A Two-Hundred-Million-Euro Transfer

If you were a professional in the football world, you would naturally know that Buffon's transfer last year had made him the world's most expensive player at the time—the highest-priced transfer of 2002!

But Wang Ye was not involved in the football world. He was just a casual fan, so naturally he had not paid attention to that.

Hearing the figure David Dein quoted, he was slightly taken aback.

He had not expected player valuations to have started inflating as early as 2003.

Still, fortunately, the price was not so outrageous that he could not afford it.

So Wang Ye nodded impassively and said, "Alright. What other players do we need to buy?"

Arsène Wenger and David Dein were both stunned, because they did not understand what Wang Ye meant by "alright."

Did that mean they were buying Buffon, or skipping him altogether...

Arsène Wenger was rather particular, so he pressed on. "So, are we buying Buffon? Of course, that would be very difficult. If it doesn't work out, I have a shortlist of alternatives. They are capable as well, and their prices are not as high, so the transfers would not be as difficult."

Wang Ye waved a hand and smiled. "Buffon it is. I admire him too. By the way, do we need a center-back? How about Alessandro Nesta?"

There was a bit of personal preference involved. In his previous life, the three players Wang Ye had liked most were Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Alessandro Nesta...

There was no need to mention Ronaldo. He was Wang Ye's favorite player, and in the eyes of many longtime fans, the only player after Pelé who could claim the throne of the "King of Football"!

Unfortunately, by 2003, he was already past his peak. At most, he had one more good year