Chapter 92: Manchester City’s Current BlueprintAn hour before the plane touched down in Scotland, Richard sat across from John in the sleek, private jet cabin. The low hum of the engines filled the space, a quiet backdrop to the serious conversation unfolding.

    Since it was just the two of them, it was the perfect moment to speak frankly.

    "Right now, what project is draining the club’s finances the most? And how long can we last with the current forecast?" Richard asked, his tone direct.

    John nodded, already anticipating the question. "I’ve prepared a financial summary," he said, then paused for a moment before continuing. "To be honest, besides player wages, the biggest expense has been the new stadium project. But as per your instructions, that has been put on hold."

    He leaned forward slightly, choosing his words carefully. "Even with the stadium project suspended, and assuming we don’t take on any new large-scale projects, just maintaining the current operations of the team will only keep us afloat for—at most—two years. That’s assuming we stay efficient and avoid unexpected costs."

    "What if we get promoted?" Richard asked.

    "If we’re promoted to the First Division," John replied, "the club’s funds could probably sustain operations for another years at most."

    "And the Premier League?"

    John sighed at that. ’Two years and straight to the Premier League? What kind of dream is that?’

    Still, he answered professionally. "Even if we reach the Premier League after two years, we’d likely only survive another two or three years at best—unless we secure additional funding. Ideally, that means another cash injection from you, like before."

    Richard looked anxious, but also a bit surprised. ’Aren’t domestic and international TV deals the biggest revenue source for most Premier League clubs? Even that wouldn’t save Manchester City?’

    Noticing Richard’s suspicious expression, John understood. "The current wage structure for the first team is simply too high," he explained. "Their salaries are already on par with Premier League-level clubs, but our revenue doesn’t match that—especially not with the limited capacity of our current stadium."

    "Ah..." Only then did Richard fully understand.

    The legendary, raucous terrace where City’s most passionate fans once stood—the Kippax Stand—had been demolished during the Lee consortium’s tenure. And the reconstruction still wasn’t complete, reducing ticket revenue significantly. City was so strapped for cash that even completing the iconic Kippax felt like a distant goal.

    Club revenue during this time came mainly from ticket sales, small sponsorships, and minor merchandise income.

    Now, relying solely on ticket sales was out of the question—their modest stadium likely generated less than a million pounds per year. Not to mention, it was still unclear how many fans would actually turn up for matches this season.

    Television broadcasting rights and sponsorships were meager, especially in the Second Division. It was a completely different story if they were directly in the Premier League, to be honest.

    Football clubs don’t typically receive direct bonus per matches. However, their final league position determines the end-of-season prize money.

    On top of that, there’s a portion of TV revenue known as ’merit payments’—fees awarded based on performance and how often a club’s matches are selected for live broadcast. In short, winning more = more exciting = more TV picks = more money indirectly.

    Merchandise sales? The channels were insufficient to generate significant profit, especially since Manchester was more red than blue.

    The commercial and marketing department was still small and traditional. To make matters worse, the introduction of all-seater stadium regulations forced clubs to divert much of their budgets toward costly renovations.

    This significantly limited their ability to invest in players and facilities, ultimately weakening their competitiveness.

    To summarize, the club’s ability to generate profit lagged far behind its level of spending—especially with the current salary expenses, which would remain a fixed cost for several years to come.

    While some Premier League players earned weekly salaries exceeding ten thousand pounds, that level of pay was typically reserved for the worldwide superstars. Most players likely earned only a few thousand—and some probably didn’t even make a thousand per week.

    City’s current first-team squad, with wages inherited from the Lee consortium era, averaged well above that range, with most players earning thousands per week. Some senior players even reached figures as high as ￡8,000.

    With the addition of newly recruited players, City likely ranked among the top ten in England in terms of wage expenses. SO, current City, if he were to be frank, could survive only because of the ￡30 million—his free money.

    So, how could they make money as quickly as possible?

    Richard had only one option left—to get the absolute best out of his current players!

    Did he really dream of keeping players like Cafu, Roberto Carlos, or Ronaldo at City for the rest of their careers?

    That was never going to happen.

    Sooner or later, City wouldn’t be able to keep their best players and he knew that.

    Even though the 1970s marked the rise of English dominance in European football—with Spurs winning the UEFA Cup and Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa collectively lifting seven European trophies—modern fans and players tend to favor Italian, French, or Spanish clubs.

    Especially when their golden era came to an abrupt end after two back-to-back tragedies shook English football, leading to a ban from European competitions and dealing a heavy blow to the nation’s footballing prestige.

    During the years when English clubs were absent from major European competitions, Serie A rose to prominence and gradually established itself as the undisputed top league in Europe—followed by Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, and France’s Division 1. Only then did Premiere League catch up, thanks to Sky Sports and Manchester United.

    Still, even when the ban was lifted in 1991, English clubs’ return to the Champions League ended in disappointment—like Arsenal’s short spell in the 1991/92 season, Leeds United’s 1992/93 season, and Manchester United’s early exit in the second round 1993/94.

    ’Well, it doesn’t matter.’ Richard thought.

    In the first place, he also to be honest never intended to hold on to anyone for too long, as long as their market value made sense.

    For many ambitious talents, current Serie A and La Liga represented the ultimate dream. Even the emerging appeal of the Premier League salary couldn’t match the allure of Italian and Spanish elegant football.

    So, it was inevitable—after all, this is football. New players would come in, and others would leave.

    You’re kidding, right? Sёarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    With the knowledge of which players were destined for greatness, why bother begging them to stay?

    If they wanted to leave—fine. Let them chase the spotlight. But no one was walking out the door for free.

    You want my player?

    Then you pay.

    Full price. No discounts.

    Top talent doesn’t come cheap, and he wasn’t running a charity. This was business. And he played to win.

    What Richard had in mind for current Manchester City was simple:

    The ball had to start rolling.

    The foundation had to be laid.

    The academy needed to produce.

    And every pound earned had to go back into the system.

    For the next ten to fifteen years, If City couldn’t yet compete at the top of European football, then at the very least, they would establish a reputation for elite youth development—regularly producing talented players and selling them across Europe.

    After all, no one could say for certain— even if he signed all those megastars, would they really deliver trophies?

    Talent alone doesn’t guarantee silverware. Chemistry, timing, injuries, luck—so many variables shape a season. He could spend a fortune and still walk away with nothing.

    Take Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, for example—how did they manage to dominate English football for so long?

    It’s not like they didn’t have serious competition. Mourinho’s Chelsea was a machine, Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal played some of the best football in Europe, and Liverpool was never a team to be taken lightly.

    And yet, it was still Manchester United at the top. Was it luck? Maybe a bit. But it was far more than that.

    It was world-class management, long-term planning, a winning culture, and an ability to adapt across eras. Ferguson didn’t just build a team—he built a dynasty. There are so many factors to consider, but one thing’s clear: success like that doesn’t happen by accident.

    That’s why his approach was bigger than that—sustainable and scalable. Build the system right, and the trophies would eventually follow. And to do that, City first needed a serious foundation overhaul—and money could pave that foundation much easier.

    If not hundreds of millions, then billions. That was the target for the next decade, for Richard personally.

    And when the Premier League finally cemented itself as the number one league in the world, that would be the moment. That’s when he would shed the feeder club label, rebrand City’s identity, and build a true powerhouse.

    It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t romantic but it was necessary.

    ’Ah, if I sign Messi and Ronaldo, then sell them off to Real Madrid and Barcelona at the same time—let El Clásico do the magic. How much could I make from that? Years down the line, when people argue over who the real GOAT is and start name-dropping City’s academy in the debate... that’s global exposure without spending a cent.’ Richard thought.

    But that was for later. Money first.

    He calmed himself and waved his hand. "Tell me about the stadium—how far along are the discussions with the Manchester City Council?"

    The Manchester City Council serves as the local governing authority for the city of Manchester, England.

    During the Peter Swales era, Manchester City’s ambition to build a new stadium was first outlined prior to 1989, as part of the city’s bid to host the 1996 Summer Olympics.

    In partnership with the Manchester City Council, Swales’ administration submitted a proposal that included an 80,000-seat stadium located on a Greenfield site to the west of the city centre. However, the bid was unsuccessful, and Atlanta was ultimately awarded the Games.

    Following Swales’ removal, the Francis Lee consortium revived the stadium plan with a renewed Olympic bid—this time targeting the 2000 Summer Olympics.

    Instead of the original Greenfield site, the new proposal focused on a Brownfield site just 1.6 kilometres east of the city centre—a derelict area that once housed the Bradford Colliery, more commonly known as Eastlands.

    The decision to shift from a Greenfield site to Eastlands was influenced by emerging government legislation on urban renewal, which promised vital support and funding for such projects. The government became involved in funding the purchase and clearance of the Eastlands site.

    As you know, the UK had just escaped from George Soros and the economic crisis jaw from 1990, so the current urban renewal plans were halted, and they instead focused on other areas for urban development, like London the capital city or if Manchester, the priority was then the central area

    By 1992, the UK government had become directly involved in financing the acquisition and clearance of the Eastlands site, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become a transformative project for the city across UK.

    This is why they targeted the east side instead of the west side of Manchester. Last year—specifically in 1993—the Lee consortium, in partnership with the City Council, submitted a new design for an 80,000-capacity stadium.

    This time, the proposal was developed by design consultants Arup, the same consultant firm that had initially identified the Eastlands site for Lee consortium. However, once again, their bid was rejected, with the Games ultimately awarded to Sydney.

    Losing twice did not deter the Lee consortium though.

    After the failed bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics, they quickly pivoted and submitted a proposal to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games, once again putting forward the Eastlands site.

    This time, the stadium plans were scaled down and adapted from the earlier Olympic design. The project was named after the "Millennium Commission," and if successful, the proposed stadium would be called the "Millennium Stadium."

    And this very stadium project that currently eats up most of the City’s budget, aside from player wages and transfers.

    "The current stadium project is competing with Wembley Stadium for funding to become the new national stadium, but we are still trying our best to win it," John said confidently. He then continued, "We have also passed the feasibility and risk assessment; we are now entering the legal and regulatory compliance stage."

    This means ensuring the project complies with all local laws, zoning regulations, and environmental requirements.

    Or you could say Manchester City is one step ahead and can be considered to have already met the criteria for approval.

    Richard tapped his fingers on the armrest, deep in thought, silently weighing the pros and cons. John didn’t interrupt—he simply waited.

    After a few long minutes of silence, Richard opened his eyes and finally asked something.

    John’s eyes widened the moment he heard it.