My Ultimate Gacha System

Chapter 372 - 46: The Manchester United Meeting I

Chapter 290: The Manchester United Meeting

Friday, June 23, 2023Demien’s Hotel — Kings Cross10:30 AM

Marco arrived at the hotel lobby at exactly ten-thirty wearing the same suit from yesterday with a different tie, and Demien noticed immediately that the tie was blue instead of the red Marco had worn to the Liverpool meeting, and the choice felt deliberate even if Marco didn’t acknowledge it.

They walked outside to the waiting car and climbed into the back seat while the driver pulled away from the curb and merged into London’s morning traffic heading west toward Mayfair, and Marco waited until they were moving before speaking.

"Yesterday was your introduction to how these meetings work," Marco said, and his tone was different from the coaching he’d provided before Liverpool’s pitch because now Demien had actual experience to build on. "Today is about comparison. Liverpool set a benchmark with their pitch—Klopp’s vision, the contract terms, the development timeline. United will pitch differently because they need to differentiate themselves and convince you they’re the better option."

Demien nodded and watched London pass outside the window while listening.

"Your job is to listen objectively," Marco continued. "Don’t let Liverpool’s pitch bias you toward or against what United offers. They’re different clubs with different philosophies, and both approaches can be valid. Compare them after you’ve heard both, not during."

"Understood," Demien said.

"One critical point," Marco said, and his voice sharpened slightly to emphasize importance. "Don’t mention Liverpool’s offer specifics unless United directly asks, and even then keep it vague. Both clubs know they’re competing but explicit comparison in the room creates awkwardness. Let them sell their vision without knowing exact details of what Liverpool promised."

The car moved through traffic and passed shops and office buildings while morning pedestrians filled the sidewalks.

"Will United’s pitch be similar to Liverpool’s structure?" Demien asked.

Marco considered the question before answering.

"Yes and no," he said. "Similar format because all top clubs follow similar recruitment processes—financial presentation, tactical fit explanation, development pathway discussion, closing pitch from the manager. But different emphasis. Liverpool sold patient development under Klopp with year two being the target for regular starts. United will likely sell immediate opportunity because their midfield struggled last season and they need reinforcement now, not in two years. The timelines will be the key difference."

The car turned onto a wide street in Mayfair and slowed as it approached a modern glass building with discrete Manchester United branding visible at the entrance.

"We’re here," Marco said, and he checked his watch showing ten fifty-five. "Five minutes early. Perfect."

They exited the car and walked into the building’s lobby where reception directed them to the fourth floor, and the elevator ride was silent while both focused on what waited above.

The elevator doors opened onto a hallway with polished floors and modern lighting, and at the end of the corridor a conference room door displayed the Manchester United crest in red and gold.

Marco checked his watch again: ten fifty-eight.

"Perfect timing," he said quietly, and they walked down the hallway together until they reached the conference room door.

Marco knocked at exactly eleven AM.

United London Office — Conference Room11:00 AM

The door opened immediately and Darren Fletcher stood in the doorway with his hand extended, and his presence was commanding without being overwhelming because his height and professional bearing created natural authority.

"Demien, Marco, welcome," Fletcher said while shaking hands with both. "Come in."

The conference room was larger than Liverpool’s setup at the Rosewood with a long table that could seat twelve people comfortably, and Manchester United branding covered the walls through framed photos of historic moments and tactical screens mounted on stands, and a water and coffee station sat against the far wall with proper cups rather than disposable ones.

Three people were already seated and Demien’s attention went to them immediately.

Erik ten Hag sat at the head of the table with an iPad in front of him and reading glasses perched on his nose, and when Demien entered he stood with the kind of efficiency that suggested wasted movement annoyed him.

"Demien," Ten Hag said, and his Dutch accent was clear but his English was precise. He extended his hand across the table and his grip was firm without being aggressive. "Monday night at Old Trafford. Two goals in our stadium. Our fans chanted your name. That means something here."

The statement was delivered as fact rather than compliment, and the directness was different energy from Klopp’s warmth yesterday.

Ten Hag gestured to the two men seated beside him.

"John Murtough, our Football Director," Ten Hag said, and Murtough stood to shake hands before sitting back down. "And Matt Hargreaves, head of recruitment."

Hargreaves nodded and raised his hand in brief greeting without standing.

Fletcher moved to the head of the table opposite Ten Hag and gestured for Demien and Marco to sit on the side facing the windows, and the setup felt more corporate than Liverpool’s arrangement because the formality was deliberate rather than natural.

Everyone settled into their seats and Fletcher didn’t waste time with small talk about the journey or the weather.

"We know you met with Liverpool yesterday," Fletcher said, and the direct acknowledgment was confident rather than defensive. "That’s fine, we respect their interest. But we think Manchester United offers you something they can’t. Let’s show you what that is."

Murtough opened a folder and slid two documents across the table with one stopping in front of Marco and the other in front of Demien, and the Manchester United crest sat at the top of each page above text reading OFFICIAL CONTRACT PROPOSAL.

"Before we talk football, let’s be clear about what we’re offering financially," Murtough said, and the numbers-first approach was the opposite of Liverpool leading with Klopp’s vision.

The meeting began.

Murtough didn’t open with pleasantries or context, just pure contract terms delivered in clean business language.

"Base salary two hundred twenty thousand pounds per week in year one," Murtough said while his finger traced the relevant section of the contract. "Rising to two hundred thirty-five thousand in year three, two hundred fifty thousand in year five. Twelve million pound signing bonus payable on completion of the transfer. Performance bonuses tied to appearances—seven thousand five hundred per Premier League start or sixty-plus minute appearance. Goal and assist bonuses at eleven thousand each."

Marco took notes while Demien absorbed the numbers, and the base salary was significantly higher than Liverpool’s one hundred ninety thousand per week offer.

Blue text appeared at the edge of Demien’s vision and the familiar interface meant the Agent Negotiation Perk had activated.

「AGENT NEGOTIATION PERK ACTIVE」

「Financial Analysis — Manchester United Offer」

「Base Salary: £220,000/week」「Comparison to Liverpool: +£30,000/week」「Annual difference: £1,560,000」「Five-year difference: £7,800,000」

「Signing Bonus: £12,000,000」「Comparison to Liverpool: +£2,500,000」

「ASSESSMENT: United paying premium wages」「Premium justified by: immediate need, Old Trafford performance, competitive market」

The panel faded and Demien’s expression remained neutral while the comparison calculations settled in his mind.

Murtough continued without pause.

"Commercial obligations," he said, and his tone indicated this section had been revised from the original offer. "Player agrees to minimum ten appearance days per calendar year for club commercial obligations. Pre-season tour participation is required with maximum duration of twenty-one days including travel time."

Marco leaned forward slightly and his pen stopped moving.

"The original offer required twelve appearance days minimum plus pre-season tours of reasonable duration with no defined ceiling," Marco said, and his memory of the original terms was exact. "This addresses the concern Demien raised in his notes. The tour cap is particularly important."

"Correct," Murtough said. "We listened to the feedback. The twenty-one day maximum is firm regardless of tour logistics or sponsor commitments. If the tour requires more time, that’s the club’s problem not the player’s. The contract protects him there."

Blue text flickered again.

「Commercial Obligations Analysis」

「United Revised: 10 days + 21-day tour cap」「Liverpool Offer: Vague language, no specific caps」

「ASSESSMENT: United’s commercial terms more favorable」「Defined limits vs undefined obligations」

The panel dissolved.

Fletcher took over and his presentation shifted to the image rights structure.

"Image rights," Fletcher said. "Player receives twenty-five percent of qualifying image rights income. We’ve narrowed the exclusion definition from the original offer based on Marco’s feedback. Individual boot deals, personal endorsements, social media content that doesn’t directly use Manchester United branding—those count toward the player’s share. If it’s United-branded content, that’s club revenue and the player receives standard appearance fees."

Marco’s pen moved across his notepad and he wrote something before speaking.

"What’s the effective split when you account for the narrowed exclusion definition?" Marco asked.

"Approximately twenty-two to twenty-six percent depending on deal structure," Murtough said. "More deals now count toward his percentage compared to the original offer."

「Image Rights Comparison」

「United: 22-26% effective rate (narrowed exclusions)」「Liverpool: ~18-20% effective rate (broader exclusions)」

「ASSESSMENT: United better by 4-6 percentage points」

Murtough turned to the exit clause section and his expression suggested this was where United’s position was firm.

"Buyout clause," Murtough said. "We’ve added conditional language at the eighteen-month mark. If the player is not receiving regular first-team minutes after eighteen months, the club will consider reasonable transfer offers above fifty million pounds."

Marco’s expression didn’t change but the word "consider" clearly registered as vague language.

"Consider is non-binding," Marco said. "Liverpool’s offer has an automatic buyout clause at seventy-five million after eighteen months. Guaranteed exit if development doesn’t progress as expected."

Fletcher responded immediately and his tone was direct without being defensive.

"We’re aware of Liverpool’s structure," Fletcher said. "Our position is different. We’re not building Demien to sell him in eighteen months. The conditional language is our compromise. If he’s not playing regularly, we’ll listen to offers. But we’re not putting an automatic clause that helps our competitors acquire him."

Ten Hag leaned forward and his intensity increased.

"I don’t plan for players to leave," Ten Hag said, and his bluntness was clear. "I plan for them to succeed. If you’re worried about exit mechanisms in eighteen months, maybe this isn’t the right fit."

The statement hung in the air for a moment before Marco nodded once.

「Exit Clause Analysis」

「United: Conditional consideration at 18mo (non-binding)」「Liverpool: Automatic £75M buyout at 18mo (guaranteed)」

「TRADE-OFF IDENTIFIED」「United: Higher wages, weaker exit protection」「Liverpool: Lower wages, stronger exit guarantee」

「QUESTION: Prioritize money or security?」

The panel faded and the financial presentation concluded.