Chapter 333: Six Million and a Smile!

Chapter 333: Six Million and a Smile! Nagy, while overseeing the youth team's development, also kept a close eye on the reserve team's situation. Aldrich trusted Nagy immensely when it came to player growth, ability assessment, and form evaluation. Whenever he needed to adjust the lineup and bring in players who weren't regular starters, Nagy's opinion was the first he would consider.

"David Larmore, if you only look at his training, you might think he's a genius. Technically, physically, in terms of movement, and teamwork, he seems flawless. But in matches, he tends to avoid physical confrontations, and the shadow of his injury, along with his time at Doncaster, still weighs heavily on him. Last season, after Ronaldinho left the reserves, Larmore's performance improved, but I don't think he's ready to report to the first team just yet. Let's wait a bit longer and see if he can overcome his psychological barriers in physical confrontations this new season."

Nagy's words were very pragmatic. He wouldn't make rash recommendations just because the first team needed a striker; that would be unprofessional and could jeopardize the first team's performance.

When it came to player issues, being realistic was the foremost principle.

Aldrich nodded in agreement and didn't say anything further.

You can't force these things. Whether a player is capable is a matter of reality, independent of individual wishes.

"If there are players who need to be loaned out for experience, consider it. Make a list for me. I've received quite a few loan requests from lower-tier clubs."

After chatting briefly with Nagy, Aldrich took Ferreira and Cole to the first team.

Nagy would determine the fate of the youth players based on his judgments. If he believed a player had reached first-team level, he would recommend them to Aldrich without delay. Conversely, if a player didn't meet that standard, but the youth or reserve leagues were not suitable for further development, loaning them out would be a prudent option. However, it was vital to seek the most suitable environments for their growth.

This work is far from easy, especially considering Millwall's first team is brimming with talent. The higher the level, the more challenging it becomes for youth players to break through. Players like Poulsen and Cahill, who are already 18, would be starting for teams in League One, yet they can't even make the bench for Millwall's first team.

Of course, there was still room for growth. The purpose of loaning out is to uncover potential, but different players have different ceilings. If coaches determine some players have maxed out their potential yet still fall short of first-team standards, placing them on the transfer list to let them find suitable clubs where they can start their careers is also a good outcome. Perhaps in those mid-to-lower-tier teams, these players could gain recognition and carve out their own paths.

That evening, someone invited Aldrich out for dinner.

The newly crowned Champions League-winning coach sat across from a former Champions League-winning member in a high-end restaurant.

Martin O'Neill.

O'Neill had won the Champions League twice under the legendary coach Clough during his playing days. Aldrich couldn't compare with that, but as a manager, he was clearly already more accomplished than O'Neill.

Although Martin O'Neill was the type of coach who made a significant impression, his rise wasn't as explosively noted as others. Throughout the 2000s in the Premier League, people often talked about how Moyes's careful management of Everton was impressive, but O'Neill had done even better.

Ever since he took Leicester City to the Premier League, they had never faced relegation struggles again and consistently placed in the mid-table, even adding trophies to their cabinet. This achievement was more remarkable than Moyes's near-relegation struggles with a well-established team like Everton.

"You can't tell the difference between players during regular training. They can be outstanding at times and frustrating at others. When you think the team can perform better, but the players seem satisfied with their current achievements, believing their hard work won't yield more rewards—that's probably the biggest difference in mentality between strong and weak teams," O'Neill said, venting a bit.

Aldrich just chuckled, probably because these were grievances O'Neill had bottled up for half a year.

Smaller teams have their limitations, and climbing to a higher level often hinges on team mentality.

At midseason last season, Leicester City ranked in the top seven of the Premier League, but by season's end, they fell back to eleventh. The reason for the drop in performance was clear: once they slipped out of the upper ranks, the team's spirit and drive diminished significantly.

"Why don't you try changing your environment? I heard that Tottenham is interested in having you replace Francis?" Aldrich offered as a friend.

Leicester City couldn't afford a massive overhaul, so O'Neill wouldn't have a new set of players. He'd either have to move or continue to endure the current situation.

That was easy to understand. The overall strength of Leicester City was consistently rated in the lower tiers. Once they achieved a mid-tier ranking, the players tended to be content.

Many clubs wanted to recruit O'Neill as a coach. Leading Leicester City to consecutive mid-table finishes in the Premier League was comparable to a mid-tier team finishing in the top three.

O'Neill shook his head slightly and sighed, "I'm not really keen on leaving. I don't want to give up. Starting anew with a new team means everything goes back to square one, and not every team will accept my management style and tactical system."

Aldrich nodded in agreement. O'Neill understood this well; they were kindred spirits.

During dinner, the two discussed various football topics, and after the meal, O'Neill asked Aldrich, "Can you sell Gudjohnsen to me?"

Aldrich tapped the table lightly and laughed, "But the highest offer isn't from Leicester City."

"Are you really going to sell him to Chelsea?"

Aldridge smiled and replied: "Well, I don't care too much about the details of making an extra 500,000 pounds or even 1 million pounds. In fact, I called Gudjohnsen before dinner and told The club has accepted Leicester City's offer."

Martin O'Neill's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why didn't you say this sooner?"

Aldrich pointed at O'Neill's face and laughed. "Because I was waiting for exactly this reaction!"

Many clubs were interested in purchasing Gudjohnsen; even Manchester United was involved, but he was leaving to seek a starting position, rather than settled for being a substitute at a big club. Therefore, lower-tier clubs that could offer him a starting position were his first choice.

Chelsea had made the highest offer, eight million pounds.

But Aldrich didn't want to deal with Chelsea—they were rivals. Regardless of whether any Millwall players would eventually play for Chelsea, he couldn't allow a direct transfer between Millwall and Chelsea.

Leicester City's bid was six million pounds, which was quite respectable. O'Neill planned to pair Gudjohnsen with Tony in a two-striker formation. Both strikers, developed by Millwall, had complementary skills, which he believed was a solid foundation for Leicester City to achieve greater things. Additionally, Leicester City had already strengthened their defense by signing Sinclair from Chelsea for two million pounds.

Tony scored 17 league goals for Leicester City last season, just one short of the Premier League Golden Boot. The team finished mid-table, which meant their financial bonus was higher compared to those behind them. Furthermore, with broadcast revenues increasing significantly, investing close to ten million pounds wasn't an issue. They had ample growth space considering the existing salary structure wasn't a heavy burden.

Martin O'Neill chuckled softly and sighed at Aldrich, "I was still thinking about how to negotiate the price with you."

"Six million pounds may not reflect Gudjohnsen's future value, but given he only played as a substitute at Millwall last year, Leicester City's offer is sincere and should be your budget's limit. I don't want to drag this out. If players need to leave, they should leave quickly to avoid negatively impacting team morale."

O'Neill sighed, "Yeah, six million is the best we can offer. Even if we increased it by fifty thousand, we couldn't manage it."

Though fifty thousand sounds negligible, it could represent a starter's salary for a year or two in that era. Smaller clubs had to be meticulous with their budgets; Aldrich understood this and didn't want to bog down the discussions. It would lead to no substantial progress.

They left the restaurant, formally shaking hands again before parting ways, and this moment was captured by a photographer lurking around. As Gudjohnsen was still contemplating, Fleet Street published an article predicting: Gudjohnsen would transfer to Leicester City, becoming the second Millwall striker to join O'Neill after Tony.

Gudjohnsen had almost no connection with Tony; when Gudjohnsen joined the team, Tony was no longer there. They would occasionally see each other during Tony's loan return for specialized training.

Yet, Tony's outstanding performance at Leicester City shone like a beacon, and Aldrich, who held O'Neill in high regard, ensured that after O'Neill personally persuaded him, Gudjohnsen was determined to transfer to Leicester City.

Two days later, both Millwall and Leicester City officially announced that a transfer agreement had been reached for Gudjohnsen at a price of six million pounds.

Aldrich found himself a forward short in his plans and needed to find a replacement. With only Van Nistelrooy and Klose available as strikers, the situation was delicate. Klose was new to the Premier League, and if Van Nistelrooy were to get injured, it was uncertain whether he could be relied on in crucial moments, despite Klose's impressive performance in the reserves last season.

Just as Aldrich was reviewing European transfer market news, Andrew knocked on the office door, bringing in a pile of information.

"We've had results from the draft event held on the African continent. Here are the player profiles of those who signed up. Take a look."

In Aldrich's office, Andrew lounged with one leg crossed, casually flipping through a book, while Aldrich set aside his work to review Andrew's findings in Africa.

The African continent was also a goldmine for talent. Due to poor material conditions, many African children, like many in South America's impoverished areas, dreamt of making a name for themselves through football, hoping to lift their families out of poverty.

This situation allowed many unscrupulous agents to take advantage. Unlike Europe, where the professional football system was becoming more mature, with clubs extending their reach locally or nationally and scouts covering wide areas, talented young players in Europe typically entered professional football relatively early.

In contrast, many children in Africa found no pathway to playing football, and the continent's football development lagged behind, driving them to seek opportunities with European clubs for trials. There were often impostors posing as agents or genuinely unscrupulous agents defrauding families under the guise of helping young players get trials in European teams, extracting their life savings—perhaps all their family had.

Against this backdrop, Andrew's company held a football draft event in Africa, which was met with enthusiastic response. The promotional efforts lasted three months, and young people from various African countries participated. Conducting trials within the continent was certainly simpler than crossing the ocean to Europe. Sёarch* The Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.