Last season, New Manchester United performed exceptionally well in League Two, with the attacking trio of Kitson, Malouda, and Hleb proving almost unstoppable.
Kitson had since transferred to Brighton for a substantial fee of £2 million.
New Manchester United managed to retain Malouda and Hleb despite interest from several clubs, but another player had now been approached by a League One side: Peter Crouch.
Crouch had served as Kitson's backup last season, but his performances had still been impressive. He made 27 appearances for New Manchester United in all competitions, either as a starter or substitute, scoring 9 goals and providing 8 assists.
This summer, Kitson had fallen out with the club over salary issues and was sold to Brighton.
Crouch thought he had finally earned his chance, but to his surprise, Ethan brought Drogba to Mourinho.
Although Mourinho always insisted that attitude determined who started, Crouch knew that the powerful Ivorian's attitude was better than his own, and that Drogba trained harder than he did.
Although Drogba's technique was not as refined as Crouch's, Mourinho was very fond of him, and it was almost certain that he would be the first-choice centre-forward this season.
Another striker in the squad, Olić, also worked extremely hard in training.
Although he was considered the most technically limited player in the team, that did not stop Mourinho from liking him, especially since his ability in physical duels had improved considerably.
It was said that Olić had continued training throughout his holiday, which made Crouch feel even more threatened.
The other forward, Palacio, was the most technically gifted player in the squad.
Last season, Mourinho had used him as a wildcard. Besides playing as a striker, he could also operate on either wing, making him extremely versatile.
He did not pose much of a threat to Crouch because Mourinho was unlikely to use him as the main centre-forward, but Crouch still felt uncomfortable about the situation.
His personality made him dislike highly competitive squads. He was somewhat laid-back and preferred a more relaxed environment.
At that moment, Portsmouth approached him, and the two sides quickly reached an agreement.
Portsmouth's initial offer to New Manchester United was £1 million. They wanted to sign Crouch to strengthen their attack.
It was worth noting that Portsmouth had narrowly avoided relegation from League One the previous season.
...
"What do you think?" Ethan handed Portsmouth's transfer offer to Mourinho.
The latter had just returned from the training ground.
The club would leave for Ghana in two days, and Mourinho wanted to use the remaining time at the Newton Heath training base to integrate the squad as much as possible.
"The price is too low!" Mourinho replied bluntly before handing the faxed offer back to Ethan.
Ethan could not help laughing.
In some respects, he felt Mourinho was quite similar to Ferguson. Both men had very clear likes and dislikes.
Mourinho did not particularly like players of Crouch's type. He had kept him last season only because the team needed a backup for Kitson.
Now, it seemed that he had found the striker he truly wanted.
"Do we need to sign anyone else?" Ethan asked. The club still had a reasonable amount of money available for transfers.
To his surprise, Mourinho shook his head.
"The remaining money should be used according to your previous plan. Improve the facilities and conditions at the training base, and set aside some funds for the construction of the North Stand at the City Ground.
"As long as you bring me the right-back I asked for, a 23-man squad will be enough for the season!"
After saying this, Mourinho seemed worried that Ethan would not believe him, so he explained with a smile.
"A 23-man squad, excluding David Green, gives us exactly two players for every position.
"Besides, the laboratory results show that all the players are in good physical condition, so I believe this squad structure is ideal.
"Of course, if you think we have too much money and want to sign more players, I won't object. But I can't guarantee they will get any playing time.
"I'm very satisfied with the current first-team squad. They all understand my tactical ideas, and that's enough!"
After listening, Ethan smiled and nodded.
Since Mourinho said the squad was enough, then it was enough.
Bringing in more players who would not play might instead disrupt the unity within the squad.
"Crouch's performances last season were worth more than this offer. You should negotiate with them and raise the price!" Mourinho advised before leaving.
"I know that without you telling me, José!" Ethan smiled as he saw Mourinho out, then called Mark and instructed him to negotiate with Portsmouth for the highest possible fee.
He had only just hung up when the phone rang again.
Ethan picked it up and saw an unfamiliar number.
He found it a little strange, but answered anyway.
"Hello, Ethan speaking."
"Hello, Ethan. This is Ferguson!" A loud voice came through the phone.
Ethan was not particularly familiar with Manchester United's legendary manager.
He often dealt with Manchester United players, but rarely with Ferguson himself.
"Hello, Sir Alex. I didn't expect you to call me!" Ethan replied cheerfully, though inwardly he felt a headache coming on.
A call from Ferguson at a time like this was unlikely to bring good news.
Sure enough, Ferguson quickly stated his purpose.
"Ethan, let's get straight to the point. What is your asking price for Curtis Davies?"
Ethan frowned. "Sir Alex, didn't you see the press conference the other day? His release clause is £100 million. Whoever meets that figure can take Curtis."
"He's just a youngster who made his debut half a year ago!" Ferguson reminded him.
Ethan suddenly laughed. "But he will become our club's Ferdinand. Look at how much Ferdinand cost last November.
"Besides, to be honest, Sir Alex, I have never intended to sell him. He is our club's vice-captain!"
Only a few days earlier, Stam had published an autobiography. Its contents differed from the version Ethan remembered from his previous life.
Stam's autobiography revealed why Manchester United had chosen to participate in the FIFA Club World Championship in Brazil, even at the cost of withdrawing from the FA Cup.
It also exposed the reason Manchester United had later changed their position, claiming that the club had reached an agreement with the Football Association.
As soon as the autobiography was released, Manchester United, and Ferguson in particular, were pushed into the spotlight.
The book revealed what Ferguson had said to the players in the dressing room. The Football Association had already announced that it would investigate the matter, and if the claims proved true, Ferguson would face a substantial fine.
Just as Ethan remembered from his previous life, Ferguson had already begun considering selling Stam. Coincidentally, wealthy Lazio soon made an approach.
The two clubs quickly reached an agreement. It happened slightly earlier than Ethan remembered, but the difference was not significant.
Why?
Because there were very few outstanding centre-backs available on the transfer market.
The media had linked Manchester United with several candidates.
One was Inter Milan's French defender Laurent Blanc. His main drawback was that he was already 35, although Ferguson had admired him for years. That admiration, however, had always been one-sided.
Another was Kevin Hofland of PSV Eindhoven. However, PSV still resented Manchester United because of the complicated Van Nistelrooy transfer and were unwilling to sell their first-choice centre-back to them.
Then there was Argentine international Roberto Ayala. Valencia had made it clear that he was not for sale unless his £35 million release clause was paid, which was obviously unrealistic. There were also concerns over whether Ayala could adapt to the Premier League, especially with memories of Bergkamp's famous turn against him at the 1998 World Cup still lingering.
Real Madrid's Iván Campo and Valencia's Mauricio Pellegrino were both affordable, but neither was completely convincing.
The biggest name on the list was undoubtedly Parma's Fabio Cannavaro. However, Parma refused to let him leave, and several Italian giants were also pursuing him, so Manchester United's involvement might not lead anywhere.
The media had also recommended two promising young centre-backs who matched Ferguson's preferences.
They were New Manchester United's Curtis Davies and Auxerre's "new Blanc," Philippe Mexès.
The former was beginning to make a name for himself in England, while the latter was widely regarded as one of the brightest young centre-backs in Europe. Several major clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, and AC Milan, were already interested in him.
It was under these circumstances that Ferguson approached Ethan.
Anyone else might have seen this as the perfect opportunity to demand an enormous fee from Manchester United. Unfortunately for Ferguson, Ethan had no interest in selling his players.
Whether it was Curtis or Terry, he did not want either of them to leave.
"All right, Ethan, let's forget about Curtis for now.
"Let's talk about Michael Essien. I rate this young Ghanaian very highly, and I want him to join Manchester United. What do you think?" Ferguson was clearly disappointed that he could not sign Curtis, but he quickly shifted to another target.
It was said that Ferguson had watched Essien at the World Youth Championship and regarded him as the next Roy Keane, which was why he wanted to bring him in and develop him.
In Ethan's previous life, Ferguson had entertained the same idea. Essien had even gone to Manchester United for a trial, but the move eventually fell through. As a result, Manchester United's midfield developed a long-term weakness after Keane's departure.
"You want him?" Ethan's tone hardened. "Sir Alex, I think you've misunderstood something.
"We are the Red Rebels, not the Red Devils. What I want is for neither Curtis nor Essien to leave. They will both stay here!"
Ethan could not stand Ferguson's self-assured and overbearing manner, even though he genuinely respected him.
But they were now discussing the interests of their respective clubs, and there was no room for compromise.
"Is that so?" Ferguson replied doubtfully. "Do you really think your club can keep them?"
"Of course!" Ethan answered confidently.
In truth, however, he still felt a little uneasy.
Essien had been given several days off after taking part in the World Youth Championship and had not yet returned to the club.
"Very well. Since you're so determined, I suppose we have nothing more to discuss!"
With that, Ferguson ended the call.
Ethan watched the phone screen gradually dim, but the ominous feeling in his heart only grew stronger.
He felt as though something he knew nothing about was about to happen, so he immediately asked someone to find the phone number of Essien's mother, Aba.
He called her, and after asking about Essien, she told him that her son had gone away on holiday and had not yet returned.
Ethan felt temporarily relieved, but the sense of unease weighing on his heart never completely disappeared.
(To be continued.)