Touchline Rebirth: From Game To Glory-Chapter 215: Tough Choice

Chapter 215: Tough Choice

Niels stood by the window and tried calling Dev. The phone rang but there was no answer.

He waited a moment, then tried again but still no response.

"He’s probably tired and he’s resting, I guess," Niels muttered to himself. He ended the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

As he scrolled through some news on his phone, a message popped up. He was told to arrive at the office immediately.

Niels walked to the office with a heavy feeling. He already knew what the meeting was about Dev’s transfer offer.

He walked down the hallway and stopped at the boardroom door, and knocked.

"Yes, come in."

He opened the door and stepped inside. The room was cold, and everyone was already seated.

Mr. Hargreaves, the Chairman, sat at the head of the table with his fingers pressed together. Richard Langley sat to his right, looking unusually pleased.

Emma Hayes sat across from Niels with her notebook open, her face calm and hard to read.

"You asked for me?" Niels said.

One of the board members looked at him. "We’ve received an offer for Dev. I’m sure Emma already informed you."

Before Niels could answer, Langley leaned forward and tapped the offer letter from Valencia.

"Twenty-seven million pounds, Niels," he said, his voice clear in the quiet room. "For a League One club like ours even one playing in Europe, that kind of money changes everything. This isn’t just a transfer. It could reshape the club’s future. If we turn it down, we’d be taking a serious financial risk."

Emma looked up from her notes. Her voice was calm and practical.

"The profit from this deal could fund the entire Phase Two of the academy project," she said. "We could upgrade the medical wing, clear the rest of the stadium expansion debt, and still have plenty left to strengthen the squad, the squad depth you’re always worried about, Niels."

Niels felt the pressure of their arguments. The numbers made sense. It was hard to argue with that.

He took a slow breath and looked straight at Mr. Hargreaves.

"If we sell Dev Patel in January, we’re giving up," Niels said calmly. "We battled so hard to reach the Europa League Round of 16. Our FA Cup defense starts in a few weeks. And we’re right in the middle of a promotion race, the top two teams are only a few points apart."

He leaned forward, his voice firm.

"You talk about facilities and clearing debt," Niels said. "But fans don’t come to watch a medical wing. They come to see Dev Patel thread a pass to Thiago and Max. If we sell our best player the moment he’s at his peak, we’re telling the fans and the rest of the team that our ambition can be bought."

Hargreaves shifted in his seat, his eyes sharp.

"Niels, you’re asking us to turn down life-changing money," he said. "This club has survived on far less for decades. Why risk it all for one player staying just one more year?"

"Because we’re building an identity, not just a balance sheet," Niels shot back. "When young talents like Pogba or Thiago look at us, what do we want them to see? ’Come to Crawley, we’ll develop you and sell you at the first chance’? That’s not a football club. That’s a factory. You forget the trophies, the fights, the moments we create on the pitch. We can develop them and aim for glory, not just a payday."

Langley let out a short, cynical laugh.

"That’s exactly what we are, Niels," he said. "A development club. That’s our model. We find them, we polish them, and then we move them on for a profit. That’s how we survive."

"Then the model is broken!" Niels snapped, his frustration finally slipping through his calm exterior. "We’re the defending FA Cup champions. We’re playing in Europe. We aren’t a stepping stone anymore, Richard. We are a destination. But we only stay a destination if we act like one. If we sell now, we’re admitting we don’t care about winning trophies. We’re admitting we’re just happy to exist."

The room fell silent. Langley looked offended, while Hargreaves stared thoughtfully at the table. The tension hung heavy, almost suffocating.

Emma finally spoke, her voice calm but firm.

"If we sell Dev right now," she said, "the club will have enough money for you to buy one or two quality players. Why are you so stuck on keeping Dev? You need to think practically, not emotionally, Niels."

Niels felt her words press against him, but he held his ground, refusing to let logic alone dictate the club’s future.

Niels ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath.

"You’re right," he said slowly. "We could use the money to bring in one or two good players. But they’ll need time to adapt. This is a new league for them, a new system. You can’t guarantee they’ll hit the ground running. Dev already knows our style, our players, our style. "Selling him now will definitely benefit the club financially," he said, "but when it comes to the games, it could backfire."

He looked around the table, meeting each board member’s gaze. "Sometimes loyalty isn’t just sentiment. It’s also strategy."

Emma sighed, her eyes moving between Niels and the Chairman.

"There might be a middle ground," she said. "What if we agree to the sale now, but include a loan-back clause until the summer? Or better yet, we just reject the January bids and wait for June."

She looked at Hargreaves. "If Dev performs in the Round of 16, his value won’t just stay at 27 million. It will rise. We keep him for the trophy hunt and sell him at the peak of his hype in the summer."

Hargreaves tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"It’s a gamble," he said. "If he gets injured or his form drops, we lose millions." He fixed his gaze on Niels. "You’re asking for his full commitment. If he’s distracted by the bright lights of Valencia all spring, he becomes a liability, not an asset. His agent has been flying around for months pushing this transfer, it won’t be easy to convince him or Dev to stay."

"Let me manage the player," Niels said firmly. "I’ll keep his head right. But I need your word, no January sale. We finish what we started this season together if we really want to win trophy."

Hargreaves glanced at Langley, who shook his head, then turned back to Niels. After a long tense minute, the Chairman finally nodded with a sign.

"Fine. No January sale. We’ll reassess in May. But Niels... if we finish this season without promotion and Dev’s value drops, this decision will define your legacy here and not in a good way."

"I accept that," Niels said firmly, meeting Hargreaves’ gaze without flinching.

Langley looked furious but he knew he’d been outvoted. He snapped his papers together and stood, his movements sharp and tense then stormed out of the room without a word.

Emma looked at Niels, a mix of warning and respect in her eyes, then followed him quietly.

Niels stepped into the cool evening hallway, his legs heavy. He had won the boardroom battle, but the season ahead just got much tougher.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and it was a text from Dev Patel.

’Coach... can we talk? My agent just called. I’m confused’.

Niels leaned against the corridor wall. The boardroom battle was done but the hard part was next convincing Dev, especially if he already wanted to leave.