remembered the fourth round of the FA Cup, when Žigić had outjumped Desailly and headed the ball into the net. Vialli believed that his arrival would add greater tactical variety to Chelsea's attack. He therefore spoke directly to Bates and urged the club to prioritize Žigić over Gudjohnsen.
Under those circumstances, Chelsea increased their offer to £1.5 million. New Manchester United, however, held firm at £2.5 million because Ethan had received word that Liverpool were also seriously interested in the tall striker. Houllier rated him highly and had begun negotiations with New Manchester United as well.
There was no reason for Ethan to rush. He was not worried about finding a buyer. At worst, he could simply keep Žigić and continue using him.
Around this time, Ethan learned that John Terry had returned to Chelsea after a loan spell at Nottingham Forest, where he had received few opportunities. Vialli did not appear particularly interested in the young English center-back. He preferred to sign Bogarde from Barcelona to compete alongside Desailly and Leboeuf.
In fact, it was only after the Tinkerman, Ranieri, took charge in September that Terry truly began to receive recognition. Over the following years, he gradually developed into a key player. For now, however, Vialli still intended to send him out on loan again.
Ethan immediately called Manchester and asked Walsh to investigate the situation. The information that came back confirmed that Chelsea did not value Terry particularly highly at the time. They merely considered him a youngster with some potential.
Ethan almost laughed when he heard this.
He remembered something Bates had said after the 2000 European Championship. Bates claimed that Chelsea bought so many foreign players because he did not believe any English footballer was worth spending his money on. Anyone who disagreed only needed to look at England's miserable performance at the tournament.
Chelsea had once fielded a starting eleven without a single British player, and Bates had clearly been one of the main driving forces behind that policy. Vialli's limited interest in English players had also played a major role.
Under those circumstances, Ethan believed it was worth making an attempt. If he could sign a future world-class center-back and England captain, it would be worth sacrificing even two players like Žigić.
During the next round of negotiations with Chelsea, Ethan casually suggested that the two clubs might include a player in the deal to reduce the cash portion of the transfer fee. Chelsea, who were preparing to spend heavily on Hasselbaink, responded enthusiastically to the idea. Bates even called Ethan personally.
The two chairmen had a pleasant conversation. Ethan praised the work Bates had done at Chelsea and said he believed they would be among the strongest contenders for the Premier League title the following season, especially if they signed Hasselbaink and Bogarde.
Bates was delighted by the praise. Whether he simply thought Ethan was being sincere or Chelsea had already calculated the player's value, he soon made an offer of his own.
£500,000 plus John Terry in exchange for Žigić.
Ethan had originally been prepared to accept a straight player exchange. The moment he heard the proposal, he agreed without hesitation.
Only later did Ethan learn that Terry had not been considered particularly outstanding even within Chelsea's academy. Several young players were rated more highly than him. Morris, who would later earn the nickname the Leeds Wolf, was currently regarded as Chelsea's future local leader and captain. He had already established himself as a first-team starter the previous season.
After reaching an agreement with Bates, Ethan personally called Terry.
He had expected that convincing Terry to join a League Two club would require considerable effort. To his surprise, Terry and his family had once been devoted Manchester United supporters. Terry had even undergone a trial at Manchester United, but Ferguson had decided not to keep him, leading him to sign his first professional contract with Chelsea instead.
Because of that background, Terry listened carefully when Ethan explained why he had founded New Manchester United, described the club's current progress, and outlined its ambition to win another promotion the following season.
Terry quickly agreed to join.
What Ethan had not expected was for Terry to mention that the club his older brother, Paul Terry, played for had also been promoted to the National League that year. They were equally ambitious and hoped to win the championship in their first season after promotion before climbing again.
Ethan replied in an almost joking tone.
"John, I'm sorry, but I don't think you'll get the chance to face your older brother."
"Why?" Terry asked, still sounding somewhat boyish. Although he was already twenty, he had clearly not yet developed the hardened mentality of an experienced professional.
"Because by the time his team reaches League Two, we'll already be in Division Two!" Ethan declared confidently.
Terry fell silent for a moment, clearly struck by the confidence in Ethan's voice. Then he answered firmly.
"I think choosing New Manchester United will make me very happy, Boss!"
"Yes, John. You'll become one of the most remarkable parts of this club's story. Your future will be brighter than you can imagine right now. You can become a world-class center-back. As long as you're willing to work hard, I can promise you that!"
...
After Ethan ended the call with Terry, Eva, who was lying naked beside him, curled herself around his body and kissed him passionately.
"You were so confident just now that I could barely resist you, darling," Eva murmured, her eyes hazy with desire.
Ethan immediately lost control of himself. He rolled over and pinned her beneath him, and the young couple, who had spent days wrapped up in each other, once again gave in to their passion.
Afterward, Ethan lay there catching his breath while gently stroking Eva's smooth back.
"Beautiful, I think it's time for me to leave."
"Where are you going?" Eva lifted herself slightly, rested her head against his shoulder, and looked at him.
"Argentina. I'm going there to find a player."
"Then I'm coming with you!" Eva said excitedly.
"Don't you still have filming?" Ethan frowned.
Eva smiled and kissed him.
"It's already finished. I only need to return to the set tomorrow and let them know."
Ethan brightened immediately and nodded.
(To be continued.)