What Li Ang did not know was that while he was asking Domzale for Handanović, Udinese was also sending an invitation to Handanović and was almost about to get him.
In Slovenia, Domzale's general manager, Radsvkovski, was in a good mood.
Originally, he was about to agree to the Serie A team Udinese's request for Handanović. However, the request from the La Liga team Sporting Gijon made him see the opportunity to raise the price.
Udinese's offer was 300,000 Euros. To be honest, for a 20-year-old goalkeeper from a very ordinary Slovenian club, this price was not high, but it was not low either. It was within the normal range.
If there were no other competitors, Radsvkovski would have agreed to Udinese's transfer.
But now, Sporting de Gijón was also asking for Handanović, and their first offer was 350,000 Euros. Don't underestimate this price, it was only 50,000 Euros more than the Italians, but for a club like Domzale, even a mosquito was meat.
Moreover, Xi Hong Sporting Club's offer showed their attitude. They were more sincere than before. The price tag was the most direct expression of sincerity.
*****
In Sporting de Gijón, Maleo Training Base, Head Coach Li Ang's office.
Soon, the assistant coach, Mr. Scotri, reported to Head Coach Li Ang that Domzale's reply was that they said Handanović was not for sale.
Li Ang snorted in disdain. A 20-year-old second goalkeeper was not for sale. They were trying to raise the price.
Li Ang's first instinct was that other clubs were also looking to buy Handanović, which gave Domzale some confidence.
This made Li Ang a little anxious. He did not want the player he had his eyes on to be snatched away.
Which club could it be? Li Ang thought for a while, and then his eyes lit up. It was Udinese!
That's right, it should be Udinese. In his memory, Handanović transferred to Udinese this summer. After being on the bench for a season, he was loaned out by Udinese for three consecutive seasons. He only returned to Udinese in the summer of 2007 and stabilized his position as the main player.
After confirming that his opponent was Udinese, Li Ang was not in a hurry. Udinese was best at buying at a low price and selling at a high price. Udinese was not willing to pay more for a 20-year-old goalkeeper. At most, it would be a few hundred thousand Euros.
This opponent was nothing to be afraid of.
*****
Li Ang then asked Scotteri to make a second offer to Domzale. This time, he directly raised the price to 500,000 Euros. He also specifically told Domzale that this was the final offer. If Domzale didn't agree to it, then forget it!
Li Ang believed that Udinese would not be able to take out 500,000 Euros to buy Handanović. He did not remember how much Udinese had spent to buy Handanović in history, but it was definitely within 500,000 Euros. It might even be 300,000 or 400,000 Euros.
As Li Ang expected, he received a second offer from Sporting de Gijón. When he saw the price tag of 500,000 Euros, Radfkovski, the general manager of Domzale, was so happy that he almost jumped up.
This was Sporting de Gijón's final offer! He understood what this meant.
Radfkovski then replied to Udinese with a price of 500,000 Euros. Then he received a reply from Udinese with a price of 400,000 Euros. No buyout!
In this case, it was needless to say what choice Radfkovski would make.
Domzale then officially replied to Sporting de Gijón and accepted Sporting de Gijón's offer of 500,000 Euros for the young goalkeeper, Samir Handanović. Sporting de Gijón could contact Handanović to discuss personal terms.
Would Handanović be willing to go to Sporting de Gijón?!
This answer was obvious. Going from an ordinary team in the Slovenian First League to a La Liga team was definitely a qualitative improvement. In addition, after communicating with Sporting de Gijón, he learned that the other side had the qualifications to play in the UEFA Europa League. In the new season, they would play in the La Liga, the UEFA Europa League and the Copa del Rey.
What did this mean? It meant that he would have more opportunities to play. A team playing in three competitions was bound to have a certain degree of rotation. He might even have a chance to play in the UEFA Europa League.
Handanovic accepted Sporting Gijón's invitation without hesitation. The young Slovenian goalkeeper had decided to come to Spain to make his mark.
*****
On the first of August, Handanović and his agent arrived at Gijón. After successfully passing the medical examination, he officially signed a contract with Sporting de Gijón.
Later, Sporting de Gijón announced on their official website that the team had signed a contract with the 20-year-old Slovenian player, Samir Handanović. The young goalkeeper, who played for the Slovenian First League team, Domzale, officially transferred to Sporting de Gijón for 500,000 Euros. The two sides signed a five-year contract!
After signing Handanović, Li Ang also announced to the media that the team's transfer work for this summer was officially over. There would be no more new players coming and no more players leaving.
This announcement was also needed to stabilize the team's morale to a certain extent. For the players who were still in the team and had been promoted with the team, this made them feel at ease. This was equivalent to telling them that the coach thought highly of them. They were now sure to stay and look forward to the new season together.
During the entire transfer period, Sporting Gihon had eight players leave. Two of the players returned on loan, while the other six players left on transfer.
Sporting de Gijón brought in eleven players. They were goalkeeper Samir Handanović, defenders Pepe, Fernando Hierro, Branislav Ivanović, and Fábio Grosso. Midfielders Franck Ribéry, Luka Modric, and Albertini.
There were also three new players in the front line, Antonio Dinatale, Diego Milito, and young player Karim Benzema.
*****
Eight players left and eleven came in. The entire team could be said to have undergone a complete change of blood. Among the three newly promoted teams in La Liga, Sporting de Gijón could be said to have made the biggest move in the transfer market. Of course, the biggest move did not refer to their large number of signings, but to their large-scale change of blood.
However, after bringing in eleven players, Sporting de Gijón's transfer funds had not been used up. After entering and exiting, they still had three million euros left. In the eyes of some media, they began to mock Sporting de Gijón for not knowing where they got a bunch of junk from.
Marca's reporter, Phelps, once again said that Sporting de Gijón's cheap goods would soon be proven to be real junk. Sporting de Gijón's reckless change of blood would be punished. The La Liga would give this team a blow to the head.
In this regard, Li Ang directly responded, "My players will surprise everyone!"
These words naturally attracted some doubts and sarcasm from some media. Anyway, there were a lot of media who did not like him and were waiting to watch a good show.
*****
Li Ang did not have time to argue with the media. He was now busy practicing the team's tactics. Since the signings were over and the team had stabilized, the next step was to break in the lineup as soon as possible and improve their strength.
Li Ang announced that Sporting de Gijón's signings were over. The team cheered. The players could now prepare for the new season with peace of mind. The fans could also be at ease and did not need to use their fingers to discuss the signings.
However, Li Ang's announcement was tantamount to a bolt from the blue for the two players of Team B.
Juan and Reuben, the two players who had been put into the cold by Li Ang, were still hoping to leave this terrible place during the transfer period. They had submitted a transfer application to the club but had not received a reply. Now that they suddenly heard that the team's transfer was officially over, the two unlucky guys were completely dumbfounded.
"We seem to have been forgotten," Reuben said with grief and indignation.
"We were not forgotten. That bastard did it on purpose!" Juan said through gritted teeth.
Li Ang had indeed forgotten about the two unlucky guys who had been put into the cold by him.
On August 2, the Sporting de Gijón team took a family photo for the new season.
Li Ang sat in the front row, surrounded by his players. Everyone had a bright smile on their faces. They were looking forward to the new season.
This family photo of Sporting de Gijón in the 20042005 season became the best memory in the hearts of all the Sporting de Gijón fans. From this summer onwards, with this group of players as the core, the 'King of the North' made a strong comeback.
Note – Sporting de Gijón 20042005 Season Roster:
Goalkeepers: 1 - Jose Valencia; 12 - Natede Roberto; 25 - Samir Handanovic; 1 - Jose Valencia.
Defenders: 2 – Dani Borregello; 15 – Fábio Grosso; 3 – Pepe; 4 – Fernando Hierro; 5 – Alexander Isma; 26 – Branislav Ivanović; 13 – Carni Dorado; 24 – Diego Alegre;
Midfielders: 14 – Juan Carlos; 8 – Alexander Samoel; 21 – Luca Modric; 6 – Albertini; 7 – Juan Mata; 16 – Harvey Ismail; 23 – Cordini Marcos; 20 – Rafa Sastre; 11 – Franck Ribéry; 18 – Javier Blanco;
Forwards: 10 – Antonio Di Natale; 9 – Michael Pihra; 22 – Diego Milito; 17 – Karim Benzema; 19 – David Lago;
PS: Cover your face and beg for a monthly ticket.
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