Chapter 375: Chapter 84: A Surprise! A European Do-or-Die Match! The Turin Massacre! The Old Lady’s Dirge! The Bundesliga Finally Holds Its Head High

After denying it, Wang Shuo offered an explanation.

"It’s mostly because Thomas is quite busy right now. He told me that a number of businesses and brands have contacted him, but he’s never had the time. You know, he isn’t exactly a professional agent."

Wang Shuo’s tone for that last sentence was like a junior playfully complaining about a respected elder.

This made Laubal, Watzke, and the others burst out laughing.

"It’s true, Thomas does need to step up his game in the agent business," Watzke said enthusiastically. "If you ever need anything, feel free to contact me. The Dortmund commercial team and I can help you at any time."

Wang Shuo nodded quickly, thanking him.

But inwardly, he couldn’t help but grumble, ’Ask you for help? Wouldn’t I have to give you a commission? That would be like handing over a piece of my image rights for nothing.’

"What Thomas means is that he needs to expand his team, so we’re looking for people. But we have absolutely no intention of changing agents. My partnership with Thomas has been wonderful."

Wang Shuo’s statement made Laubal and the others nod in relief.

This was a critical moment in the contract renewal negotiations between Dortmund and Wang Shuo. If he were to suddenly change agents now, there could only be one explanation: Wang Shuo was very unhappy with the terms Thomas Essien had been negotiating.

In that case, the replacement agent would only be more difficult to deal with.

Especially since a player like Wang Shuo, already famous in Europe, could easily attract top-tier agencies and management teams, which would make negotiations even trickier.

"Wang, let me give you my word: we are very sincere about renewing your contract. Given our current standing, we will definitely be in the Champions League next season, and we need you to continue playing for Dortmund!"

After saying this, Laubal’s tone immediately shifted.

He went on to talk about the usual things: Dortmund was under a lot of pressure from external debt, the team’s revenue wasn’t ideal, and they couldn’t afford to pay salaries as high as the big-name clubs.

In short, he wanted Wang Shuo to be considerate and understanding.

Wang Shuo, of course, agreed.

But the extent of that consideration and the depth of that understanding were another matter entirely.

Shen Qinghe’s team hadn’t been assembled yet, but she had already started working on something, even spending money to do so.

If she succeeded, he was confident it would clear away many of the obstacles to the renewal.

Shen Qinghe, having crossed over from the field of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science into football, had been a huge surprise to Wang Shuo.

Most importantly, many of her ideas were completely different, not just from Thomas Essien’s, but from the other "old-timers" in the European football scene. They were refreshingly original!

When the negotiations began, the Dortmund team was in for a surprise!

...

In European football, there’s an unwritten rule: players do not directly participate in transfer or contract renewal negotiations.

Strictly speaking, this wasn’t a bad practice, but a very necessary one.

Just imagine: if Wang Shuo personally negotiated his salary with Dortmund’s top brass and they ended up arguing, then even if they reached an agreement, their relationship wouldn’t be harmonious.

So, in a way, agents act as a lubricant and a buffer, making them essential.

In Germany, head coaches also don’t participate in players’ contract renewal negotiations.

Klopp didn’t know how Wang Shuo’s negotiations were going, either. It was a tricky situation. Klopp himself was fighting for his own interests, so it was only natural that Wang Shuo would too.

"They asked for my opinion, and I told them in no uncertain terms that you are the most indispensable person on this team. Irreplaceable!"

As he said this, Klopp clapped Wang Shuo on the shoulder.

"So, Wang, the most important thing for you right now is to deliver even better performances. The better you play, the better the contract you’ll secure. Understand?"

Wang Shuo nodded.

This was why many players would coast along, only to have a breakout performance in their contract year.

But the clubs weren’t stupid; they would include all sorts of performance clauses.

"Coach, don’t worry. I really haven’t thought about leaving Dortmund. I’ll give it my all!" Wang Shuo promised.

Klopp believed Wang Shuo’s promise.

Klopp’s reliance on Wang Shuo stemmed partly from Wang Shuo’s sheer strength as a player, and partly from his own heartfelt trust in him.

In truth, Wang Shuo was also well aware that from the Dortmund Club’s perspective, they were probably already looking for a forward who could potentially replace him.

Valdes?

That forward had been completely overshadowed by Wang Shuo this season, getting a pathetic amount of playing time.

Neither Dortmund nor Wang Shuo himself had anticipated the team’s current situation.

But since things had developed to this point, Shen Qinghe was right. He had to fight for his own interests.

’Count on the club to just give it to you?’

’Forget about it!’

...

On Matchday 25 of the Bundesliga, Dortmund hosted Borussia Mönchengladbach at home.

A draw and a loss in the previous two rounds had Dortmund fans feeling worried about this match.

After all, they still had to travel to Turin, Italy, for an away match against Juventus.

So, just how much effort would Klopp’s team put into this match?

Once the match began, they discovered that their worries lasted for a mere 13 minutes.

Wang Shuo was in the starting lineup again, but he had received clear instructions from the head coach before the match: take it easy and save his energy for Juventus.

It was an away game, after all!

But during a fast counter-attack in the 13th minute, Grosskreutz played a through ball. Wang Shuo cut diagonally into the left side of the penalty area. Faced with a double team from the Dutch center-back Roel Broersma and Dante, Wang Shuo came to a sudden stop inside the box, turned to shield the ball, and then laid it off to an overlapping Götze.