Chapter 7: The Pseudo-tycoon Wielding Pounds

Aldridge understood very well that Millwall was lacking in both heritage and background, and even had a notorious reputation for football hooliganism, which was not conducive to attracting players

It is worth noting that three years ago, the top scorer of Crystal Palace, Ian Wright, transferred to Arsenal for only £2.5 million, while the renowned Teddy Sheringham also transferred three years ago for merely £2 million

You are crazy! This is the salary of a top Premier League club!

Andrew looked at Aldridge with unease and said in a low voice, "Aldridge, there are only a few people left in the first team at the club now. The outside world has a very negative view of Millwall. Adam has bought a hotel, which is currently under renovation. Do you know what the newspapers are saying about you? They say this is nonsense, that the football club has sold all the players and then bought a hotel, intending to turn Millwall into a holiday resort?"

Although this description may not be entirely appropriate, especially when compared to the football of the Jin and Yuan dynasties in later generations, at this moment, Audric indeed intends to play the role of a pseudo-tycoon waving pounds.

Even after the Bosman ruling, what were the weekly salaries of Manchester United's Beckham and Keane when they were selected for the England national team

Under Jensen's persuasion, many people were swayed. In addition to the significant increase in benefits, what tempted them even more was the prospect of working in the first team of a club

The club is outdated both in its structure and facilities, which are not sufficiently developed, resembling those of football clubs from several decades ago

The Lion's Den Stadium can still continue to be used via https://www.hetushu.com, although it is a bit smaller, but Aldridge cannot achieve everything in one step

Andrew looked incredulously at the calm Aldrich, even he began to doubt whether this brother was indeed the one that the outside world was wildly gossiping about!

Among the players that Aldridge intends to recruit this time, most may not even have a weekly salary of one hundred pounds

Hmm? Hotel

Land prices in London are extremely high, while East London is relatively affordable, which is why this area is a mix of various elements

Aldridge nodded and said in a deep voice: "Once they finish their tasks here, have them come to see me. Following that, there will be a busy period ahead. Additionally, the club needs several new departments. The first is the medical department; you need to find experts in sports medicine. The second is the nutrition department; during their time at the club, players' diets will be managed by the club. I need professionals in scientific nutrition; traditional items like fries, pudding, and fried fish are not allowed on the table."

Most of these young coaches were previously selected by Ajax but fell behind during their training and development. The inability to become professional players does not imply that their tactical acumen and football knowledge are lacking. On the contrary, in Ajax, a place rich in football heritage, even a patch of grass seems to be imbued with football wisdom

The team appears to be entering an unprecedented period of turmoil

As the American World Cup is about to commence, Aldridge and Andrew are conducting player selections within the club

Aldridge was pressed for time, so he hurriedly met with these individuals in the evening, made his commitments, and flew back to London the next day

Adam immediately said: "They have all gone out. According to your request, after the players were listed, several clubs expressed their intention to transfer, and some even made direct offers."

Although Ajax is a prestigious club in the Netherlands, their youth team operations do not enjoy the same prominence as the first team, and many individuals face uncertainty in the midst of fierce competition

Next, he will begin to scout for candidates in the transfer market

You need not worry about this; I will take care of it.

Aldridge toured the facilities of the club accompanied by Adam

If even the salaries of star players are merely a pitiful few thousand pounds, then how low must the weekly wages of ordinary players, especially those who are not yet famous, be?

However, during this blank period of transformation in the football world, the external parties have yet to recognize the value of star players, and even the players themselves are unaware of the potential earnings they could achieve. It was during this time that Aldridge found opportunities for lucrative contracts.

What was the weekly salary of England's top football star Lineker before the Bosman Act

The head coach has resigned, and the club has also issued a statement

Perhaps there are those who would scorn and ridicule Aldridge's actions now, but as the era of commercial football is on the verge of rapid development, especially with the Premier League leading the way, the first to reap the benefits will inevitably be the English teams. Aldridge, therefore, will not adhere to the traditionally frugal English ways in this "stingy" age.

Andrew shook his head candidly and said, "Millwall lacks heritage, and it is a second-tier team. Moreover, the club is currently in turmoil; who would be willing to jump into this fire pit?"

It is truly as Andrew said: playing for Millwall for one year can earn you money for ten or twenty years

five thousand pounds

More than ten players from Millwall's first team have been sold, bringing in only £1.8 million. This situation is due both to the club's proactive decision to sell and the generally low market value of players at present

Aldridge glanced at the list on the table without raising his head, treating Andrew's words as mere background noise, and said lightly: "If I bring in players, will anyone come?"

Well, there should be a gym, meeting rooms, a swimming pool, sauna and massage facilities, a restaurant, etc. Starting from the next season, the team's daily training will take place not only on the training field but also in the hotel

Aldridge raised his head and candidly said: "I borrowed 30 million pounds from my elder brother, of which 10 million pounds is for the transfer fee, and the remaining 20 million pounds is a guarantee for the club's salaries over the next two years. By the third year, if there are still no good results, but the club's income from the first two years is sufficient to cover the salary for the third year, if I cannot lead Millwall to the Premier League within three years, then I will give up my childhood dream and become a wastrel living off others."

At Ajax, there are many young coaches who hold temporary contracts, especially in the youth teams, making it quite easy to recruit them

Before the new training base is established, it is likely that we will have to use such hotels for a long time. If renting is not cost-effective, then we should consider purchasing it, whether in the name of the club or the Hall family, with the funds being disbursed from the club's account

However, a hotel, in the context of the current era, is not necessarily very expensive; it can certainly be acquired for under one million pounds. If time were not a constraint, Aldridge would prefer to build a hotel himself. Of course, if he had that time, he would definitely establish a new training facility instead

This is indeed quite a lot

However, in 1994, this was undoubtedly a jaw-droppingly high salary

Adam noted these requirements again and then asked, "What should the coaching staff and scouts do?"

Yet he shook his head in disappointment and said to Adam: "Renovate the training ground in a month and a half, and also, please check if there are any modern facilities hotels around the training camp."

In the days that followed, Aldridge met with every staff member at the club, swiftly stabilizing the chaotic organization from within, while the work of the transfer department also came to a temporary halt

Three thousand pounds

However, because the club was taken over by the Hall family, who are well-known in the neighborhood, there were no incidents of fan unrest.

In other words, the question these players consider when facing contracts is quite simple: how much money will they earn

Even with a weekly salary of £8,000, the club's annual expenditure does not exceed £500,000

The minimum weekly salary is £3,000, and the maximum is £8,000. What does this mean? For a player earning £3,000 a week, the club only needs to pay less than £200,000 in salary expenses per year, and this salary is before tax, which is unrelated to the club.

In this case, the expenses ... ...

On this list, fewer than five players are worthy of such a salary

No, I will give these players a minimum of three thousand pounds, with a maximum limit of eight thousand pounds

Jensen has contacted several peers who live quite close in Amsterdam. A few years ago, when Aldrich came here to study, he had connections with many people, but none of those relationships were as deep as the one he shares with his roommate Jensen

Adam took out his notebook to jot down Aldrich's instructions. Finally, Aldrich turned to him and said, "Where is the transfer negotiation team within the club?"

Andrew was rendered speechless, and after a long while, he sighed and said: "Well, if you plan to entice these players with high salaries, I suppose no one would refuse. Who would turn down the opportunity to earn in one year what they would make in ten or twenty years?"

I give the players a weekly salary of one thousand pounds

not exceeding four thousand pounds

Millwall has erupted in chaos, with fans gathering outside the club awaiting a statement from the club

The training facilities for the players are rudimentary, and it seems that after the players come together for team training, they participate in matches, while their daily lives filled with indulgence go unnoticed. This has become a prevailing trend in contemporary English football, where even national team members engage in excessive drinking without any regard for their athletic longevity