Football Dynasty

In European leagues, Serie A is thriving. Besides the financial power of the three northern giants, other clubs have also become wealthy due to sponsorship, broadcasting fees, and commercial revenue.

Even relegation-threatened teams can attract national team stars to join them, which has made Ricahrd quite stressed about the talent poaching from smaller teams.

This summer, the competition between two television networks for broadcasting rights has provided La Liga clubs with substantial funds to strengthen their squads. Consequently, many mid-to-upper-tier teams in La Liga have entered into an "arms race" to reinforce their line-ups. However, due to the league's distinct style of play, most teams tend to overlook players from the Premier League.

The young talents emerging from England in recent years have also faced disappointing fates abroad, with examples such as Gascoigne and Rush.

Meanwhile, the Premier League has begun to slowly recover after weathering financial austerity due to a European competition ban, alongside the immense financial pressure of building or renovating stadiums. Each club's annual investment is growing, and successful commercial operations have started to yield benefits for the teams in the Premier League.

Manchester United is the perfect example. Even though they had just won the Premier League title, Alex Ferguson was still not satisfied with the squad. After their bids for Henrik Larsson and Neil Lennon were rejected—something Richard was determined to avoid, not wanting another "second Solskjær" situation—Ferguson found some solace in the signing of Henning Berg from Blackburn Rovers for £5 million, a new national record for a defender.

Soon after, United secured the exciting Czech international Karel Poborský. They also added the versatile Norwegian international Ronny Johnsen to strengthen the squad. Lastly, Manchester United completed the signing of Jordi Cruyff, the son of football legend Johan Cruyff. Originally, Jordi had been included as a makeweight in Barcelona's proposed deal for Ronaldo, but out of pride, he refused to be treated as a mere add-on—and instead, he chose to wear the Red Devils' jersey on his own terms.

Watching all these transfers unfold, Richard frowned.

All of these moves were supposed to happen in the 1996/1997 season. Perhaps Solskjær's earlier-than-expected arrival had triggered a butterfly effect—delaying or disrupting the original timing of these transfers.

'It doesn't matter though,' Richard thought to himself.

Upon returning to Maine Road, Richard immediately began issuing instructions to Marina. Together, they started sending out transfer offers to clubs across Europe.

Naturally, the list Richard had previously given to O'Neill already had his full approval as manager.

These weren't just random players—they were serious targets. Richard wasn't chasing mediocrity.

The first priority is a midfielder.

With Zagorakis and McNamara, all departing the club, the midfield had been left dangerously thin. However, Richard wasn't too worried—he had already anticipated this situation and prepared for it in advance.

Richard immediately contacted his connection in France—Karren Brady.

He was ready to bring in Zidane, Vieira, and Makelele.

But unexpectedly…

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice tight with concern. "I didn't expect something like this to happen midway through."

Richard's heart skipped a beat. "What happened?"

Brady took a breath. "It's about Patrick Vieira."

There was a long, tense pause.

"He's gone quiet," she continued. "We had everything lined up. His agent gave verbal confirmation. But just this morning, he stopped answering our calls. Word is… he's flown to Arsenal."

Karren sighed helplessly. Even though she was the chairwoman, unlike Richard's situation, decisions weren't entirely up to her. In fact, Vieira's departure was a clear sign that other executives at the club were starting to push her out of the chairman role.

Richard fell into deep thought. Last summer had been a chaotic time for Arsenal, especially with their decision to appoint the relatively unknown Arsène Wenger—someone who wasn't entirely familiar with English football.

Nevertheless, judging by how Arsenal had already made a major signing by bringing in Vieira, it seemed "The Professor" was ready to make his mark next season.

Richard decided to respect Arsène Wenger's move and let go of Vieira. Perhaps Vieira simply wasn't destined to play for Manchester City.

Originally, the plan was to bring in the trio—Zidane, Makelele, and Vieira. But if Vieira was out of the picture…

Richard let out a sigh. It seemed his dream of lining up the "Three Rs" of Brazil would have to wait. His plan to offload Van Bommel to make room for Rivaldo would now have to be shelved.

"It's okay," Richard said. "Please proceed with the deals for Zidane and Makelele as soon as possible."

"Understood."

With that, City had managed to secure three new signings so far.

Boom!

The next day, newspapers across Europe exploded with headlines:

"Manchester City Pulls Off Triple Coup!"

"Zidane, Makelele, Cannavaro: Blue Revolution Begins"

Even the most cynical pundits were left speechless. No one expected Manchester City—a mid-table First Division club—to suddenly outmuscle European giants for three of the most sought-after players on the continent.

Even the Cityzens who had long given up hope, worn down by years of disappointment, stood stunned. The same fans who once doubted the club's direction were now glued to their TVs, witnessing a seismic shift in ambition.

One lifelong supporter even said on air: "Zidane. Bloody Zidane. I've seen City sign some questionable players in my life—but this? This is something else. I think I need a pint… and maybe a lie down."

Fans swarmed the gates, some still in their work uniforms, others with City scarves held high. Radio stations buzzed with disbelief, and talk shows scrambled to get soundbites from agents, insiders, and former players.

No one expected Manchester City to suddenly outmuscle Europe's elite for three of the most sought-after players on the continent.

In a quiet room at the Maine Road press room, Richard watched the press conference unfold with a half-smile. Cameras flashed. The world was watching the introduction of the three players.

Cannavaro took the number 2 shirt, previously worn by Rio Ferdinand.

Zidane claimed the number 8 jersey, once belonging to Jackie McNamara.

Makelele chose number 5, taking over from Theodoros Zagorakis.

But Richard wasn't done yet.

With both Materazzi and Ferdinand gone, it meant the current center-back lineup was still one short—especially with only William Gallas available as backup. So, Manchester City sent an international fax to Internacional, inquiring about a player from their senior team with a £500,000 offer.

For a Brazilian club, that kind of money was nothing to scoff at.

Richard's target?

Lucimar Ferreira da Silva—later known simply as Lúcio.

At Internacional, Lúcio would later rise to prominence as a commanding centre-back, enjoying his breakout year in 2000 when he earned his first call-up to the Brazil national team and was awarded the prestigious Bola de Prata as one of the top two defenders in the Campeonato Brasileiro.

But in 1997, he hadn't yet reached that level—his value was still modest, his reputation still growing. And that played perfectly into Richard's hands.

The next target addressed one of Manchester City's biggest weaknesses from last season: their right flank—especially the right winger position.

Both Shevchenko and Okocha could cover that area with their creativity, but for Richard, that wasn't enough. If they were serious about building a title-contending squad, they needed a fast-paced, natural winger—someone who could stretch defenses and create chaos down the flank.

The answer was clear: Robert Pirès.

A product of the Metz youth academy, Pirès made his senior debut in 1993 against Lyon. Over six seasons, he scored 43 goals in 162 appearances and helped Metz win the Coupe de la Ligue.

A bid of £5 million was enough to lure the talented French winger.

It took about a week to finalize all the transfers to Manchester City. Other than Cannavaro, all negotiations were handled by Marina Granovskaia, while Richard kept himself busy with preparations for the new stadium.

Seven days passed, and then—finally—everything was ready.

The medicals were completed, contracts signed, and all the necessary paperwork cleared. The faxes had stopped humming, the agents had gone quiet, and the City boardroom had returned to its usual calm.

With this, City's squad for the next season is ready.

Goalkeepers:

Gianluigi Buffon, Paul Robinson (promoted)

Defenders:

Javier Zanetti, Steve Finnan, Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram, Lúcio, William Gallas, Gianluca Zambrotta, Joan Capdevila

Midfielders:

Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makélélé, Neil Lennon, Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, Jay-Jay Okocha, Hidetoshi Nakata, Robert Pirès

Forwards:

Ronaldo, Henrik Larsson, Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, Andriy Shevchenko

With this kind of squad, Richard was deeply satisfied. He had followed Manchester City for years, witnessing their transformation from a good team to a world-class powerhouse. The current lineup, packed with talent, discipline, and depth, gave him every reason to believe in their continued success.

The players worked in harmony, the manager had a clear vision, and the club's ambition was unmatched. Richard believed that Manchester City wasn't just maintaining their dominance—they were evolving. Every match was a statement, every victory a step forward. For Richard, the future was bright, and the journey ahead promised even greater achievements.