Chapter 29: Leeds opens up a black shop ?

Arthur's hunch turned out to be spot on. Bates, the old fox, had managed to scrape together a little more than 9 million euros in cash. But the kicker was that Bates wasn't trying to bring down Leeds United with some cheeky player poaching anymore. Oh no, this time, Bates was simply trying to save his own skin. West Bromwich Albion had been hovering dangerously close to relegation all season, and if things didn't improve next year, his job as manager would be on the line. And we all know what happens to managers who get relegated. Spoiler alert: it's not pretty. So Bates, desperate to keep his job and his sanity intact, decided to get proactive. He knew a strong striker could help West Bromwich Albion stay afloat in the Premier League next season. Maybe, just maybe, a world-class forward would be enough to get them out of the relegation dogfight. And what better option than Tevez? If he could get his hands on Tevez, that would give West Bromwich a fighting chance, and Bates a little more job security. But there was a problem. West Bromwich Albion didn't exactly have a mountain of cash lying around. After the disastrous signing of Howard—who had cost them a pretty penny—there was barely enough money in the club's coffers to keep the lights on, let alone buy a player of Tevez's caliber. That's when the old man must've had a lightbulb moment: if he could somehow convince Leeds United to sell Tevez for a fraction of his actual value, then maybe, just maybe, West Bromwich Albion could scrape together enough to pull off the deal. So, Bates sent over an offer that Arthur immediately recognized as desperate—16 million euros for Tevez. But Arthur wasn't fooled. He could see exactly what Bates was up to. The man had no money, no options, and no shame. This was a hail-mary attempt to salvage his own job by taking Tevez off Leeds United's hands. And the fact that Bates had sent the offer without even getting proper approval from the shareholders told Arthur everything he needed to know. Bates was playing with fire, and he knew it. Arthur wasn't in a rush to respond to West Bromwich Albion. He wasn't about to let Bates off the hook with a bargain-basement offer. So, he quickly replied with a simple, blunt message: the price was too low, and he wasn't interested. Nice try, Bates, but you're not fooling anyone. Meanwhile, Arthur had other things to do. First on the agenda was to respond to the offers from Liverpool and Sevilla for Milner. The 19-year-old was a talented, versatile player, but his current value didn't match the paltry sums being offered. Liverpool had come in with 12 million euros, and Sevilla with 13.5 million euros. Arthur didn't even need to think twice about those offers—he'd set Milner's release clause at 25 million euros for a reason. If they wanted Milner, they'd have to pay up. So, he had someone draft a polite but firm reply, letting them know that their offers were way off the mark. Then there was the matter of Real Madrid's offer for Sneijder. Real Madrid had come in with a respectable 28 million euros, which was almost exactly Sneijder's release clause. Arthur was tempted to just accept the offer outright—after all, it was a solid offer from one of the biggest clubs in the world. But Arthur was no pushover. He wanted to see if he could squeeze a little more out of them. So, he told Allen to get in touch with Real Madrid and see if they were willing to increase their bid. If not, fine. Arthur would happily take their 28 million euros. But he wasn't about to settle for less without a little negotiation first. As for Manchester United, Arthur decided to sit tight for the time being. He wasn't ready to jump into any decisions just yet. He had a theory about why they hadn't sent in an official offer for Tevez, and he needed a little more information before making his move. But he had no doubt that United would come calling soon enough—they'd be fools not to. With that all sorted, Arthur took a breather. He had given the team a couple of days off, so he decided to rest up on Tuesday. It wasn't every day that his players got time off, so he figured he might as well enjoy the peace and quiet. But on Wednesday, just as he was starting to get back into the swing of things, Allen found him with some interesting news. The investigation into West Bromwich Albion had revealed some juicy details. Apparently, Bates was in deep trouble. West Bromwich Albion's performance in the second half of the season had been dismal, and they were now teetering on the edge of relegation. On top of that, the disastrous signing of Howard had done nothing but hurt the club's financial situation. The club's available funds were dangerously low—only about 9 million euros to work with. And Bates, desperate to save his own skin, had gone ahead and submitted an offer for Tevez without even getting proper approval from the board. Apparently, the shareholders weren't too keen on the idea, but Bates was doing everything he could to make it happen. Arthur rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It seemed like his suspicions had been right all along. Bates was out of options, and now he was throwing everything he had at Leeds United to get Tevez. The old man was practically begging for Arthur to sell him the player. And now, Arthur had a couple of choices. He could either try to squeeze more money out of Bates by negotiating with him, or he could ask Bates to sell some of his own players to raise the funds. Either way, Arthur wasn't going to let Bates off easy. "Allen, get me Ferguson's contact details," Arthur said, a plan starting to form in his mind. "I need to have a word with him. Let's see if Manchester United can help us out with this little drama." Arthur leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. It was time to make his move. If Manchester United were willing to play ball, Arthur could leverage their interest in Tevez to make Bates sweat a little more. Maybe, just maybe, he could squeeze a little more out of the deal. It was all coming together, and Arthur had a feeling that this was going to be one heck of a negotiation. ···· Two weeks had passed since the previous match, and Arthur, in his infinite wisdom, decided to give his main players a bit of a break. With only a handful of games left in the season, including the all-important penultimate round and the championship showdown with Sunderland, Arthur figured it was time to let the team rest up and save their energy. After all, they had been steamrolling through the lower-tier teams of the English Championship, and now it was time to put everything they had into the final stretch. Arthur was feeling pretty confident. It wasn't often that a team could go an entire season without losing a single game, and Leeds United was on the verge of doing just that. He didn't want to jinx it, but things were looking pretty good. The players were well-rested, the tactics were solid, and everything seemed to be clicking. They were on the cusp of winning the English Championship. The only thing standing in their way was Sunderland. Now, Sunderland wasn't just another random team—they were the biggest threat to Leeds United's dream season. With only two points separating the two teams, this match had the potential to change everything. If Sunderland won, they'd jump into the top spot, leaving Leeds with their fingers crossed for the final match. But if Leeds won, it would be a celebration of epic proportions. The Championship trophy would be theirs. But Arthur's plans weren't just based on his usual strategy and hard work. The system, which had been unusually quiet for more than a month, suddenly sprang to life when Arthur was walking toward the player tunnel after their match with Ipswich. The familiar "ding" echoed in his mind, and he froze mid-step. [Ding! Task trigger: win the championship][Task content: After a season of hard work, Leeds United, under the host's leadership, is nearing the end of a fantastic season. The final stretch is here! Please lead Leeds United to victory in the English Championship.][Task Reward: Platinum Treasure Box] Arthur blinked. What the hell was that? The task that popped up wasn't exactly unexpected. He knew the season was coming to a close, and that winning the championship was going to be the ultimate prize. But the part that caught his attention? The "Platinum Treasure Box" reward. Now, Arthur had already reaped the benefits of a gold treasure box in the past, and those had been pretty darn useful. He had a peak Drogba template experience card sitting in his back pocket just in case. But a Platinum treasure box? That was a whole new level of intrigue. What kind of crazy, life-changing loot could he get from a platinum treasure box? Was it a player template? Was it some kind of superpower that would make him the ultimate football mastermind? The possibilities were endless. But for now, Arthur pushed those thoughts aside. His immediate focus was Sunderland. He couldn't get distracted by shiny treasure boxes just yet. No, there was a football match to win. Fast forward a week, and it was April 29—Saturday. The team had rested, and now they were on the road to Sunderland. Arthur's excitement was building as they approached the Stadium of Light, where the championship showdown would take place the next day. The game was scheduled for Sunday night at 7:00 PM, but the media had already begun hyping it up. Across the country, sports journalists were glued to the two championship races. In the Premier League, Arsenal had been struggling since Henry's injury, making their title hopes practically non-existent. But in the Championship, the story was different. Sunderland, sitting just two points behind Leeds, had everything to gain. If Sunderland could beat Leeds at home, they'd be in pole position for the title. But if Leeds won, it would be a near-impossible comeback for Sunderland. So, naturally, the media turned their attention to the second-tier league, and the game was being billed as one of the most important in recent memory. Most of the media coverage was optimistic for Leeds United. They had yet to lose a single match in the league, which was a remarkable achievement. People were practically ready to crown them champions already. But, as always, there was a twist waiting in the wings. At noon on Saturday, just as Leeds United arrived in Sunderland, The Sun—the newspaper notorious for its sensationalist reporting—dropped a bombshell. The headline screamed: "Many Leeds United main players will leave in the summer window, and it is still unknown who will win the championship battle." Now, The Sun was no stranger to drama. They were the kings of paparazzi gossip and half-truths, and they had a talent for digging up "exclusive" stories that often turned out to be... questionable at best. But that didn't matter. The fact that such a report was being published right before the biggest game of the season was enough to send Leeds United fans into a frenzy. The article suggested that key players—perhaps even some of Leeds' best—might be looking for new clubs in the summer. Of course, the details were vague and unsubstantiated. But in the world of football, where every rumor could have an ounce of truth, it was enough to get fans worried. And for Arthur? Well, it was the last thing he needed on the eve of the championship battle. "Great," Arthur muttered under his breath as he read the report. "Just what I need—drama before the biggest match of the season." The timing was almost too perfect. The media frenzy surrounding the "will they or won't they leave" talk would surely affect the mood around the team. Arthur was no fool. He knew how these things worked. Even if the players tried to ignore the headlines, the whispers would start. The speculation would grow. The atmosphere around the team would shift, and that could be dangerous. Arthur immediately gathered his coaching staff. "Alright, here's the deal. We can't let this nonsense from The Sun mess with us. We've got a championship to win tomorrow, and I don't want anyone distracted by what might be happening in the summer. It's not about what happens next year, it's about now. We win tomorrow, we take the title. That's all that matters." The coaching staff nodded in agreement, but Arthur could see the worry in their eyes. The media had a way of getting under people's skin, even if the reports weren't true. Arthur's job now was to keep his players focused, to block out the noise and make sure that the only thing they cared about was beating Sunderland. Meanwhile, the fans of Leeds United were buzzing with both excitement and anxiety. They had dreamed of this moment all season, but now, with The Sun's report floating around, they couldn't help but wonder what it all meant. Would this be the beginning of the end for their beloved team? Or was this just another sensationalist attempt to sell papers? Arthur knew one thing for sure: he couldn't let the team get caught up in the drama. Not now. Not when the title was within their grasp. So, as the team prepared for the big match, Arthur could only hope that they could focus on the task at hand—and that the shiny distractions of the summer would have to wait until the final whistle blew.