Facing Soriano's bewildered gaze, Julien slowly began to speak.
"Mr. Soriano, Mr. Begiristain, thank you both again for making this special trip and for Manchester City's incredibly high evaluation of me and this exciting vision you've presented.
Premier League top salary, core status, championship blueprint... These are indeed what any player would dream of."
At this point, Soriano and Begiristain exchanged glances, both frowning slightly.
Things weren't going as smoothly as they had imagined.
Sure enough, Julien's next words confirmed their suspicions.
Julien's tone was gentle but very firm. "However, I must apologize and be completely honest with you. At this stage, Manchester City is not my ideal choice, just as I carefully considered and ultimately declined an equally impressive offer from Paris Saint-Germain."
This statement immediately dampened the confidence of the two Manchester City executives.
PSG's financial power was in no way inferior to Manchester City's.
They were both well aware of the previous rumors linking PSG with Julien.
Julien continued,
"These two top-tier offers have helped me recognize more clearly that for my future choice, while grand competitive blueprints are certainly important, what matters more deeply is the alignment of environment, culture, and the team's DNA."
"For me, whether I can perform in a system where I feel completely comfortable, where I can truly integrate, and where there's a high degree of stylistic resonance—these considerations take priority over contract figures or short-term prestige.
Both Paris and Manchester City are great clubs, but personally speaking, they haven't yet touched that deep sense of belonging within me."
Julien paused briefly, looking down at the club crest on his training kit, smiling slightly. "More importantly, my story with Bastia, and our shared goals, have not yet reached their proper conclusion.
If I could, I would even be willing to stay at Bastia, but unfortunately, the club faces economic challenges.
But precisely because of this, I feel an even stronger sense of responsibility, hoping to complete our final chapter at Bastia in the most perfect way possible, whether that's competing for the league title or going as far as possible in the Europa League—helping the team reach new heights before embarking on a new adventure.
This kind of complete farewell would be profoundly meaningful for me, for the team, and for the fans who support us."
With these words, Soriano and both men clearly understood that Julien was rejecting them.
But Soriano wanted to try once more: "Julien, Pierre, I completely respect your honesty and that strong sense of 'belonging.'
Bastia and Corsica have indeed created an irreplaceable connection for you and your family. I deeply understand the power of that emotion.
Please allow me to share something: I'm from Barcelona, and as a Catalan, I empathize completely with the importance of identity, culture, and community.
But at Manchester City, we're not trying to replicate an existing 'culture.' In Manchester, the heart of the Industrial Revolution, we're committed to building a new, inclusive, ambitious global family!
Here, thousands of new fans whose passion is equal to any traditional powerhouse's supporters eagerly await their heroes and their identity.
Join us, and you'll become the soul of this rising football temple, defining its DNA.
Isn't this the ultimate challenge and glory of that 'sense of belonging' you cherish?"
Begiristain immediately chimed in, speaking faster, full of passion:
"Julien, I understand what you mean by 'stylistic resonance.' You mentioned 'completing the mission at Bastia.' That's truly admirable!
But isn't the core of that mission challenging giants, creating miracles, and overturning the traditional order?
At Bastia, you fought against financial behemoths like Paris; at Manchester City, we'll stand at the center of the Premier League, as challengers and disruptors, directly shaking those historic traditional powerhouses like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal!
Isn't this a continuation of what you love and excel at, on an even broader stage?
At Bastia, you fight for Corsica;
At Manchester City, you'll charge into battle for a blue army that's awakening and yearning to be recognized by the world!
Aren't both the most moving legendary stories?
Come join us, and let's create a legendary story that the football world will remember!"
Both men seemed sincere. Even Pierre was somewhat moved. He truly couldn't think of a reason to refuse.
If PSG's offer could be rejected because Ligue 1 was too weak competitively, what about Manchester City?
If Pierre could make the decision, he would have agreed already.
Soriano and Begiristain listened quietly as Julien went on,
"Manchester City is a great club, but right now, it still feels... new. It's in the process of becoming something. The structure, the squad, even the fans—it's all growing fast, but it hasn't quite formed that deep identity yet. Maybe in a few years, it will.
But for me, at this moment, I need a place where I can feel completely anchored, where everything—the city, the supporters, the spirit already speaks to me. That's what I mean by belonging."
He smiled faintly, glancing down at the Bastia crest again.
"With Bastia, I know exactly who we are and what we're fighting for. The bond between the club, the island, and the fans—it's real. I can feel it every time I walk into the stadium or hear the anthem.
That's why I want to finish what we started, before I move on. Leaving only after completing that story feels right—to me, to the team, and to the people who've supported us from nothing."
At that, Soriano and Begiristain exchanged looks. Julien's words weren't arrogant or emotional—just firm.
Soriano hesitated, then said softly, "So… it's not about the money, or the league, but about that feeling of belonging?"
Julien nodded. "Exactly. The sense that I'm part of something that already has a soul."
Soriano and Begiristain both fell into silence, still pondering Julien's words.
When they wanted to ask Julien about specifics, Julien had already ended the meeting.
Julien pulled Pierre, saying, "As my agent, my father Pierre will be fully responsible for all subsequent matters. He's very clear about the club's realistic situation and fully understands my core demands."
Pierre De Rocca interjected at the appropriate moment, "Yes, Ferran (Soriano), Txiki (Begiristain). We're very grateful for Manchester City's and PSG's top-tier sincerity and investment.
These two in-depth contacts have confirmed Julien's market value and his insistence on ideological alignment. He's not rejecting any powerhouse club but rather seeking the next destination that can evoke that feeling of 'home' like Bastia does."
"My duty is to ensure Julien's transfer. We'll continue communicating with several top clubs that align with his philosophy and have expressed long-term commitment. The final result will be an optimal solution regarding the future that respects all parties' core interests."
Julien stood up and shook hands with both men, saying solemnly, "Mr. Soriano, Mr. Begiristain, I sincerely thank Manchester City for this sincere approach, just as I equally thank Paris for their generous interest.
Sheikh Mansour's vision and your professionalism are admirable. Although we couldn't join hands this time, I wish Manchester City brilliant achievements in future endeavors.
Thank you again!"
Soriano and Begiristain left somewhat bewildered, having been rejected by Julien just like that.
After they left, Soriano still couldn't quite figure it out. He looked at Begiristain. "Why did he reject us?"
Begiristain shrugged. "Playing hard to get?"
Soriano shook his head. "I don't think so. During my contact with Julien, I felt he has very much his own mind. You saw his father was just standing by—this shows that from beginning to end, Julien was the one making decisions."
Begiristain sighed. "Forget it, we'll talk about it slowly later."
Soriano nodded.
Both men actually knew this negotiation might not yield results, because Julien never discussed specific terms throughout and that was the most troublesome part.
If it were dissatisfaction with compensation, they could just add more money!
But with Julien, things were tricky.
On the other side, after watching Soriano and his companion leave, Pierre looked at Julien. "You're really not going to Manchester City?"
Julien shook his head. "I just explained all my reasons clearly."
Pierre didn't say much more. He wouldn't interfere with Julien's decisions.
Julien then said to him, "Continue maintaining contact with other teams. I'll focus on Bastia for now. I'll make my decision in the summer."
"Alright."
Pierre responded, patting Julien's shoulder. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You know, as family, we'll always support you."
"I know." Then Julien asked, "Is my brother willing to do that website?"
Pierre smiled. "Given your request, of course he's willing. As long as you want, we can start building the website anytime. Though initially he can only work part-time—you know, he has a girlfriend, and expenses are high."
Julien waved his hand. "That's fine. Just get it built as soon as possible. I want to capitalize on Bastia's popularity this season. I'll write the complete process of my transfer on the site."
Hearing this, Pierre immediately thought the popularity would explode.
But he was still somewhat worried. "How will we profit from it?"
Julien didn't explain in detail. "You'll know when the time comes. First get the website up and running—everything else follows from that."
"Mm."
After Pierre communicated some more details with Julien, he left. He needed to hurry and discuss building the website with René.
When Julien was alone, he looked at the Parisian sky, with only one thought in his mind—"What is true belonging?"
He didn't have an answer yet.
When Julien returned to the hotel, his Bastia teammates had already finished breakfast.
Seeing Julien, they greeted him with smiles.
Lukaku came over with a mischievous grin. "Gone early in the morning—what were you up to? You're not keeping a lover in Paris without telling us, are you?"
Julien rolled his eyes. "What's going through your head all day? Haha, I was just handling some family matters. My parents live in Paris."
Lukaku laughed awkwardly.
This was just a small episode. After lunch, all of Bastia departed to return to Bastia.
They would face Tottenham in the second leg mid-week!
On the journey, Hadzibegic didn't forget to remind the players, "Don't run around these next few days. Also, everyone restrain yourselves—it's just a few days. Get proper rest!"
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