Chapter 183 176: Star Player Treatment

After playing three consecutive matches in just five days, the National Youth Team finally got a rare chance to rest.

Even if it was only for two short days.

The Toulon Cup organizing committee also actively arranged sightseeing activities, and the National Youth Team took a day to explore the area around Toulon.

The south of France, along the western Mediterranean coast, is home to numerous tourist destinations.

To the west of Toulon are Marseille and Provença. The former needs no introduction, while the latter is famous as the land of lavender.

Heading east, the route passes through the famous film city of Cannes, Nice, and Monaco—all world-renowned tourist spots.

After some discussion within the team, everyone unanimously agreed to head east.

At a little after seven in the morning, the team set off from Toulon for their first stop: Nice, the pearl of the Blue Coast.

After the long journey to Toulon, followed by three games in five days, every player on the team had been working non-stop and was under a great deal of pressure. Yang Yang, for instance, had basically been playing continuously since last August.

With a rare opportunity to enjoy the beautiful beaches and the azure Mediterranean Sea, coupled with the team's three-game winning streak to advance from the group stage, Yang Yang and everyone else were in high spirits. They spent a full hour and a half playing on the beach in the morning before reluctantly departing.

Before noon, the team arrived at the Monaco Royal Palace to watch the famous changing of the guard ceremony. Afterward, they went on a whirlwind tour, taking photos everywhere and making a special trip to the palace's gift shop to buy souvenirs.

Yang Yang also bought a few unique trinkets, planning to give them to friends and family back home in China.

It was while shopping for souvenirs that Yang Yang noticed his National Youth Team teammates were generally not well-off. Everyone tried to avoid the expensive items, opting instead for cheaper things like commemorative medals. Chen Tao and Feng Xiaoting were among the highest-paid on the team, but their monthly income was only five or six thousand yuan, and the others earned even less.

Yang Yang, on the other hand, had the highest salary on the team. He currently earned over four hundred Euros a week at Ajax, and with match bonuses on top of that, he was considered the team's biggest spender. Seeing his teammates' financial struggles, he had a rare moment of extravagance and bought an exquisite gift for every single person on the team.

Not just the players, but also the coaches, staff, and accompanying journalists each received one, and he also treated everyone to lunch.

Everyone on the team felt Yang Yang's kindness. Due to the team's limited budget, they hadn't planned on eating out for lunch to save money. The original plan was to just grab some hot dogs and fruit for a makeshift meal, then have a proper dinner back at the hotel in Toulon.

Yang Yang's intention was simply to have everyone enjoy themselves and create a good memory.

After discussing it with the team leader, Head Coach Tie Sheng ultimately agreed to let Yang Yang treat them to the meal. They just decided to keep it confidential to avoid any unnecessary trouble. This, however, made the players respect Yang Yang even more.

Yang Yang's agent, Raiola, and Van Basten both lived in Monaco. Van Basten owned two luxury houses on a prime hillside location in Monaco and had invited Yang Yang to be his guest several times. However, Van Basten had been in the Netherlands recently. On the other hand, Raiola happened to be in Monaco, so Yang Yang called him to help find a restaurant.

Before long, Yang Yang's group arrived at a luxurious restaurant not far from the Monaco Royal Palace. The pot-bellied Raiola had already booked a large private room inside and was waiting to welcome them.

The contrast was striking.

They were all agents, but the agents of the National Youth Team players were clearly a whole tier below Raiola in terms of both competence and service. The National Youth Team members were even more astonished when they heard that Raiola was also the agent for Nedved and Ibrahimovic and had extensive connections throughout Europe.

A few players who were genuinely considering a move to Europe couldn't help but ask Raiola about the details of transferring to a European League during the meal. With Yang Yang acting as the intermediary, Raiola answered all their questions, offering his consulting services for free.

After quickly eating enough to fill their stomachs, Yang Yang and Raiola stepped aside to discuss his personal matters.

...

...

"Van Gaal is really gone."

Raiola brought the latest news from Ajax. "He has officially announced that he's taking over Alkmaar in the Eredivisie."

Yang Yang nodded silently. He had known this was coming for a while, but hearing the news still left him a little dejected.

"Who's taking his place?" Yang Yang asked with concern.

"Based on the intel I have, after Van Gaal's departure, the club's board of directors will divide the technical director's responsibilities. Some duties, including transfers, will be handed over to board member Ali Van Eeden, while the current U19 youth team coach, Danny Blind, will take over the youth academy."

Danny Blind is an Ajax legend, a witness to Van Gaal's glorious era. He played for Ajax for fifteen long years and had been working with the youth teams ever since retiring in '99.

Yang Yang had previously guessed that he might take over from Van Basten to coach the second team, but he never expected him to get such a meteoric promotion, taking charge of the entire youth department. It seemed the club had great faith in his abilities.

However, Yang Yang was in the first team now, so the affairs of the youth academy didn't have much to do with him.

"As for the first team, Ronald Koeman has confirmed he's staying, and Luther Carroll and the others have also decided to remain. The coaching staff will stay the same. But on the player side, many have received offers from other clubs. You've gotten quite a few yourself."

Seeing Yang Yang look up as if to say something, Raiola smiled slightly.

"Don't worry, I've politely declined them all for you. Staying at Ajax is your best option."

Yang Yang nodded. He didn't want his agent pushing him to transfer, and he believed Raiola knew that.

"Ajax's summer transfer business has already begun. From the intel I've gathered, Niklas Bendtner will likely join Ajax, turning down Arsenal. The main reason is that Ajax promised to put him directly into the first team and invest heavily in his development."

"Zlatan is also almost certain to leave, but the decision will be made after the European Cup. Several teams, including Juventus, Inter Milan, and Rome, want to sign him. He has no shortage of interested buyers right now. The same goes for Van der Vaart."

"In addition, Escude will probably leave too; several clubs are quite interested in him. And I've heard that Ajax is considering signing Vlaar from Alkmaar."

'Vlaar,' Yang Yang mulled over the name. His memory had always been excellent, and he quickly recalled the strong center-back from the Alkmaar youth team he had faced in an amateur match.

"Ajax has a high opinion of this center-back. They just chose Escude last year. This year, the team has decided to rebuild, so they're moving to bring in Vlaar. Thomas should get more opportunities."

Vermaelen performed well last season. Although he made some mistakes, his overall performance was solid. If they really sell Escude, it would make sense to rely more on Vermaelen. The only potential weakness is that both Vermaelen and Heitinga are on the shorter side for their position.

But Vlaar has a good physique, which could compensate for that weakness.

"I've also heard that Ajax is actively negotiating in Brazil to sign both a left and a right-back, but I don't know the specific details. They'll probably sign another center-forward this summer too. Anastasios's performance hasn't been satisfactory."

After listening to Raiola's briefing, Yang Yang had a general understanding of Ajax's situation for the summer.

The Eredivisie giants no longer possessed the prestige and power of their former selves as a European powerhouse. After winning the Champions League, selling off star players had become an unavoidable reality. The only requirement now was to sell them for the best possible price, then bring in quality players to maintain the team's competitiveness and improve its financial situation.

For years, Ajax had been operating at a loss, accumulating high debts. Winning the Champions League and undergoing a rebuild was just what the team needed to catch its breath.

"As for your contract renewal, I've been negotiating with Van Eeden these past few days. The guy is easier to deal with than Van Gaal, but he's no simpleton. It'll probably take some time. Also, both Adidas and Nike have contacted me."

"What do they want?" Yang Yang asked, puzzled.

Raiola chuckled. "They're interested in you, of course."

Yang Yang was taken aback but quickly remembered that many stars had boot sponsorships. For example, Ibrahimovic and Van der Vaart both had deals. But that was something reserved for star players. 'Could I get one too?'

"Van Eeden told me that Adidas is negotiating a renewal with Ajax. They're interested in funding the construction of an indoor training center for the club and collaborating on testing and data analysis. But they want to bundle your endorsement contract into the deal. Adidas has high hopes for you."

Yang Yang gave a slight smile, unsure how to react.

"Nike has always liked to poach from Adidas. The two companies are fierce rivals when it comes to signing star players. They're not just focusing on established stars anymore; they're also watching young players. Nike would love to see you playing in an Adidas jersey while wearing Nike boots."

Raiola's remark was amusing, and Yang Yang couldn't help but chuckle.

He wasn't particularly savvy about these things, but he trusted Raiola.

"I'll let you handle all of this, but I have one condition."

Raiola nodded. The main reason he'd brought all this up was to find out if Yang Yang had any conditions or ideas of his own.

"My father's company in China also sells athletic shoes and apparel. I know that Adidas and Nike often include clauses in their sponsorship contracts requiring players to wear not only their boots on the field but also their shoes and clothing off the field. I'd like to have that clause waived."

Raiola thought for a moment, then nodded. "That shouldn't be hard to negotiate. Many players push back against that kind of clause."

"I don't have any other thoughts. You can handle it for me," Yang Yang said with a smile.

Raiola smiled and nodded. "Don't worry. I'm confident. I'll definitely have a surprise for you this time."

Yang Yang was more focused on improving his own abilities, but if he could look after his personal interests at the same time, he certainly wouldn't object.

Besides, Raiola earned a commission from his contracts.