Known as "Venezuela's national treasure," Arango was a very creative attacker. He could organize attacks in the midfield, and he could also destroy cities in the front line. His passing and shooting were very entertaining. He was especially good at set pieces and long shots, especially after he had honed his skills in the European Football League for a few seasons. His footwork had been perfected day by day. The balls that he kicked with his left foot had Beckham's curve and Carlos's strength, as well as Juninho's confusion. For a period of time, Arango's free kicks were crazy, so much so that the Spanish media even exclaimed that Arango was simply using free kicks as penalty kicks.
The more Li Ang thought about it, the more he felt that Arango was really a treasure.
Arango's passing and organizing skills were good. Although he might not be at the level of a master, he was at the level of a first-class star player. Moreover, Arango's ability to score from long shots would give Sporting de Gijón another important scoring tool.
In Li Ang's memory, Arango had scored a lot of amazing goals in La Liga and Bundesliga.
Therefore, Li Ang immediately made up his mind to use this opportunity to recruit Arango.
He would use Cooper and Mallorca's desire for Isma to get Arango, a great player.
As long as Cooper agreed to the deal, Li Ang did not think it would be a big problem. Although Mallorca was a veteran team in La Liga and had more experience than Sporting de Gijón, a newly promoted team that had only returned to La Liga after many years, Sporting de Gijón was now a dark horse in La Liga. They were the biggest dark horse in La Liga this season. Sporting de Gijón, who was ranked fourth in the league, and Mallorca, who was ranked 19th in the league, would Arango choose? The answer was self-evident. Moreover, Sporting de Gijón had already reached the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League and could play in the European League. This could also be Li Ang's bargaining chip.
*****
In the manager's office at Mallorca's training base.
Cooper shook his head at the other members of the coaching staff who were looking at him. "He rejected us!" Although Li Ang did not explicitly refuse and said that he would consider it, in Cooper's eyes, it was a tactful refusal.
"Of course." "Sporting de Gijón's current form and results are good. Although Isma is not a main player, he is still an important player for Sporting de Gijón. They will not let Isma go at this time."
The other members of the coaching team nodded in agreement.
Cooper paced back and forth in his office anxiously. "Is there no other way?"
"What else can we do? As a matter of fact, Hector, I didn't agree with you buying Isma from the beginning. " Iguodala shrugged and spread out his hands. He and Cooper were old partners, so he spoke more casually. "This deal is very difficult."
"But Isma is the most suitable choice right now." Cooper stopped and knocked on the table. "The team's defense is very bad. We have to defend well first. A reliable center back is the prerequisite for all of this. The winter transfer doesn't give us time to waste. It's hard to find such a suitable player …"
Cooper's face was anxious.
*****
Iguodala could understand Cooper's feelings and knew that he was eager to make some achievements to prove himself. Mallorca, as the place where Cooper became famous, obviously had a special meaning to Cooper.
Cooper had been unknown when he was a player. He started his professional coaching career in the 19921993 season and rose to prominence.
At the age of 37, he had just started coaching Huracán in the Argentine Primera División. From 1995 to 1997, Cooper coached Lanús. From 1997 to 1998, he was the manager of Mallorca in La Liga. That year, he led Mallorca to second place in the Copa del Rey. Then, the team reached the final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but unfortunately lost to the Serie A powerhouse Lazio in the final.
In the summer of 1999, Cooper coached Valencia, a powerhouse in La Liga. In 2000 and 2001, the Bat Corps reached the final of the UEFA Champions League twice in a row, but lost to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. They were runners-up for two years in a row.
Later, Cooper coached Inter Milan, a powerhouse in Serie A. Although he was later fired, during his time with Inter Milan, Cooper led Inter Milan to almost win the league title and reach the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League. Inter Milan in those two years was almost the strongest Inter Milan since the 1990s, before the Calciopoli.
If Li Ang had to describe Cooper's tactics in one sentence, it would be that he focused on defense and counterattack. His playing style was ugly, and his results were average when he played against strong teams. However, he was very good when he crushed noobs.
After being fired by Inter Milan, Cooper was disheartened. After idling at home for more than a year, he finally decided to go out again. He chose Mallorca, the place where he became famous. Naturally, he was eager to regroup in this blessed land.
Because of this, Cooper was a little impatient. In his tactics, defense was the first priority. The importance of a center back was unquestionable.
Cooper really admired Isma. Famous managers like Cooper were very stubborn. If he liked a player, he would be very firm in his choice.
At that moment, the phone on his desk rang. Cooper glanced at the caller ID and showed a surprised expression. Then his face changed and he quickly picked up the phone.
"Hello, Mr. Cooper. I have a trade proposal here. What do you think?"
The voice of Sporting de Gijón's manager, Li Ang, came from the other end of the phone.
*****
After hanging up the phone, Cooper's face showed a thoughtful expression. However, he did not hide his joy.
"How is it?" Iguodala asked. The others also looked over anxiously.
"Li Ang proposed a player plus cash deal," Cooper said.
"A player plus cash deal?" Everyone was stunned.
"Yes, they proposed to exchange Juan Arango and 1.5 million euros for Isma," Cooper said.
Hearing Cooper's words, everyone began to think about the pros and cons of the plan.
"Juan Arango joined on a free transfer." Iguodala was the first to speak. "The Venezuelan's performance has been average for half a season. Why would Li Ang like Arango? "
"Why would he like Arango? That's not important." Cooper waved his hand. He had no time to care about the other party's thoughts. "What we have to discuss now is whether this trade proposal is feasible?"
"I think it's feasible." A member of the coaching staff said, "Arango's performance is very average. I don't see anything special. The Venezuelan looks like it will be difficult for him to adapt to the European League. Anyway, when we brought Arango in, we didn't spend a transfer fee. Now that Sporting de Gijón is interested in Arango, it can be considered a contribution to the team."
"It's basically feasible." Another member of the coaching staff said, "However, the transfer fee can be negotiated and let them reduce it a little. Arango can offset a part of the transfer fee."
The opinions of the coaching staff were very unified. The trade plan was feasible. At the same time, they also hoped that they could use Arango to offset a part of the transfer fee. They also hoped that Sporting de Gijón would not hold on to the 1.5 million euros and would be able to reduce it appropriately.
In short, the MALLORCA manager, Mr. Cooper, and the coaching staff agreed that Arango's performance was very average. They could not see any potential and might not even be able to adapt to La Liga. Moreover, the player was brought in on a free transfer. Even if they transferred him now, it would not be too painful. Moreover, the coaching staff was happy to see Arango being able to "recycle" and contribute to the team in this transfer. It was very feasible and very good.
The opinions of the coaching staff also made Cooper finally decide that the deal was feasible.
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