Chapter 44: Europe (2)

“How are things going with the James Jeong transfer?”

Peter Guardian, known as the savior of Manchester City, sat in the manager’s office and questioned his chief scout, James Brown, who stood before him.

“Boss, we’ve offered the maximum amount the club has authorized. But the situation has become more complicated than expected.”

“What’s the problem?”

Brown hesitated for a moment before answering.

“First of all, Jeong Tae-woo now has an agent. And that woman… no, hah… I’m sorry. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately…”

James Brown’s face was far more grim than it had been during their meeting, a clear testament to the immense stress he was under.

“Talking to that agent on the phone reminds me of the ‘Devil’ himself.”

The ‘Devil’ he referred to was the self-proclaimed moniker of the famous super-agent, Miguel Sanchez.

Sanchez was often called ‘the Devil’ in the football world due to his formidable negotiation skills and extensive network.

“Furthermore, I’ve recently heard that Dortmund has offered him a significantly high wage. This might make acquiring Jeong more difficult than we anticipated.”

Guardian stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment.

‘If we continue without any changes, we could collapse next season.’

He had somehow managed to maintain a mid-table position through a synergy of his tactics and the players’ abilities.

But he felt his tactics were being meticulously analyzed by opposing teams.

That’s why he knew that if a new wind didn’t blow next season, it would be a difficult one, even for him.

“I’d like to call Jeong Tae-woo directly and tell him my vision.”

“I’ll contact the agent and get his number.”

James’s face contorted as he prepared to call the agent, but Guardian ignored it.

‘Hah… that woman again…’

A short while later…

“I’ve got the number.”

He managed to get Jeong Tae-woo’s number written on a notepad.

But for some reason, James’s face looked as if it had aged ten years.

“James, you can head home for the day. Get some skincare done lately.”

“…”

Feeling awkward under James’s silent stare, Guardian cleared his throat unnecessarily.

“Ahem… Well, you can go now.”

And so, James left.

Guardian picked up his phone with an excited heart.

“Hoo…”

Ring-ring—

-Hello?

A smile spread across Guardian’s face as he heard Jeong Tae-woo’s voice over the receiver.

“This is Peter Guardian, the manager of Manchester City.”

-The manager of Manchester City?

‘Thank goodness, he speaks English well.’

Having seen many European players fail to adapt due to language barriers, he felt even more favorable toward Jeong Tae-woo upon hearing his fluent English.

“You might be surprised by my direct call, but I wanted to phone you personally to tell you the vision I have.”

Jeong Tae-woo was silent for a moment.

‘Is he flustered by the manager calling him directly? He must be a shy kid for all his talent.’

“I plan to use you as my number one starter next season. Your shot-stopping ability and stability, regardless of your age, will become the iron wall of our Manchester City.

That’s not to say I intend to waste your aggressive style of play, either.”

-Does that mean next season, for me…

“I’ve prepared a tactical system where you can shine. Won’t you join me in making Manchester City the kings of the Premier League again?”

Guardian paused to catch his breath, wanting to convey his vision to Jeong Tae-woo even more clearly.

His voice was filled with confidence and passion.

“That will be the core movement, the foundation of the tactics I will employ next season. And we will double the weekly wage we offered you.”

-I’ll think about it positively and get in touch through my agent.

“Thank you. Get some rest, then.”

Click-

Placing the disconnected phone on his desk, Peter Guardian’s gaze shifted to his tactics board.

On the board, the player slots for certain positions were empty.

Among them, the goalkeeper’s position was also vacant.

“I hope we can fill it.”

***

[Dortmund offers Jeong Tae-woo over 14 million Won weekly wage… fierce competition with Man City for his signature.]

[Manchester City enters the fray for Korea’s monster goalkeeper, Jeong Tae-woo.]

[Jeong Tae-woo receives love calls from Europe’s big clubs… Dortmund and Man City lead the race.]

[Premier League vs. Bundesliga, an intense battle for Jeong Tae-woo.]

[Jeong Tae-woo’s agent: “In negotiations with several clubs… will make the best choice.”]

Reading the sports articles, I’m always amazed by their information network.

I haven’t done any interviews or posted anything related on social media, so how do they know all this?

‘Korean reporters sure are diligent.’

Evading the eyes of those reporters, Gayoung-nuna and I departed for the UK in secret.

After receiving the call from Manchester City’s manager, Peter Guardian, I immediately decided to transfer to Manchester City.

The negotiations between my agent and the team also concluded smoothly.

Now, all that was left was to visit Manchester in person, undergo a medical test, and sign the contract to officially become a Manchester City player.

My studies in Korea unfortunately had to be put on hold.

Of course, I had arranged to attend a school affiliated with Manchester City.

‘I really don’t have to study, though…’

But Gayoung-nuna was absolutely against it.

She said studying was non-negotiable.

“Nuna.”

“Yes, what is it?”

At my call, my sister, who was sitting next to me reading a book, looked at me.

“Nuna, I know you signed a contract with Seungmin, but aren’t you going to sign one with Hee-sung?”

I heard that Seungmin had signed with nuna and was set to receive various forms of financial support.

‘I plan to play football in Korea to win the World Cup. Hehehe.’

Actually, there was another reason I suddenly brought up Hee-sung.

As soon as the Manchester City transfer rumors started, Hee-sung sent me these messages in the middle of the night.

[-10 Reasons Why Man U is Great]

[-Why does Man U always win?]

[-Let’s delve into Man U, the dream of all players]

And since Hee-sung is a talent acknowledged by the world, it would be good for me too if nuna signed him quickly.

‘Yoo Hee-sung needs to develop faster. If we’re going to win the World Cup within 10 years, that is.’

“Hmm… I’m planning to think about it after your transfer is finalized. I do intend to sign both Yoo Hee-sung and Lee Tae-yang.”

“Huh? Tae-yang too?”

I asked back in surprise.

“Yes, Lee Tae-yang is also receiving a lot of interest from Germany.”

I am certain of it.

The coach of the team that signs Lee Tae-yang will lose all his hair from Tae-yang’s craziness.

‘I pity that coach.’

But what I didn’t know was that the Korean national team evaluators saw Lee Tae-yang and me as the same kind of player.

***

Getting off the plane, an exotic landscape, vastly different from Korea, unfolded before me.

‘Though for me, it’s as comfortable a sight as Korea.’

If anything, it felt like coming home.

We left Manchester Airport in a car prepared by the club.

Not long after we started driving, a massive stadium came into view.

The Etihad Stadium, the heart of Manchester City, boasting a colossal capacity of 55,097 seats.

***

As soon as I arrived at the Etihad Stadium, I was guided directly to the medical center.
Inside, medical staff in white coats were bustling about.

“Jeong Tae-woo, this way please.”

The chief medical officer greeted me.

First, my height and weight were measured, followed by a blood test.

“Hmm…”

The doctor’s eyes widened as he checked the results.

“This hemoglobin level… it’s truly astonishing.”

Next was the cardiopulmonary function test.

I started running on the treadmill.

“Getting faster now.”

The speed gradually increased and the incline steepened, but I held on firmly.

“Unbelievable.”

The doctor muttered, staring intently at the monitor.

“To have this kind of lung capacity at his age.”

The medical staff’s reactions were similar during the strength and flexibility tests.

“This core strength… it’s top-tier for a goalkeeper.”

“His joint mobility is extraordinary as well.”

The staff couldn’t hide their surprise, especially during the reflex and agility tests.

“My goodness, I’ve never seen reaction speeds like this.”

“I don’t think he’d fall short even when compared to the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.”

“No, from what I’m seeing, I think he surpasses them.”

After the final MRI and X-ray scans were completed, the medical staff exchanged glances.

The chief medical officer approached me and said.

“Jeong Tae-woo, your physical abilities are truly special. It seems Man City has made a major signing.”

“Thank you.”

I was able to smile happily and shake his hand.

Because every single one of their reactions was entertaining to me.

We were guided by a club official to the conference room for the contract signing.

When the door opened, Manager Peter Guardian and club executives were waiting for us.

“Welcome, Tae-woo. I heard your medical test results were excellent.”

Manager Guardian said with a bright smile.

A thick contract lay on the table.

I slowly sat down and opened it.

Pages filled with English text, and at the very bottom, the signature line.

“All you have to do now is sign.”

‘This is the real beginning.’

I slowly began to sign my name.

‘Jeong Tae-woo’

“Hahahaha, thank you! You are now officially a Manchester City player.”

Manager Guardian patted my shoulder.

And shortly after, an avalanche of articles poured out.

[Manchester City confirms the signing of Korean prospect Jeong Tae-woo.]