I Am Scouted by Real Madrid-Chapter 285 - 1: Spending a Billion

The new Galaxy Battleship has not yet set sail, but it has already made countless fans eagerly anticipate.

During this time, what brings the greatest joy to Real Madrid fans are the touching "words of affection" spoken by the Portuguese in interviews.

Some have even compiled the top ten quotes from these.

"I hope to write a new Chapter at such a great club as Real Madrid; I believe I can help the team win many championship titles."

"I know very well what I need to do next: rigorous training and avoiding serious injuries are essential, as I have a long way to go and much to improve."

"Those players like me who joined this year must quickly integrate into the team and adapt to the new environment and teammates. Only then can we help the team win honors promptly."

"Kaka and I will coexist; we will prove that together we will make the team better."

"Villarreal, under Pellegrini’s guidance, is an outstanding and very difficult team to beat."

"My goal is to become the best player in history... or even better."

"I think the price Real Madrid paid (to acquire me) is reasonable. Since Manchester United and Real Madrid arrived at this figure after multiple negotiations, there is no reason to question it. In this world, great players are always associated with high transfer fees; if a team desires them, they should pay the corresponding price."

"My situation is rather unique because I had no idols in my childhood. I trained and grew up on regular pitches with my partners from a young age. For me, stepping onto the pitch, dribbling past players, and scoring goals—that’s everything to me."

"My many years of football experience tell me that team play and team responsibility are two principles I must understand and strive to achieve. The C. Ronaldo appearing at Real Madrid will be the best C. Ronaldo."

"Karim Benzema is a great player, a forward I hope to pass the ball to as much as possible."

During the time Portuguese C. Ronaldo was interviewed by media from all over, Real Madrid kept their momentum going. On June 25th, Real Madrid signed Spanish defender Albiol from Valencia for a transfer fee of 15 million euros; on June 29th, Real Madrid announced France’s top player Karim Benzema had joined for 35 million euros.

At the same time, negotiations are ongoing for transfers such as Liverpool’s midfielder Alonso, with media estimating that Real Madrid might spend over 300 million euros during this transfer window.

Apart from bringing in players, Real Madrid has also cleared out quite a few.

Arjen Robben transferred to Bayern Munich, Sneijder went to Inter Milan, Huntelaar was sent to Milan, Javi Garcia and Saviola were packaged to Benfica, and Heinze transferred to Marseille.

Additionally, the contracts of players like Cannavaro, Cordina, and Sergado have expired, allowing them to freely seek other teams to join.

There are two heavyweight news items: Guti and Raul have agreed on a free release from Real Madrid, and they will bid farewell to the fans at the end of June.

Following their farewell comes Cristiano Ronaldo’s signing ceremony.

This has sparked much discussion among fans, who believe Real Madrid is making space for the Portuguese, preparing to crown the new king.

Of course, these are just the immature thoughts of some fans from other teams.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, and some La Liga teams all understand what this means—it means that man is coming back.

...

June 29, 2009

Madrid

Inside the airport, people bustling around, a group sitting in the VIP lounge sipping coffee and chatting. If a football fan looked inside, they’d find most of them were Real Madrid’s first-team players.

Raul, Guti, Marcelo, Ramos, Callejon, Torres, Parejo, Negredo, Granero, Casillas were there, along with some new signings like Albiol, and Benzema fresh off the plane trying to greet his teammates but ended up waiting there with them.

The players inside the VIP lounge unofficially formed three "formations": one side had Marcelo, Callejon, Torres, Parejo, Negredo, Granero, and young players like Nacho, Morata, Carvajal; another side had Raul, Guti, Ramos, Casillas and others from the "old guard"; and a small group of "new signings" like Albiol and Benzema.

Benzema sat there uneasily, not typically known for being quiet, but with these "big brothers" of Real Madrid present, he could only stay humble and avoid seeking attention...

Who were they all waiting for?

Benzema pondered quietly, feeling overwhelmed when he saw so many "teammates" right off the plane, thinking it was the club’s way of showing respect for him.

But upon further discussion, he realized none were waiting for him.

Albiol, meanwhile, was purely there to pay respects, enjoying the spectacle.

Previously, Sports City’s new idol was Casillas, but since Chen Zhong’s arrival and Nacho’s "honor students" proactively promoting, it became Chen Zhong.

Though it sounds incredible, Albiol keenly sensed that in the future Real Madrid, the one who might truly have influence would be the Chinese person they were all waiting for.