Chapter 67: The Winter Transfer Window Opens

"Well! I suppose the secret is out."

Mo Mo rubbed his nose, feeling a bit awkward. What followed was naturally the usual routine of signing autographs and taking photos. The high school students still had classes to attend, so it was all over in a day. Now, what was left to do?

Mo Mo regretted being put on the transfer list; this felt incredibly boring. Was this the punishment for being impulsive?

Amidst these dull days, the winter transfer window quietly opened. As the top scorer in the Bundesliga at the halfway mark, the destination of 1860 Munich’s Mo Mo naturally drew intense attention. At this juncture, 1860 Munich was salivating over the stack of offers, and Mino’s phone was practically being blown up.

Undoubtedly, if Mo Mo decided to transfer this winter, he would become the most expensive player in history for his age group based on Chelsea’s bid. He would also set the record for a winter transfer, to say nothing of smashing the transfer records for Asian players and Chinese players abroad by an untold margin. Even if he didn't go to Chelsea, with 1860 Munich’s asking price set at 20 million euros, Mo Mo was destined to be the most prominent figure of the 2003 winter transfer window.

In truth, the major European giants had not yet experienced the "sorrows" of the winter transfer market. Later on, they would come to realize that the winter window was often the prime time for acquiring "flops." Generally, top-performing teams rarely make massive signings in mid-season; they usually only scramble for reinforcements when injuries or squad imbalances arise. When Mo Mo first transferred to Hannover 96, he was brought in as an emergency replacement for injured strikers. Once Fredi Bobic arrived, Mo Mo became redundant, leading to him being placed on the transfer list.

Of course, the coach had been too harsh, failing to understand that one should not belittle a young man for his current poverty. In the end, even if they wanted to keep him, they couldn't. Although his value had risen a hundredfold in half a year—sold for 2 million euros—his price now stood between 20 million and 36 million euros.

Most clubs had withdrawn from the chase. Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Manchester United, and others like Lyon, Monaco, Juventus, Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth had all placed bids of 20 million euros. Others had expressed interest but failed to formalize it, as their offers remained below the 20-million-euro threshold.

It is worth noting that while Juventus offered 20 million euros, they requested an installment plan. Porto made a bid, but only for 10 million euros. Although Jose Mourinho strongly insisted on signing Mo Mo, the price was beyond Porto's means—double their maximum psychological limit. Under these circumstances, Roman Abramovich swooped in and bought Mourinho himself! And Mourinho actually went! This cast a huge shadow of doubt over whether Porto could complete their league and Champions League title run.

Chelsea’s actions were widely criticized by their peers. Was this a page out of Bayern Munich’s poaching playbook? And was Mourinho even worth the trouble? Abramovich had always operated on the belief that expensive meant good; he ignored squad balance, simply throwing money at star players and high salaries, stacking the midfield and forward lines. It was the typical behavior of a wealthy man acting on a whim.

"Kid, come to Chelsea! You and I will win the Champions League together. You’ll be a guaranteed starter."

When Mo Mo received the call from Mourinho and heard those words, he was stunned. The world had changed so much! In the original timeline, Mourinho should have been leading the "Dragons" of Porto to soar, chasing league, cup, and Champions League titles to forge his own legendary path. Why had he gone to Chelsea early? Abramovich’s obsession with Mo Mo had truly reached a fever pitch, driving the price from a reasonable 6 to 12 million euros up to a starting bid of 20 million. But the higher the price, the higher the expectations. If Mo Mo moved to Chelsea and failed to perform, he would certainly be branded a "flop."

"Mourinho, what is this? Have you bowed down to money?" Mo Mo’s tone was playful. He knew that wasn't the case, but hearing the silver-tongued Mourinho lie was quite amusing.

"Of course not! It’s just that Porto isn’t an ambitious club; they only care about flipping players! It’s a 'black shop.' Since Abramovich invited me, why shouldn't I go to Chelsea? Who does Mourinho fear? As for those star players, just watch how I whip them into shape."

Mo Mo broke into a cold sweat. Please, the reason everyone respected you in the original history was first because of your honors, and second because those stars had been humbled by repeated failures. Your tactical ability only came third. Football, especially coaching, values seniority and prestige. Without them, who would listen to you? Even if your tactics are brilliant, it’s useless if the players don't respect you on the pitch.

"You’re too impatient. As much as I’d like to work with you, now really isn't the time."

Mourinho continued to talk, mostly bragging and speaking of grand ambitions, but it wasn't what Mo Mo wanted to hear. It was clear Mourinho was changing the subject. When Mo Mo had suggested bringing three promising young Chinese players along, he had subtly realized that Mourinho couldn't make that call.

Indeed, he couldn't. Abramovich was trying to build an all-star lineup; setting his sights on Mo Mo was already a miracle, and bringing in Mourinho just to secure him was a sign of immense sincerity. While Abramovich might have agreed to Mo Mo's request, Mourinho was unwilling. He wanted total control over the squad and wished to avoid such nepotism. Mourinho thought Mo Mo was engaging in cronyism, and Mo Mo had no desire to explain himself. If he couldn't even open the door for others to play abroad, what was the point of talking about a "Chinese contingent"?

If Mino were here, he would surely be scolding Mo Mo, asking why they couldn't just start in a second-tier league instead of aiming for the top flight immediately. Well, perhaps it was just the nature of Mo Mo being Chinese—the mindset of Chinese parents... you know how it is.

After hanging up with Mourinho, a call from Pacult came through. Unlike before, when Pacult had pleaded for Mo Mo to join, this time he was asking him to leave.

"The club's financial situation isn't great... I hope you can find a good team... it's not that..."

To Mo Mo, this was all nonsense. Sometimes, do you really get pushed out just for performing too well? In truth, Pacult didn't want Mo Mo to leave. He had told the board he needed a forward like him, but the executives argued that the partnership between Lauth and Markus Schroth was doing just fine during Mo Mo's suspension. It sounded harsh, but 1860 Munich’s goal wasn't the title; they were merely fighting for survival.

It is worth noting that Borussia Dortmund had already abandoned their pursuit; their finances could not support a 20-million-euro winter transfer.

Mo Mo felt exhausted. He leaned back on the sofa. The Portuguese League, Ligue 1, the Bundesliga, the Premier League, Serie A, the Eredivisie, or La Liga—where exactly did his future lie?