The God of Football Starts With Passive Skills

Chapter 452 - 95: Frenzied Signings! The Bundesliga’s Salary Ceiling! The Highest Price in Football! The New Season’s Goal: Break Records

"I’m still thinking about it. I just wanted to ask you in advance." Lewandowski didn’t give a definitive answer.

He was well aware.

If he came to Dortmund, he would be Wang Shuo’s backup.

Given Wang Shuo’s performance, even if his form took a nosedive next season, he’d still be the team’s undisputed starter.

Wang Shuo had been simply too brilliant in the Bundesliga last season!

As for Lewandowski, he knew he’d be starting on the bench no matter which team he joined.

That being the case, he might as well come to Dortmund and be Wang Shuo’s backup.

At the very least, he could learn a thing or two from Wang Shuo.

After hanging up with Lewandowski, Wang Shuo called Thomas Essien back in Germany and asked him to check on Dortmund’s transfer activities.

That evening, as Wang Shuo was returning to his hotel with his family, he got a call back from Thomas Essien.

Dortmund had quite a few transfer targets for their front line, but not many were actually viable.

For example, there was Mandzukic from Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb.

The center-forward was a great fit for Klopp’s tactics. Rumor had it that Klopp was a big fan, and Mandzukic was the tall, strong type.

But his price tag had already shot up to six or seven million euros.

Dortmund’s current budget was only 3.5 million euros. They could stretch it to 5 million at most.

Too expensive!

Helmes was a good fit, but he demanded the team switch to a 4-4-2 formation, wanting to play up front with Wang Shuo as a striker pair.

In other words, Helmes wouldn’t accept a spot on the bench.

Kuranyi’s situation was much the same. The Schalke 04 forward was a free agent, but his salary demands were on the high side.

But the one with the highest salary demands was Raul.

The Real Madrid captain was also a free agent, and he was asking for a salary of 8 million euros.

That was something Dortmund would never accept.

’If Dortmund offered Raul an annual salary of 8 million euros,’ Wang Shuo thought to himself, ’I’d definitely raise hell with the club.’

’It wouldn’t be a question of loyalty, but rather, what does that say about my standing at the club?’

’Why should Raul get the same salary as me the moment he walks in the door?’

’What?’

’He’s a free agent, and his contract terms aren’t as good as mine, you say?’

’I don’t care about that!’

’The base salary is what matters most!’

Thomas Essien told Wang Shuo that Raul, despite being the subject of the wildest rumors, was actually the first target Dortmund had dropped.

Schalke 04 was willing to offer him an annual salary of around 7.5 million euros.

Dortmund was only willing to go as high as 5 million euros.

That 3-million-euro difference was a show of respect for Wang Shuo!

Under those circumstances, Raul was naturally unlikely to choose Dortmund.

Recently, there were also rumors in the transfer market that Bayer Leverkusen wanted to re-sign Ballack from Chelsea.

The player was becoming a free agent this summer.

The annual salary offered by the Pharmacy wasn’t high either—only 7 million euros, slightly less than Wang Shuo’s.

So, Wang Shuo was now the highest-paid player in the Bundesliga.

The only player who could potentially challenge or surpass Wang Shuo was Bayern’s Ribery.

The French player’s contract renewal was still up in the air. He was repeatedly using Barça and Real Madrid as leverage to pressure Bayern. With his contract now one year shorter, it was really hard to say what kind of salary Bayern would ultimately offer.

Frankly, salaries were just like transfer fees.

The club had to be able to afford it, but it also depended on the specific situation, circumstances, and negotiation tactics.

"In that case, Lewandowski is actually the most likely candidate," Wang Shuo concluded.

"According to my intel, Dortmund has already agreed on a 4.5-million-euro transfer fee with Lech Poznan. The player himself is still considering it, though, so there hasn’t been a real breakthrough in the transfer yet."

Only when both the club and the player agree can they start negotiating the transfer contract and personal terms.

Hearing this, Wang Shuo felt that Lewandowski seemed like a reliable guy.

’At least he wasn’t just stringing me along.’

...

Due to the World Cup in South Africa, the start of the new Bundesliga season was pushed back.

The first round of the Bundesliga would kick off on August 20th.

However, the first round of the DFB-Pokal would be the first to get underway on August 13th.

This year’s German Super Cup would also be held, scheduled for August 7th.

The three matches were scheduled exactly one week apart.

Dortmund’s summer training camp was set to begin in early July.

As for Wang Shuo, he decided he would return to Germany in mid-June.

Before that, he planned to spend a good half a month or so traveling with his family, from Hang City to Hu City, and finally to the Capital.

When Wang Shuo and his family arrived in Hu City, he received an update from Thomas Essien.

Lewandowski gave him a call as well.

The Polish striker had joined Dortmund from Lech Poznan for a transfer fee of 4.75 million euros.

So far this season, Dortmund’s signings had mainly been focused on plugging gaps in the squad.

Piszczek on the right flank, Gundogan and Antonio Da Silva in midfield, and Lewandowski up front—they were all basically brought in to strengthen the team’s bench depth.

There were a few other transfers as well. For instance, backup goalkeeper Ziegler left, and a young, 21-year-old Australian goalkeeper named Langelaak was brought in.

Wang Shuo could feel it: as long as these new players could adapt and integrate quickly, Dortmund would be significantly stronger in the upcoming season.

Moreover, the starting lineup from last season was still very young. Now a year older and with a full season of experience under their belts, he was confident they would take everyone by surprise this year.