Richard allocated a total of £970 million for the Rover Group bid, leaving him with only about £30 million out of the £1 billion in capital he originally had.
According to Barclays' informants, BMW's focus this year was on strengthening its position in the luxury car market and solidifying its global presence, particularly in North America and Asia.
They were concentrating on developing and releasing more advanced versions of their existing models, such as the BMW 5 Series and BMW 7 Series, which meant their available cash resources were relatively limited.
Barclays estimated that BMW could likely utilize up to £900 million, with the possibility of extending it to £950 million at most, or £960 million if the situation demanded it. This meant that no matter what, his bid was ten million higher than theirs.
With this valuable insight, Richard appointed Barclays as the intermediary to facilitate the financing and arrangement of the transaction, allowing him to focus on the task of rebuilding Manchester City.
Next week is the AGM, which means he only has about eight working days to complete at least one of the critical tasks that must be finished.
"Sir, did you call me?"
The door to his new office swung open, and there stood John Maddock—well-groomed and composed—waiting for confirmation from the new City owner.
'John Maddock,' Richard thought to himself, the name almost rolling off his tongue.
The man who orchestrated England's first-ever football shirt sponsorship. As expected, with his shrewdness, he was the only one who had managed to survive both the Swales and Lee eras at City.
Appointed by his old pal, Peter Swales, during his reign, he had become almost untouchable, as the fans always targeted Swales and Lee—not him—despite him being the current general manager.
Richard looked at him for a moment before saying, 'Yes, help me draft a contract for owner loans and equity injections of £30 million immediately. Also, use my personal name, not Maddox Capital. I will lend it to the club for now."
The club was currently in massive debt, over £40 million. What he wanted now was to avoid unnecessary costs. Since the loans came from him personally, the club avoided taking on commercial debt.
Commercial debt typically comes with interest payments and repayment schedules, which could impose significant financial pressure on the club. With his name listed as the lender, he ensured that City didn't take on debt from external financial institutions, such as banks or investors.
Another advantage of this loan arrangement was that, as the lender, he could make the loan interest-free, with no set repayment terms. These loans were never expected to be repaid—they were essentially free money.
"Also..." Richard thought for a moment, "report these loans in the financial records, and make sure they're not considered hidden spending."
Transparency and compliance are important. Unlike other forms of financial support that could be seen as indirect financial aid, these loans were clearly outlined, making it clear that the funds came directly from him, so they were shown as formal loans from the owner.
"Understood. Anything else?" Maddock nodded. Even his voice and tone were remarkably composed at that moment.
"Hmm, tell me about the current situation of the first team. How many leave requests have been made? Are there any offers coming in for them?"
"Wait a moment," he said, fumbling with the documents in his hand before picking up the one with the red clip.
"Several players have already submitted transfer requests to the club, including Gio Kinkladze, Kit Symons, Nicky Summerbee, Ray Kelly, John Burridge, David Rocastle, Mike Sheron, Steve McMahon, and Uwe Rösler, who rejected a contract extension last season."
Richard tapped the table with his finger. "Is that all? What about the offer?"
"Currently, only Gio Kinkladze has received a bid from Ajax for £5 million, and Kit Symons has an offer from Fulham for £400,000."
"What do you think?"
"Hmm, from what I know, we can push Gio Kinkladze's offer to £6 million."
"Oh, why is that?"
"Because it's well-known that Ajax is trying to replicate Millwall's 4-4-2 setup with Sheringham and Cascarino. They want to pair Kinkladze with Shota Arveladze, as both of them coincidentally shared a house in Amsterdam when they were in the academy."
Richard nodded. "Then accept it immediately if the transfer reaches £6 mil—" He stopped for a moment before shaking his head. "No, accept the £5 million right away. Also, remove all transfer restrictions on all players. If the offer matches their current valuation, we sell immediately."
Maddock was taken aback. "What? All of them?"
"Yes, all of them."
Maddock frowned, thinking the new owner was prioritizing money over competitiveness. "You can't. If we remove the clauses, there's a risk our squad won't meet the minimum requirements for next season. Their current market value is at its lowest, making them targets for many clubs."
"It doesn't matter—as long as the price is right."
"Also, what about the current manager? Does he know about this?"
Richard waved his hand dismissively. "Forget about him."
It was then that Maddock understood—the manager's sacking was inevitable.
Still, Maddock attempted to reason with him. "But we don't even have a new sporting director yet. Without one, planning the transfers for next season will be incredibly difficult."
After Francis Lee sold his shares, he swiftly withdrew his people, leaving nearly every department at City vacant. It seemed like he was intent on teaching Richard a lesson, but in reality, Richard was grateful—he didn't have to pay severance for breaking their contracts.
"For now, I will handle on-the-pitch management," Richard said, casting a deep gaze toward Maddock before continuing, "As for off-the-pitch, I will entrust that to you."
The more Maddock listened, the deeper his frown grew. This was the same as the new owner trying to cut his power.
On-the-pitch management covered roles like Sporting and Technical Director. These were the people responsible for shaping the club's footballing strategy, including transfers, recruitment, and youth development, as well as overseeing coaching methodologies and the overall footballing philosophy. As for off-the-pitch management, it mostly dealt with business operations.
The problem was—what business did Manchester City even have at the moment?
If they were in the Premier League, the weight of it might be different, but in the second division?
'Sigh.' It seemed he needed to submit his resignation letter quickly.
"Understood, I will do that," was all he said. Since the owner had decided, he probably didn't care much about it, so getting a little benefit should be okay, right?
There are currently 32 players listed in the first squad.
Removing Gio Kinkladze, Kit Symons, Nicky Summerbee, Ray Kelly, John Burridge, David Rocastle, Mike Sheron, Steve McMahon, and Uwe Rösler would leave City with 23 players.
This means that if he wants to overhaul the squad, the current roster won't be enough to compete in Division 2, the FA Cup, and the League Cup alone.
He needs reinforcements.
The first names that came to mind were Arsenal's defensive duo, Andy Linighan and Martin Keown.
They were top-quality defenders, competing alongside Steve Bould and captain Tony Adams at the heart of one of the strongest teams with the best defense in the English league.
Keown was also capable of filling in at right-back, left-back, and central midfield, demonstrating a versatility that earned him call-ups for several seasons with the Three Lions. The only problem was—would they be willing to play in the third tier?
Rumors in the media suggested that Andy Linighan's future at Arsenal was in doubt, as it was known that George Graham was looking for a new defender. As for Keown, he was reportedly unhappy after making only 16 appearances last season following his return from injury.
Richard intended to take full advantage of the situation, but before he could even make a bid, it wasn't the players or the club that responded—it was their agents, and he did it in front of the media.
"Linighan and Keown have no intention of playing in the third tier," the agent stated bluntly. "I think they can only dream."
"..."
"Fine then," Richard muttered, pulling back his interest in signing Linighan and Keown. Instead, he sent a bold £500,000 bid to Tottenham Hotspur for one of their promising young defenders.
Sol Campbell.
Tottenham, however, showed no interest in entertaining the offer, completely ignoring the bid—a clear sign of their disdain.
Youth team manager Keith Waldon had already made it clear how highly the club valued Campbell, stating, "It's his physicality rather than his technical ability that makes him stand out as a top prospect for the future. At just 14, he was one of only 16 young footballers accepted into the prestigious training program at Lilleshall Hall."
Tottenham clearly had no intention of letting him go cheaply.
Undeterred, Richard increased his offer—£600,000.
No response.
He raised it again—£700,000. Still nothing.
Frustrated, he decided to go all in and faxed an offer of £1 million.
This time, the response came swiftly.
£5 million!
"Hah!" Richard scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "£5 million? They must think I'm desperate."
He quickly pulled out of the Campbell transfer and shifted his focus to other areas.
South America.
This is where he intended to challenge the maximum limit of three non-EU players for English clubs. It was better to exploit this loophole while the regulations were still weak—after all, isn't it?
Richard took a direct flight to South America to accelerate his transfer plans. His first stop was Estádio Palestra Itália, also known as Parque Antarctica, the home of Palmeiras.
His target?
Roberto Carlos.
Naturally, securing him wouldn't come cheap. At just 21 years old, Roberto Carlos had already played a key role in Palmeiras' Brazilian league triumph, solidifying his reputation as one of the most promising young defenders.
But Richard had learned his lesson. This time, he went in strong, placing an initial bid of £2.5 million—an offer that immediately caught Palmeiras' attention.
The club's higher-ups quickly prioritized the deal, as this was a record-breaking bid for them. However, Palmeiras weren't going to let their prized left-back go so easily.
They countered, demanding £4 million. Negotiations intensified, with Richard determined to get his man without overpaying. He increased his offer to £2.8 million, but Palmeiras held firm.
After further discussions and some tough bargaining, the two parties finally settled on fee of £3 million. The deal was agreed upon, and Richard was finally allowed to negotiate a contract with Roberto Carlos.
At the small apartment, R. Melo Palhetta, Richard personally visited to discuss the transfer.
His arrival didn't excite Roberto in the slightest. After all, he knew Manchester City was playing in the third tier. Without hesitation, he calmly said, "Please leave; I'm not interested in joining Manchester City."
Richard remained unfazed. Instead of wasting time on small talk, he simply placed a contract in front of him.
Roberto barely glanced at the document before shaking his head. "I have no intention of joining Manchester City. I don't see a future there."
"Is it about the current manager? Don't worry, he'll be replaced next week. But before you dismiss it outright, why not take a look at the contract first?"
Roberto was taken aback. Was it really okay to talk so openly about sacking a manager?
"Your potential is enough for me to show how much I value you. This information is a sign of my sincerity, and this contract is the proof—an invitation to be part of something bigger at City."
The other party was at a loss for words. Desperation? No, this was another level of confidence. The man before him didn't beg—he sincerely invited him. And most importantly, he showed him respect.
He hesitated but, out of courtesy, picked up the contract. The moment his eyes landed on the salary offer, he froze.
"T-T-Two thousand? Pounds?!!"
Roberto looked at Richard, who appeared utterly calm, in disbelief, even doubting whether he had put the wrong number there.
Richard quoted his experience today: "Imagine making in a single year what others take ten or twenty to earn—who would refuse that?"
The same thing happened at one of the Big Twelve clubs of Brazilian football—Estádio do Morumbi, home of São Paulo.
This time, his target was Cafu.
Richard's £2 million bid was enough to prompt the club to allow him to begin discussions with the player.
When Cafu saw the number of zeros he could earn in a year, he gulped and looked back at Richard, who simply smiled at him.
Would players ever come to Manchester City?
If you asked anyone, they would shake their head without hesitation. 'City lacks a rich history and plays in the third tier. Given the current turmoil, who would willingly jump into this inferno?'
But what if money talked?
Richard knew exactly what he was doing. The players he targeted were still young—hungry for monetary gain, achievements, recognition, and the chance to prove themselves on the biggest stage.
Europe, where football reached its highest level, was the ultimate dream for any ambitious player. The prestige, the competition, and the opportunity to prove themselves on the grandest stage—these were things no South American talent could easily ignore.
Manchester City?
It didn't matter. The gateway to Europe was open, and Richard held the key—a luxurious one at that.
The deal was sealed. As Richard watched the sunrise, a satisfied smile crossed his face.
'Inter, Roma… you should have called sooner.'
Finally, Manchester City had their perfect right-back and left-back.
Now, it was time to find the forwards.
Rivaldo.
Mogi Mirim Esporte Clube, more commonly referred to as Mogi Mirim, is a Brazilian football club based in Mogi Mirim, São Paulo. It competes in the Campeonato Paulista Segunda Divisão, the fifth tier of the São Paulo state football league.
Palmeiras was also in the race for Rivaldo, submitting a £2 million bid. However, Richard immediately outbid them with a £2.5 million offer, forcing Mogi Mirim to reject Palmeiras' bid.
If Palmeiras wanted to stay in contention, they would have had to increase their offer just to secure negotiations with Rivaldo—something they were unwilling to do. As a result, Richard was the only one with the right to discuss terms with the player.
When Richard met Rivaldo in person, the Brazilian remained silent, only skimming through the contract again and again, as if he couldn't believe the amount he was being offered.
"Mom, come take a look at this!" he finally said, turning to his mother, who had been by his side all this time, raising him alone after his father died in a car accident.
Richard, however, couldn't utter a single word as he observed Rivaldo. This was the reality of a harsh life. Even at a glance, the scars of his past were evident. His lean frame, slightly bowed legs, and hollow cheeks told the story of the poverty he had endured as a child—the malnourishment that had shaped both his body and his resilience.
"But... there's also Corinthians," Rivaldo said, scratching his head. He wasn't trying to drive up his value—he was simply torn between the choices in front of him.
Richard met his gaze. "Do you want to stay in Brazil instead of going to Europe? In Europe, you can become an even better player. And don't worry, you won't be the only Brazilian I'm bringing in."
"Really?" Rivaldo asked, uncertainty still lingering in his voice.
Richard nodded. "I promise you. And I also promise you playing time—you'll be able to play your heart out at my club. Mark my words."
Rivaldo looked at his mother first, and when he saw her nod, he turned back to Richard and nodded as well. "I'll join you."
With that, the deal was sealed for £2.5 million, and Rivaldo was set to spearhead City's attack.