Starting With Real Madrid

Speaking of Real Madrid's lineup, it's actually quite good.

Up front, they have Adebayor, Higuaín, and Benzema. On the flanks, there's Di María, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Altıntop.

In midfield, there are players like Kaká, Özil, Khedira, Xabi Alonso, and Sahin.

The backline includes Arbeloa, Carvalho, Pepe, Ramos, and Albiol. In goal, there's Casillas.

This lineup might not be on the same level as Manchester City or Barcelona, but across the European football scene, it's still considered top-tier.

However, Gao Shen's overall evaluation wasn't high.

He even directly presented a purge list that included several players.

The first was Özil.

Currently, his market value was estimated at 30 million euros. He had been Real Madrid's top performer in recent years and the assist king for both the team and La Liga. Signing him had been a very successful move.

But Gao Shen still decided to sell him.

"As I mentioned before, in modern tactical systems, it's not acceptable to have two attacking players in the starting lineup who don't contribute defensively. Unfortunately, we currently have two, maybe even three."

Gao Shen explained his reasoning.

Everyone knew who he was referring to.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Özil, and Kaká.

"In the past, our defense struggled because we overly relied on individual brilliance and neglected the team structure. Mourinho improved the defensive side of the game, but his counter-attacking tactics didn't resolve the midfield issues. This is why we've struggled in high-profile matches."

"After I take over, I want the team to play as a cohesive unit, from the front line to the back line, even including the goalkeeper. There needs to be tight and meticulous linkage throughout the team. In this tactical setup, it's difficult for a player like Özil to be effective. Rather than forcing it, it's better to sell him."

This didn't come as a surprise.

Gao Shen had opposed signing Özil in the first place, so wanting to move him on now was expected.

"What about Kaká?" Florentino asked with concern.

Gao Shen understood what he was getting at.

Florentino still didn't want to give up on Kaká. After all, he retained commercial value and ability.

"It depends on how the club evaluates things, especially in terms of our wage structure. If you can accept keeping him, my team and I will try to help him—reduce injuries and help him adapt—but I can't guarantee him a place in the starting lineup."

This was a reasonable position.

"The same goes for Khedira and Sahin. Personally, I prefer to sell them."

Khedira's current market value was around 20 million euros, and at only 24 years old, he'd be easy to sell.

Sahin's market value was about 16 million euros, so it also wouldn't be difficult to move him.

Then there was Altıntop, whose market value was very low, only 4.5 million euros.

From Özil to Khedira, Sahin, and Altıntop, Gao Shen's list of departures was quite extensive.

All four players had come to the club through the same channel.

Florentino and the others remained silent, but technical director Valdano thought for a moment before asking, "In that case, wouldn't our midfield look thin?"

"After selling these players, we should have significant funds available. I want to sign Luka Modrić from Tottenham, Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich, and Verratti from Napoli."

Valdano was experienced. After some quick thinking, he immediately understood Gao Shen's deeper intent.

Gao Shen wanted to completely restructure Real Madrid's midfield.

He aimed to shift away from the Mourinho-era style, where the ball bypassed the midfield with direct counterattacks, and instead reinforce the team's control over the midfield.

This was very much in line with Gao Shen's consistent philosophy.

And based on some rough calculations, the net spend after buying and selling wouldn't be excessive. It might even be negligible.

"There's a problem. Modrić is being pursued heavily by Chelsea. Bayern probably won't sell Kroos. And Napoli may not be willing to let go of Verratti either," Valdano said.

All three transfers would be difficult to pull off.

Not to mention Modrić and Kroos, even Verratti had been performing well at Napoli and was attracting considerable attention. If Real Madrid were to make a move, it would likely require great effort to convince De Laurentiis.

"Talk to Bayern. I think there's a chance," Gao Shen said with a smile.

Toni Kroos was in an awkward situation at Bayern and had a conflict with Rummenigge. There was always the possibility of a surprise sale.

"Modrić won't be a problem. As long as I can convince Tottenham, I'll handle the player. The same goes for the others." Gao Shen was full of confidence.

This was the bearing of a top-class coach.

Florentino and the others were truly impressed. They hadn't expected this side of Gao Shen.

"I think we could consider using Adebayor in negotiations with Tottenham," Gao Shen suggested.

Since Džeko had joined Tottenham, he had performed well at first but quickly hit a rookie wall. Tottenham were also looking to strengthen their forward line, and Adebayor would be a good fit.

After some thought, Valdano turned and gestured to his assistant to make a note of it.

"As for the defense, we'll sell Carvalho and Coentrão."

Everything had been going smoothly, but when Gao Shen said this, Florentino's expression changed slightly.

"Both of them?"

Real Madrid had spent 27 million euros to bring in Coentrão last summer.

More importantly, both players were represented by Portuguese super-agent Mendes.

And who was Mendes?

He was the agent for Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo. Di María and Pepe were also among his clients at Real Madrid.

"Carvalho is getting old, and I don't think someone like Coentrão, a heavy smoker, can perform well."

Coentrão was indeed a known smoker. Shortly after joining Real Madrid, he had been photographed smoking by reporters.

There are two major taboos for professional players: drinking and smoking.

"Finding a left-back in the transfer market is tough. Coentrão performed well and cost a lot to sign, so we naturally hoped he'd succeed. But after one season, his value has already dropped by 6 million euros."

He joined for 27 million, and now his estimated market value was only 21 million—similar to Marcelo.

Marcelo had yet to reach his full potential, as Mourinho had always been cautious and even skeptical about attacking full-backs.

But Gao Shen knew very well that he wanted to fully utilize Marcelo and Di María.

Whether in his past life or now, Gao Shen had always believed that Real Madrid should never have sold Di María.

Of course, that wasn't purely from a sporting standpoint, but also to maintain balance in the wage structure.

If Di María hadn't been sold, Gao Shen believed that, with the lineup Real Madrid had at the time, five straight titles would have been possible.

Now, Di María was not only still a Real Madrid player, but also one of his trusted generals. The situation was different.

After talking for a long time, Florentino, Valdano, Zidane, Butragueño, and the others had to admit that Gao Shen's courage and decisiveness far exceeded their expectations.

They had anticipated bold moves from him, but now it seemed they had still underestimated him.

This young man had no hesitation. His approach was downright ruthless.

If he truly implemented all these changes, Real Madrid would undergo a full-scale transformation.

To the point where Florentino, Valdano, and the others didn't dare to agree on the spot. They said they needed to think carefully and study the proposal.

The shake-up was just too big.

They needed to consider the interests of various parties.

For example, if they sold Carvalho and Coentrão, would Mendes react?

Cristiano Ronaldo had a good relationship with Coentrão. Would he react?

Even...

"Gao, tell me honestly, do you have an issue with Cristiano Ronaldo?" Valdano suddenly asked the key question, surprising even himself.

If Ronaldo were to be sold, it would be earth-shattering.

Florentino was startled too, and everyone turned to look at Gao Shen.

Brother, we can't make that kind of noise!

This is Cristiano Ronaldo!

Right now, the only player in world football who could stand on equal footing with Messi!

"Relax, relax," Gao Shen said calmly. "I never mentioned Ronaldo. Plus, I'll have time to speak with the players one-on-one, including Ronaldo. There are a lot of things that can only be decided after we talk."

Gao Shen was known worldwide for his ability to communicate.

But judging from his tone, this wouldn't be a simple chat.

As the new boss, Gao Shen had to win over the dressing room, and Ronaldo was someone he could not avoid.

Of course, there were also local figures like Casillas and Ramos.

The local players were always the trickiest. Loved by the fans, and hard to move.

Luckily, Gao Shen had a good relationship with them. He'd talk first. If things went well, that would be ideal.

Right now, the Real Madrid dressing room was chaotic, with numerous factions. Even Mourinho couldn't manage it.

If Gao Shen wanted to take control, he needed to take action. He couldn't allow the chaos to continue like before.

Selling Özil, Adebayor, Coentrão, Carvalho, and others wasn't just about tactics. It was also about establishing authority.

But the key wasn't establishing authority—it was what came after.

André Villas-Boas established authority. Then what?

"Last year, Tottenham's chairman, Daniel Levy, made a gentleman's agreement with Modrić and promised to let him leave this summer. But now it seems like Levy wants to backtrack. After all, Tottenham will be playing in the Champions League. But we can work on this," Gao Shen suggested.

As long as Modrić arrived, everything would fall into place.

"Let's finalize the signings first, then offload players. Do it simultaneously," Gao Shen said to Valdano.

Real Madrid's technical director nodded and indicated that there would be no problem.

They were highly experienced in the transfer market, and there were always clubs interested in Real Madrid players.

"Also, give me a full squad report, including Castilla, the youth academy, players out on loan, and those with buy-back clauses."

A flicker of light appeared in Florentino's eyes, and the way he looked at Gao Shen changed significantly.

Real Madrid wasn't Manchester City. They couldn't just throw money around.

Even as a membership club, Real Madrid had to manage its finances. The massive investments from 2009 still had an impact. If the overhaul was too large, the club might be able to raise the funds, but the financial pressure would be real.

Clearly, Gao Shen understood this.

He was, after all, the man behind the club.

(To be continued.)