World First Church started from the 02 World Cup

Chapter 58: Conquering Mendes

The following day, Portugal.

In the Lisbon afternoon, the sea breeze is gentle, and the city has shed its heat, leaving only a lazy tranquility.

Ye Xian arrived at a private club located in the old town of Lisbon, overlooking the river.

This place is quiet and private, free from outside noise, making it perfect for a crucial meeting that will determine the future of Cristiano Ronaldo's career.

Ye Xian certainly wants Cristiano Ronaldo.

The five future Ballon d'Or winners will be the cornerstone of any team they build upon.

Moreover, Ronaldo is currently a winger, but his later career trajectory shows that he can also play as a center forward, and even be a top-level center forward in history.

His arrival will definitely make Ye Xian's troop deployment more flexible.

The same applies to Rooney.

In the future, Lu Xiaopang can not only play as a center forward, winger, and attacking midfielder, but also drop back to the defensive midfield position to organize the attack.

The more versatile a player is, the more useful they are!

The upcoming new season coincides with the time when they will be at their peak in the original timeline, and Ye Xian wants to seize this opportunity!

"Hello, Mr. Ye Xian." Mendes shook hands with Ye Xian.

Mendes wore a well-tailored black suit, his hair was perfectly styled, and his eyes were sharp, calm, and calculating, exuding the imposing aura of a business tycoon.

He may not yet be the super agent who will control half of the football world in the future, but he already has a sharp eye and holds Cristiano Ronaldo as his most precious trump card.

However, his gaze towards Ye Xian still carried a hint of scrutiny and reservation.

Mendes didn't think there was anything wrong with Ronaldo going to Everton—after all, he had originally planned for Ronaldo to go to one of the top five leagues—but he had some doubts about Ye Xian, this "rookie coach".

While Ye Xian's performance at the World Cup was certainly impressive, Mendes believes that success with the national team does not equate to success with the club.

Can someone so young really become the leader of a Premier League team?

Facing Mendes, Ye Xian's demeanor was humble yet not subservient: "Mr. Mendes, thank you for taking the time to see me. I'm here today to discuss Cristiano's future."

They didn't mention a transfer or a price, but rather focused on Ronaldo's future development.

The implication is that Ronaldo's transfer was not considered a purely business transaction.

This actually really hurts Mendes.

Why will Mendes gradually become one of the world's top football agents?

One very important point is that Mendes considers the players' needs and helps them plan the best development path, rather than just earning commissions.

This earned him the trust of many players, who were willing to entrust their future to him.

Just like Cristiano Ronaldo, his whole family actually treats Mendes as family.

They would eat together, celebrate holidays together, and Mendes would help with some household chores.

Later, Ronaldo said publicly on several occasions: "Jorge (Mendes) is the most honest and loyal person I know. He is a friend, a brother, family, and not just an agent."

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is the godfather of Jorge Mendes' youngest son, while Mendes is the godfather of Cristiano Ronaldo's eldest son (Mini-Ronaldo).

This is a very strong family covenant in Portuguese culture, because the godfather is like a half-father, responsible for the child's growth, education, and protection.

Although Mendes only recently signed Ronaldo, they have already established a good friendship and mutual trust, so he truly prioritizes Ronaldo's future development.

Therefore, as soon as Ye Xian spoke, Mendes' impression of Ye Xian immediately changed, and the originally tense atmosphere relaxed a bit.

"Then tell me, what's your opinion on Cristiano?" Mendes asked.

Ye Xian smiled and said, "Perhaps many people still don't know him, but you and I both know he's a true genius. He'll definitely become a world-class superstar in the future, you shouldn't doubt that, right?"

Mendes's gaze toward Ye Xian now held a greater degree of approval.

This statement alone shows that Ye Xian has a good eye for quality.

Unlike those idiots at the top of Lyon's management!

"And what a talented player fears most is sitting on the bench and wasting his years," Ye Xian continued.

"Many clubs nowadays won't give a young player any room for error; they want immediate impact, results, and statistics. But it's different here."

"Everton may not be performing well right now, but they have excellent facilities and a great coaching staff. More importantly, I can guarantee you something that no other team can offer."

"Absolute patience, a proprietary tactical system, and the most consistent and ample playing time!"

Mendes leaned forward slightly, a sign that he was beginning to listen attentively.

"I will primarily use a 4-3-3 formation in the new season, and the left wing is a position specifically reserved for him." Ye Xian's explanation was clear and concise, hitting the nail on the head.

"I promise that in the new season he will not be a substitute or a rotation player, but the core of the team on the flanks."

"With the Premier League, League Cup, and FA Cup on multiple fronts, I will guarantee him no less than 30 first-team appearances per season."

This promise directly shattered Mendes's preconceived notions.

Having joined the Premier League at the age of seventeen, it's already remarkable that he can be a regular starter in mid-to-lower table teams. What manager would directly promise him a number of appearances?

And it's a whopping 30 games!

This means that Ye Xian is willing to adjust tactics and adapt to Ronaldo's playing style specifically for Ronaldo's growth, and is willing to bear the trial and error costs of cultivating new talents.

Ye Xian continued, his tone sincere and persuasive: "Not only that, I will also address his weaknesses to help him improve step by step."

"I've watched his game footage. He's currently dribbling brilliantly and brimming with confidence, but he's weak physically, lacks finishing efficiency, and has poor defensive habits."

"I will personally tailor a training plan for him, to refine his shooting, strengthen his physical strength, and correct his bad habits."

"At Everton, he will be the core player, the future, and the team's key player to develop! We will definitely take our star player very seriously..."

These few words struck at the heart of Mendes' concerns.

He has seen too many talented young people who, because of their eagerness for quick success, end up sitting on the bench, wasting their talents, and becoming just another ordinary person.

Cristiano Ronaldo's talent is once in a century, and what he fears most is not encountering a good coach to gradually guide him to maturity.

The Ye Xian in front of us doesn't boast, doesn't make empty promises, and doesn't talk about championships or the future. He only talks about the most practical and suitable growth logic for young geniuses.

They even knew Ronaldo's weaknesses very well and promised to provide him with the greatest possible help and training.

This is a genuine discussion about Cristiano's future, not just about transfers and compensation.

The two chatted for a while longer.

The more they talked, the more compatible they became!

Finally, the transfer price naturally came into play.

Mendes has decided to hand over Cristiano Ronaldo to Ye Xian!

However, a small problem still occurred.

Sporting Lisbon's official reserve price starts at four million pounds, and they are taking a hard line and are not willing to budge.

Because the club's management was confident that Ronaldo's talent was so outstanding that there would be no shortage of teams willing to take him on.

Ye Xian only has a total budget of 1200 million, and besides Ronaldo, he plans to bring in five more players, including established players like Alonso.

If 400 million is spent here, there will probably be little room for maneuver later.

"Can we pay in installments? For example, pay 200 million upfront, and then pay the rest in two or three years," Ye Xian proposed.

Mendes shook his head: "No. Sporting Lisbon desperately needs cash to buy a striker, and they don't support installment payments right now."

"This..." Ye Xian pondered.

"That's settled," Mendes said. "Ye, I approve of your plans and believe in your abilities. To ensure Cristiano's smooth transition to the Premier League and his development within your system, I'm willing to forgo all of my personal commission for this transfer."

Ye Xian was slightly taken aback.

Agent commissions are Mendes' core source of income. The commission for this transfer is substantial. Giving up all the commissions would be equivalent to working for nothing and gaining no benefit whatsoever.

"I don't need that money," Mendes said calmly. "What I want isn't a one-time transfer fee, but Cristiano's future potential. Your willingness to give him a key position, to patiently develop him, and to give him room for error is more valuable than a commission."

This truly demonstrates the vision and strategic thinking of a top-tier agent.

They forgo short-term gains, betting on the long-term growth of the players, on Ye Xian's ability to nurture talent, and on the birth of a future football superstar.

"Furthermore, if we add the transfer fee for future transfers, and also add some appearance bonuses, we can reduce the amount by even more."

Ye Xian considered it for a moment and said, "That means I can only pay around 300 million..."

"Yes."

£300 million was roughly Ye Xian's budget for this trip.

Then there are no problems at all!

At the end of the meeting, Mendes extended his hand, his smile finally becoming genuine: "Ye, I'm entrusting my best player to you. I hope that in the future, neither of us will regret today's decision."

Ye Xian gripped his hand firmly, his eyes unwavering: "Don't worry. Goodison Park will be the starting point of his legend."

Thus, a preliminary agreement regarding the transfer of a future superstar was drawn up!