Chapter 661 125: Another Gamble! The Three Superstars Meet Again! Wenger's Three-Year Strategy and Arsenal's Fatal Flaw

Should he meet with Wenger?

It wasn't an easy decision.

Especially at such a sensitive time.

Shen Qinghe laid out an analysis for Wang Shuo.

For a transfer involving a player of Wang Shuo's caliber, it was crucial to gather as much information as possible beforehand, and meeting the head coach was a must.

Whether it was Wenger, Ferguson, or Manchester City's Mancini, he had to meet them in person.

Only by meeting face-to-face, in a direct and open conversation, could he learn the head coach's true intentions.

Of course, some head coaches might be deceptive.

It varied from person to person, just like in business.

But the meeting had to happen!

If they didn't meet, everything would be conveyed through third parties. Never mind the potential for miscommunication, how could they even guarantee its authenticity?

Some agents and reporters wouldn't necessarily have Wang Shuo's best interests at heart!

If they "accidentally" leaked something behind the scenes, Wang Shuo would be put in a very passive position.

So, they had to meet, but it had to be in secret.

Dortmund surely wouldn't interfere, but on one condition: the outside world couldn't find out.

If solid proof emerged, Dortmund would do everything to distance themselves, and Wang Shuo would be left in an extremely vulnerable position.

The Dortmund fans might even feel that Wang Shuo had betrayed Dortmund.

If it really came to that, Wang Shuo's efforts over the past two years would all be for nothing.

Therefore, how they met was critical.

In the end, Shen Qinghe proposed that they bypass the middlemen and that she would coordinate directly with Wenger.

The fewer people who knew, the better.

They chose the time just before Wang Shuo was scheduled to fly back to his home country from Frankfurt.

But before that, whenever Wang Shuo returned home, he would always visit Zhao Yifan and Zhang Xiaopeng in Mainz.

Wang Shuo was still paying the rent on the house they lived in in Mainz.

Wenger's side proposed a plan: he would use the pretext of returning to his hometown, Strasbourg, France.

The distance from Strasbourg to Mainz was less than 200 kilometers. He would drive there himself and they would have a secret meeting at night in the house Wang Shuo rented.

The next day, Wang Shuo would depart for his home country, and no one would be the wiser.

It had to be said, the whole affair felt as clandestine as a secret tryst, which was rather thrilling.

...

Wenger was thinner than Wang Shuo had imagined, and he was also very tall.

Well over 1.9 meters.

Dressed in a dark suit, wearing a pair of glasses, and carrying a simple briefcase, he really did look like a refined university professor.

But the eyes behind those glasses were incredibly sharp, like those of a hawk.

He had driven over by himself.

"Congratulations, Wang. You achieved astonishing results this past season!"

As soon as they met, Wenger spoke to Wang Shuo in fluent German.

This took Wang Shuo, Shen Qinghe, and Thomas Essien by surprise.

"Thank you, Mr. Wenger. I didn't expect your German to be so good."

"In my hometown, it's quite normal to speak German."

Zhao Yifan and Zhang Xiaopeng had been notified in advance, so they had taken their girlfriends out shopping.

There were only the four of them in the entire house.

After they sat down in the living room, Wenger avoided any mention of transfer fees or salary packages. Such topics were not on the agenda for tonight, nor were they appropriate for this particular setting.

Wenger had brought a thick document for Wang Shuo.

"This is the three-year development strategy I've created for Arsenal."

Wang Shuo maintained his smile. He looked at the document before him but didn't immediately open it, instead watching Wenger with a calm and unhurried demeanor.

"Professor, would it be appropriate for me to look at this?"

"No, I've tailored this specifically for you."

But Wang Shuo still showed no intention of looking through it, continuing to watch Wenger in silence.

Instead, it was Shen Qinghe, sitting to the side, who broke the silence with a charming smile. "Professor, from what we understand, Arsenal's current situation isn't ideal. Many key players, including Fabregas, Nasri, and Clichy, might be leaving the team."

Wenger had clearly done his homework.

Shen Qinghe was Wang Shuo's personal assistant, but she was also his most trusted core confidante, even more so than Thomas Essien.

Over the past year, she had helped Wang Shuo successfully negotiate numerous major contracts.

These included his contract renewal with Dortmund and the extension with Adidas, both of which were sensational negotiations within the industry.

"Miss Shen, your information isn't entirely accurate."

Wenger gave Shen Qinghe an elegant smile. "Clichy will definitely be transferring. He's more or less reached an agreement with Manchester City. Fabregas will also most likely leave; it's just that we've spoken with Barça a few times and haven't been able to agree on a price."

"Barça's offer is only 28 million euros, which is something we can't possibly accept. But the player is dead set on going back and has come to me many times. I'm in a difficult position right now."

"Nasri's situation is more unique. I can't say for sure right now, but I'm more inclined to keep him."

Wenger was being remarkably candid, sharing information the public would never hear.

Shen Qinghe glanced at Wang Shuo, and they exchanged a look.

"Professor, we all know that Arsenal hasn't spent much in the transfer market over the past few years. There are also widespread rumors that the club's finances are not in a good state..."

Shen Qinghe left it at that, making her point clear without delving deeper.

"You're not wrong, Miss Shen. Over the past three seasons, our average net spend in the transfer market has been very low, only a little over ten million British pounds. I'm also aware of the speculation out there, such as the debt pressure from the new stadium and so on."