Inter Milan had always maintained a tough stance on Marchisio's transfer.
However, what Juventus did not know was that Li Ang and Inter Milan had already made contingency plans for the changes brought about by Marchisio's possible transfer.
Previously, Li Ang, Marchisio, and his father, Stefano Marchisio, had an in-depth conversation. In the face of Juventus's invitation, Marchisio was tempted. He knew that in the current Inter Milan Team, he could not compete with Mata, Silva, or Modric. The addition of Arshavin also made Marchisio feel a crisis.
In the end, Li Ang and Marchisio's father reached a consensus that if Juventus's offer satisfied Inter Milan, Inter Milan would agree to Marchisio's departure.
At the same time, Marchisio also said that if the transfer was not reached, he would work as hard as ever and stay in Inter Milan to play football and contribute to Inter Milan.
In short, this was a friendly meeting. If the player eventually transferred and left, it would be an amicable breakup. If he stayed in Inter Milan, they would continue to work together.
This was obviously the situation that Inter Milan, Li Ang, and the Marchisio father and son wanted to see.
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As for Li Ang, he immediately initiated the backup plan and brought in a replacement for Marchisio to deal with the possible personnel crisis.
Li Ang's original target was Barcelona's Brazilian and Portuguese national player, André Decaux. Li Ang had always admired Decaux. This player met all his requirements for an all-around midfielder.
In Li Ang's eyes, Decaux was the representative of an all-around midfielder in modern football. He could attack and defend. The Portuguese player could meet all the requirements set by the manager: Decaux had the skills of a Brazilian and the discipline of a European.
As a midfielder, shooting was not Decaux's strength, but Decaux would occasionally perform some wonderful long shots in the game. His feet were very hard. In addition, Decaux's set piece skills were also superb. Even in the Barcelona team with gorgeous footwork, Decaux would be ordered to take some free kicks in the middle position.
Decaux's passing skills focused more on practicality. He could always achieve an excellent and effective passing rate. In the Barcelona team with gorgeous footwork, Decaux's passing footwork and concealment were not as gorgeous as Ronaldinho's, but they were very penetrative and direct.
Deke's dribbling kung fu corresponded to his overall technical characteristics. There was no unnecessary dazzling, and it was completely based on practicality. This was due to his reaction speed being extremely fast. He was able to choose the most reasonable method to evade the robbery and successfully break away from the opponent in the shortest time.
In addition, what Li Ang liked most was Decaux's attitude towards the game. He was a very professional player. From the opening whistle to the final whistle of the game, André Decaux was always the most diligent player on the field. He could both attack and defend, but his explosive power could not be compared to strikers like Ronaldinho and Henry.
Decaux, who was not tall, actually had a big heart that was not afraid of confrontation. Decaux was never afraid to compete with opponents who were a head taller than him for the high ball. He did not even suffer the slightest loss. He relied more on his judgment of the path and landing point of the ball in advance. At the same time, he also relied on his tenacious willpower to make up for his disadvantage in height.
It could be said that if Marchisio's possible departure would have a certain impact on Inter Milan, then if Decaux could join, Li Ang's Inter Milan midfield would achieve an upgrade. With players like Modric, Carlos, Decaux, and the young players like Mata, Silva, and Arshavin, Li Ang could calmly arrange the team. Inter Milan's midfield would look down on the whole of Europe! Even if they were to fight on three fronts, it would not be a problem to maintain a strong strength on all three fronts.
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Inter Milan also quickly contacted Barcelona to inquire about the possibility of bringing in Decaux.
However, to Li Ang's disappointment, Barcelona flatly refused Inter Milan's request to bring in Decaux. Barcelona said that Decaux was not for sale.
This reply made Li Ang directly swear. Who did not know that Decaux's relationship with Barcelona was very bad now? This was also the reason why Li Ang sought to get Decaux this winter.
Previously, before New Year's Day, Decaux had directly dropped a heavy bomb. The Portuguese player was interviewed by the Portuguese media, "O Jogo". Decaux said that if Barcelona did not achieve anything this season, then he would leave the Camp Nou. "This is my fourth season playing for Barcelona. I have won honors and achieved achievements. Everything in the past was so beautiful. But if we are still empty-handed at the end of this season like last season, then I will leave."
It was already late January. Barcelona was currently seven points behind Real Madrid in the La Liga standings. With Real Madrid's stability this season, it would not be easy for Barcelona to make a comeback.
Decaux's sudden attack was directly triggered by the poor performance of Decaux in the Derby de España before Christmas. After that, he became the target of criticism from the media and fans. At the Eprat International Airport, Ronaldinho became the target of public criticism. The Barcelona fans had completely forgotten the joy and glory that the Brazilian superstar had brought to them before. Decaux's treatment was not much better. He also became the target of abuse from the fans.
And within the club, some of the club's executives thought that Rijkaard should use Harvey and Iniesta, the two local players from the Catalonia youth camp, and should not entrust a foreign player like Decaux with important tasks because they thought that foreign players could not have a strong sense of club honor like the players who grew up in the club.
All kinds of criticism made Decaux feel very uncomfortable. He said that he must be respected. This was the only reason why he could stay in Barcelona. "It doesn't matter whether I can play or not. The important thing is that I must be respected. I must feel that I am still a useful member of the team. I must feel that I am still needed by the team."
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It was because of these factors that Li Ang made a move on Decaux. And he had estimated that Decaux's value at this time would not be too high. It was completely within the range that Inter Milan could afford. He was a "good player at a good price."
But he did not expect Barcelona to reject him. And according to Li Ang's information from Spain, the reason for Barcelona's rejection was simple and direct: Decaux was certainly not for sale. Barcelona was also considering getting rid of Decaux. But he could go anywhere, but not Li Ang's team! Barcelona's people were still upset that Li Ang led Sporting de Gijón to snatch their league title in the 20042005 season.
Li Ang was very unhappy with Barcelona's petty behavior, but there was nothing he could do.
Decaux, a 30-year-old veteran, could not come. He could only look for other targets. He had his eyes on the 18-year-old Toni Kroos.
Toni Kroos had just turned 18 on the fourth of this month. He had signed a youth contract with Bayern Munich. According to the news from the scouts, Bayern Munich was preparing to sign a professional contract with the young Kroos.
This made Li Ang see the possibility of snatching Kroos from Bayern Munich's mouth.
This young man, who had been given a chance to play in Bayern Munich at the beginning of this season, was praised by some German media and fans. But in Bayern Munich, where there were many big names, Toni Kroos's prospects were not optimistic. Bayern Munich had never been a hotbed for the growth of young people.
And although Li Ang's Inter Milan also had many big names, Li Ang had always been known for being good at grooming and nurturing young people.
So, after knowing that the Inter Milan manager Li Ang was interested in his player, Kroos's agent immediately responded positively. The two sides had already had preliminary contact.
Now it was up to the player's attitude. Before signing a professional contract, the transfer of a youth player was more focused on protecting the interests of the young player. It could be said that the young player's own wishes were the absolute dominant position in the transfer under the youth contract!
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