Ethan had absolutely no interest in becoming Beckham. He was more interested in quietly driving the development of New Manchester United from behind the scenes. That feeling was just like a father watching his son grow from birth, learn to walk, go to school, enter society, get married, have children, and finally achieve worldwide success. That sense of accomplishment was fantastic!
Because he had other matters to attend to, Ethan left Water Street early in his car.
The convenience of having a car was fully reflected at this moment. Ethan did not need to wait for Jim's taxi, nor did he need to take the bus. Ten minutes later, he returned to the Newton Heath Training Base.
"Mr. Yu, Mr. David Pace is here!" As soon as he walked into the office, a female receptionist immediately came up to him.
"Where is he?" Ethan had an appointment with him.
"I saw him walk out. He should be at the training ground." The receptionist pointed outside.
Ethan nodded and walked straight out of the office near the entrance of the training base.
This was a two-storey building. It was the first building after entering through the main gate of the training base, and the club's administrative offices were located here. As for Bruce and the coaching staff's offices, they were arranged in the training building.
Coming out of the office building, Ethan saw Walsh leading David Pace around the distant training ground, watching the players train. Bruce, who was also familiar with him, saw him and came over to chat across the wire fence.
"Hey, David!" Ethan jogged over, greeting Walsh and Bruce at the same time.
"Ethan!" David Pace smiled and came up to meet him. "Your place is truly enviable. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that last year you were still squeezed into the same stadium as us, but this year, you're already top of the National League!"
"David, don't say that. Droylsden are also very strong. I heard there's a good chance you'll win promotion this year."
David Pace shook his head. "We're always just short at the final hurdle. Honestly, do you have any experience to share with me?"
Ethan laughed out loud and gave David Pace a firm pat on the shoulder. Ethan had always held this friend, who had helped him when he was at his lowest, in high regard. In fact, David was also a very good person.
"To be honest, David, football nowadays depends more and more on money. Professional football is a money-burning game by nature. That's something you taught me, David!"
David Pace gave a wry smile. Ethan was indeed right. He simply did not have the capital to play professional football, which was why Droylsden had always remained stuck in mediocrity.
"Come on, David. I want to discuss a profitable business with you!" Ethan smiled and pulled David Pace into his office.
After the host and guest sat down, Ethan specially brewed a pot of fragrant tea he had bought from Chinatown to entertain David Pace. This was a privilege reserved only for good friends. It would not happen for anyone else.
"You know Umbro, right?" Ethan asked while brewing the tea.
David Pace nodded. "Of course. It's the biggest sports brand in the UK!"
"But its current situation is terrible!" Ethan smiled and handed him a cup of tea.
"In recent years, Nike and Adidas have developed very quickly, and Umbro's market has been constantly squeezed. Especially after CEO Peter Kenyon went to Manchester United, Umbro's performance has plummeted."
David Pace was still confused. He did not know why Ethan was telling him all this.
"I want to acquire Umbro, David!"
David Pace was a little surprised, but he was still confused and did not understand what Ethan meant.
With Ethan's current financial strength, acquiring Umbro would not be difficult. The strange thing was, why was Ethan telling him this?
"Are you interested?" Ethan suddenly asked.
"Me?" David Pace was somewhat surprised.
"Yes. I know the clothing business hasn't been doing well lately, and times are difficult. The internet stock bubble in the United States has burst, leading to the collapse of many internet companies. Since a large part of your clothing business relies on online sales, this has put your company in a difficult position. I think at a time like this, you should change direction, David!"
"Invest in Umbro with you?"
"That's just my suggestion. You know I never fight a battle I'm not sure of. I have a very detailed development plan for Umbro, but I'm busy with other things, so I hope to find a partner I can trust. Are you interested?"
Ever since he had got together with Eva, Ethan had changed a lot regarding his future, especially because of something Eva had said. From now on, both of them had to be responsible for their future and their life together.
This gave Ethan the motivation to start a business.
Furthermore, for New Manchester United to develop in the future, the club would definitely need more funds. Although Ethan already had a complete plan for this, he would feel more at ease if he could have more funds as a backup.
"But I... I can't come up with much capital right now," David Pace said, feeling a little awkward.
Ethan smiled. "I can lend it to you, David, as long as you trust me!"
"Why wouldn't I trust you? It's just that this definitely won't be a small amount, will it?"
"Of course, but you should also know Umbro's influence in the UK and Northern Europe, as well as its authority in the field of professional football equipment. These are Umbro's most valuable assets, and they will also bring wealth to us investors."
David Pace smiled. Even now, he still did not quite understand why Ethan would take the initiative to approach him. With Ethan's current financial resources, he could completely swallow Umbro on his own without needing David's help at all.
As mentioned earlier, one of Ethan's very good qualities was that he paid close attention to details and was very good at observing people. So, the moment David Pace showed the slightest doubt, Ethan had already noticed it.
"I know what you're wondering, David. In fact, you don't need to worry that I'm using you. You should understand very clearly that business is, by nature, a relationship of using and being used. Although I have to admit that you are a friend I value highly and someone worth a deep friendship, right now we're talking about a business deal!"
After Ethan pointed it out directly, David Pace actually relaxed and asked with a smile, "Since that's the case, you should tell me why you want to cooperate with me."
"You were in the clothing business before, which is related to the operating strategy I've formulated for Umbro. Besides, you are thoroughly British. You're familiar with the business environment in the UK and Northern Europe. My career has always been in the United States, and I don't know much about the UK's business environment, so I need a partner I can trust!"
Ethan's explanation was reasonable, and David Pace could not find any fault with it. Besides, he understood Ethan and knew Ethan was not the kind of person who would betray his friends, so he lowered his guard.
"Can you give me some time to think about it?" David Pace asked after thinking for a while.
"Of course," Ethan answered with a smile, but he raised his index finger. "But I can only give you one week. You know, in business negotiations, time is very important, so I can't wait for you too long."
If David Pace did not intend to participate in this investment, Ethan would find someone else. Given his current influence and strength, there were plenty of people who wanted to cooperate with him. If not for his friendship with David Pace, then purely in terms of his own strength, David Pace would not have the qualifications to cooperate with Ethan.
David Pace knew this very well, so he was very grateful to Ethan.
"By the way, Ethan, aside from discussing this cooperation, I also want to discuss something else with you!"
"Go ahead!" Ethan laughed readily.
David Pace pointed to the training ground outside. The first team was training under Bruce's guidance, and even the players who did not usually get much playing time were training very hard.
"I know that if New Manchester United are promoted to League Two this year, players including Darren Lyons, Karl Marginson, and Jonathan Matten might leave the team. I hope that when the time comes, I can have them transfer to Droylsden."
Although Jonathan Matten had been New Manchester United's top scorer last year, he had not been able to get into the team since the beginning of this year. Darren Lyons was getting on in age, and Marginson was frequently injured and still recovering. It stood to reason that even if they recovered, after New Manchester United were promoted to League Two, these two veterans would likely be let go.
However, this group of New Manchester United's "cast-offs" were treasures to Droylsden, because they were all very capable players. It was just that New Manchester United's current squad was too strong, which left them without matches to play.
"Have you contacted the players?" Ethan looked at David Pace with some suspicion.
David Pace felt a chill from Ethan's gaze and immediately shook his head vigorously. "No, no, no, Ethan. Without your consent, I would never contact your players privately. I wouldn't want to affect our friendship because of a player."
Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. What he disliked most was people hiding things from him and contacting his players behind his back.
"I can't guarantee anything about Darren Lyons and Karl Marginson for now, but for players like Jonathan Matten, Danny Collins, Roy Williams, and Richie Wellens, I won't stop them from transferring. But whether you can attract them to Droylsden depends on your own ability, David!"
Lyons and Marginson were currently considering the plan proposed by the club, which was to stay with the team next year as coaches. The club would also arrange for them to undergo training.
As for the other players, if New Manchester United really were promoted to League Two, then they should indeed be allowed to leave. After all, keeping them would not help the team, and it would also hinder their future. Letting them leave on free transfers would actually be a win-win situation.
Having obtained Ethan's promise, David Pace could not stop smiling and repeatedly thanked him. For Droylsden, if they could really bring these capable players under their command, it would make their goal of challenging for the National League much more certain.
(To be continued.)
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