Signing a New Contract Again

The sudden rise of Li Mingyu has finally brought La Liga back into the spotlight for European fans.

Nine matches.

Four hat-tricks.

One haul of four goals.

One haul of five goals.

Twenty-four goals.

An efficiency of nearly three goals per game, looking down upon the entire world of football.

The many giants that had previously quieted down have once again turned their gaze toward Catalonia, toward this young man of only 19.

Such an outstanding young man, as long as he is willing to stay with a team, is the foundation for building that team for at least ten years!

The 180 million buyout clause might have been considered a risk by some teams before, but when Li Mingyu scored five goals all by himself at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, those thoughts vanished in an instant.

Looking back at the entire history of football, no player has ever been able to score five goals at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Such a monumental achievement is absolute proof that this player is destined for greatness.

Laporta, the president of Barca, is caught in a happy dilemma.

In front of his old rival Florentino, he laughed heartily five times. Although Messi being injured made him furious, Li Mingyu's super performance also made him beam with joy inside.

"Mr. Braida, I think Li's contract needs to be revised again. The current buyout clause can no longer stop the greedy footsteps of those people!" Laporta said with a serious face.

Barca's manager, Braida, also gave a wry smile and said, "President, I know, but we can't change the contract once a month. Li's contract has already been modified once!"

Laporta waved his hand and said, "I don't want to hear that. You just need to ensure that Li will not leave Barca, and that is enough."

Braida left Laporta's office with a bitter smile.

He certainly knows the pressure Laporta is under right now.

The previous president, Bartomeu, who knows if he was a spy sent by Real Madrid, was taken away directly by the police six days before the current presidential election.

The charge was actually related to the Barca "Barcagate" scandal from last season.

Barca had hired a social media monitoring company to track public opinion about the club, but in reality, the company's actions went beyond monitoring; they included releasing negative propaganda about Barca's own players like Messi and Pique, smearing the former legendary coach Guardiola, former player Xavi, and former president Laporta.

Moreover, Barca was suspected of corruption in hiring this company; Barca paid ten times the market price and split the contract, dividing the 1 million euro annual service fee into 5 installments, making each contract just under 200,000 euros to avoid monitoring by the club's internal committee. After this incident broke out, 6 members of the board of directors, including the then vice president Rousaud, resigned.

After being elected president of Barca, Laporta used a large amount of public relations to restore the team's reputation.

However, FC Barcelona was inevitably affected. Not only were they knocked out of the Copa del Rey by an underdog, but they also suffered another defeat in the Champions League, failing to reach the Champions League final for the sixth consecutive year.

In the league, before the nine-game winning streak, Barca was trailing Atletico Madrid, and the road to the league title was also fraught with misfortune.

Laporta felt like he was sitting on a volcano about to erupt, and he was anxious beyond measure.

Therefore, Li Mingyu is not only the savior for Koeman, but also the savior for Barca, and even more so, the savior for Laporta.

The issue of Messi's departure or stay is no longer important to Laporta.

Keeping Li Mingyu is the top priority for the team right now.

After all, Barca has this tradition; there are countless examples of legendary players leaving the team after they get old.

Xavi, Iniesta, and Suarez are all bloody examples. If a Messi appears on this list, it shouldn't be anything strange.

However, when Braida invited Li Mingyu's agent, Andrew, to discuss Li Mingyu's contract, Andrew resolutely rejected Braida's new contract.

Although the annual salary in the new contract increased by 2 million euros, the 300 million buyout clause made Andrew shrink back.

After rejecting Braida, Andrew said solemnly, "Mr. Braida, I have already discussed it with Li. At the very least, before next summer, Li will not leave FC Barcelona. No matter how much money the other side offers, Li will not leave FC Barcelona."

"Li has been a fan of Barca since he was a child, and fighting for Barca now is his childhood dream. If he hasn't won the honors he wants to win at Barca, I believe that no matter how much money others give him, he will not leave!"

Seeing Braida looking thoughtful, Andrew reminded him, "However, I also hope that Barca will never use any unnecessary means to restrain him. As Li's agent, I know his character very well. He is a kind-hearted child, but what he hates most is betrayal and deception. If he finds out that the team has deceived him or used some unfavorable means against him, then he is very likely to turn love into hate. By then, I won't be able to stand with you!"

Braida nodded upon hearing this, but still asked with some unease, "Can you represent Li's attitude? I mean, if a team triggers Li's buyout clause, will Li absolutely not leave the team?"

Andrew smiled and said, "Why not let Li tell you himself? That should be more convincing!"

That afternoon, Li Mingyu was invited to Braida's office.

"Li, welcome!"

Braida was very enthusiastic, making Li Mingyu feel a bit flattered.

"By the way, Li, I want to know your thoughts. I have talked to Mr. Andrew, what are your thoughts?"

Li Mingyu took a glass of water handed over by the secretary, thanked her, pondered for a moment, and said, "Mr. Manager, I dare not make too many guarantees. Just like what I told Mr. Andrew, I can guarantee that I will not choose to leave the team before next summer. If possible, I certainly hope to stay at FC Barcelona forever. After all, my whole family are fans of FC Barcelona, and my home is here."

The heavy stone in Braida's heart was lifted. Although he was not sure how much sincerity there was in Li Mingyu's words, this was all he could get for now.

The two chatted for a while longer, and then Li Mingyu left the office.

Braida went to the president's office and told Laporta about this.

Laporta sat in his chair, silent for a long while, and asked, "Do you think Li's words are credible?"

Braida nodded and said, "He has Chinese heritage. As far as I know, when Chinese people say something, they mean it!"

Laporta rubbed his temples and said with a wry smile, "Then that's all we can do!"