novelraw Chapter 375 - 49: The Bombshell
Chapter 375 - 49: The Bombshell
Saturday, June 24, 2023
London Hotel
2:45 PM
The bag was half-packed when the notification appeared at the top of his phone screen, and Demien had been folding a training kit into the side compartment while his laptop sat open on the desk with his flight confirmation displayed because the Milan departure was scheduled for Tuesday morning and he needed to be organized before then.
Twitter notification. Fabrizio Romano posted twenty seconds ago.
He tapped it and the app opened to Romano’s timeline, and the tweet was already accumulating engagement at the rate that indicated something significant had broken.
@FabrizioRomano:EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea have entered the race for Demien Walter! Pochettino personally requested the move. Blues have approached Atalanta with opening bid. Player’s representatives aware of interest. Understand Liverpool and Man United also in strong positions. Three-way race now. 🔵 #CFC
Posted 2:43 PM. Eight thousand likes in two minutes and climbing.
Demien read it twice and his breathing stayed controlled while his mind processed what the words meant, and Chelsea entering the race hadn’t appeared in any previous reporting and Marco hadn’t mentioned them in yesterday’s call and the suddenness of it created questions that needed answering immediately.
He scrolled to the comments and the reactions were exactly what he expected from three different fanbases who all believed their club would win.
@ChelseaYouth:
Perfect signing for Poch’s rebuild! Young creative midfielder who can grow with the project. This is what we need.@LFC_News:Romano driving the price up. Liverpool have been working on this for weeks. We’re still favorites.
@UtdReport:He scored twice at Old Trafford and Ten Hag was there. He’s coming to United.
@TheAthleticUK:Chelsea’s interest confirmed by sources. Pochettino sees Walter as ideal midfielder for his system. Club serious about competing.
The phone buzzed in his hand and Marco’s name appeared on the screen, and Demien answered before the second ring finished.
"You saw Romano’s tweet," Marco said without preamble.
"Just now. Is it real?"
"Yes. Chelsea contacted me yesterday evening after your United meeting but I didn’t mention it because I wanted you focused on processing Liverpool and United first without adding a third variable that would complicate your decision-making. Romano got it from Chelsea’s side so it’s public now and we need to discuss it properly."
Demien sat on the edge of the bed while his bag stayed half-packed beside him. "What’s their offer?"
"Two hundred fifteen thousand per week base salary, rising to two hundred thirty over the contract duration. Eleven million signing bonus paid on completion. Better image rights structure than Liverpool’s revised offer, similar to United’s structure in terms of percentage split but with slightly narrower exclusions. Commercial obligations capped at ten appearance days per year maximum with tour participation limited to twenty-one days including travel time, which matches United’s revised language. Exit clause conditional at eighteen months, similar to United’s conditional language rather than Liverpool’s automatic buyout."
The information came in the same direct style Marco always used when delivering contract details, and Demien’s mind organized it automatically into the comparison structure he’d been building since Liverpool’s meeting on Thursday.
"Financial summary," Marco continued before Demien could ask. "United pays most upfront at two hundred twenty per week, Chelsea middle at two hundred fifteen, Liverpool lowest at one ninety. Exit protection: Liverpool has automatic buyout at seventy-five million pounds after eighteen months which is the cleanest exit mechanism. United and Chelsea both have conditional language that’s vaguer and gives the club more control. Playing time: United promises twenty-plus starts year one in their pitch, Chelsea would likely offer similar because their midfield is weak after selling Mount, Liverpool says year two for regular starts."
Agent Negotiation Perk activated and the blue interface materialized in his peripheral vision with text appearing in clean lines.
「TRAIT ACTIVATED」
「AGENT NEGOTIATION PERK — THREE-WAY COMPARISON」
「MANCHESTER UNITED FC」
「Wages: £220k/week (highest)」
「Exit: Conditional at 18mo (club discretion)」
「Timeline: Immediate opportunity — 20+ starts target」
「Location: Manchester (northern England)」
「CHELSEA FC」
「Wages: £215k/week (middle)」
「Exit: Conditional at 18mo (club discretion)」
「Timeline: Immediate opportunity — young squad rebuild」
「Location: London (closer to Milan than northern England)」
「LIVERPOOL FC」
「Wages: £190k/week (lowest)」
「Exit: Automatic buyout £75M at 18mo (guaranteed)」
「Timeline: Patient development — year 2 regular starts」
「Location: Liverpool (northern England)」
「TRADE-OFF IDENTIFIED」
「Money + Immediate Opportunity vs Security + Development Path」
「NEW FACTOR」
「Chelsea location = London = easier access to Milan/Italy」
「Flight time: London to Milan 90min | Manchester/Liverpool to Milan 120-150min」
「RECOMMENDATION」
「Hear all three pitches before deciding」
「Chelsea meeting essential for complete comparison」
The panel faded and Demien’s focus returned to Marco’s voice on the phone.
"Chelsea wants to meet next week," Marco said. "Friday afternoon in Milan at two PM. Their Italia office near Duomo handles player relations for the region so it’s convenient for you and shows they’re willing to work around your schedule. That gives you three days of pre-season training in Bergamo to settle back into routine first before the meeting happens."
"Set it up," Demien said, and the decision came easily because hearing Chelsea’s pitch was necessary now that they’d entered with a formal approach.
"Already done. Friday you hear Pochettino’s vision for how you fit their project, then you have all three offers on the table with complete information. Then you decide."
"Timeline?"
"I told all three clubs you need until mid-July to make your final decision. They’ll wait because your value went up after the Old Trafford performance and they’re competing against each other now which gives you leverage. None of them want to lose you to a rival by pressuring too hard."
The call ended and Demien set the phone on the bed beside him while his mind turned over the new information, and three Premier League clubs fighting for his signature six months after Fiorentina rejected him from their academy created a contrast that felt surreal when he stopped to think about it properly.
Text from Luca arrived within thirty seconds: Saw Romano’s tweet. Chelsea too? This is insane. See you at training Wednesday bro.
Text from Sophia came fifteen seconds after that: Another option won’t make it easier to choose but Pochettino’s a great coach. Listen with an open mind and trust your instincts.
He didn’t reply to either message yet because his thoughts needed organizing first, and the comparison Marco had laid out showed three distinct paths forward with different strengths and weaknesses that required careful evaluation.
Liverpool offered patient development under Klopp with the best exit protection through an automatic buyout clause, but lower wages and a timeline that meant waiting until year two for regular starting opportunities.
Manchester United offered the highest wages and immediate opportunity with a target of twenty-plus starts in year one, but their exit clause was conditional and vague which meant the club maintained control if things didn’t work out.
Chelsea offered middle-ground wages with immediate opportunity in a young squad rebuild under Pochettino, conditional exit language similar to United, and London location which put him ninety minutes from Milan instead of two-plus hours from Liverpool or Manchester.
Three elite clubs. Three different philosophies. Three versions of his future.
The decision was harder now rather than easier because adding Chelsea created another variable to weigh, but the structure of the comparison remained the same at its core—money and opportunity versus security and development, with location as a secondary factor that mattered more for personal life than professional development.
He returned to packing his bag and finished organizing the training kits into their compartment, then added his laptop charger and the book he’d been reading on the flight over from Italy, and the physical task of preparing to leave helped his mind settle into acceptance that Friday’s meeting was now part of the decision process whether he’d expected it or not.
The phone buzzed again and he checked it expecting another message from Luca or Sophia, but the notification was from Instagram and the number next to it showed 247 new followers in the last fifteen minutes alone.
He opened the app briefly and the recent follows were primarily Chelsea supporters with blue circles in their profile pictures and bios that mentioned Stamford Bridge or referenced the club’s history, and the pattern showed that Romano’s tweet had already filtered down through club-specific social media ecosystems where fans tracked transfer news religiously.
He closed Instagram without engaging and opened Twitter again, and the Romano tweet was now at forty-three thousand likes with engagement still climbing rapidly while replies debated whether Chelsea had a realistic chance against Liverpool and United’s established interest.
@CFCTransferNews:If Pochettino wants Walter specifically then we get Walter. Todd Boehly backs his managers. This is happening.
@LiverpoolEcho:Chelsea entering late doesn’t change fundamentals. Klopp identified Walter months ago. Liverpool’s pitch is strongest.
@MilanEye:Chelsea offering London is smart. Walter’s Italian, his mother lives in Florence. Easier to maintain family connections from London than Manchester.
The MilanEye observation was correct and it was the kind of detail that wouldn’t appear in contract negotiations but mattered for quality of life over a five-year commitment, and Demien filed it away as part of the larger comparison he’d need to make after Friday.
He locked the phone and set it on the nightstand face-down, then stood and moved to the window where London spread below in the specific grey-and-green pattern of a June afternoon with rain having cleared earlier but clouds still heavy overhead.
Three days until he flew home. Four days until pre-season training started. Six days until the Chelsea meeting. Then the real decision-making would begin with complete information and no more surprises.
The chaos of three competing offers was manageable because the football remained constant underneath it, and Tuesday morning he’d be back at Centro Bortolotti going through drills and building fitness and doing the work that mattered regardless of which Premier League city he eventually chose.
He returned to the bed and finished packing systematically—toiletries in the side pocket, phone charger coiled properly, passport and wallet in the front compartment where they’d be accessible at airport security—and by the time the bag was completely organized his mind had settled into the same professional focus that carried him through complicated tactical situations during matches.
Liverpool patient development. United immediate opportunity. Chelsea young squad project in London.
The choice would reveal itself after Friday when he’d heard all three pitches and understood what each club truly offered beyond the contract language and wage figures.
For now the bag was packed and Tuesday’s flight was confirmed and pre-season was waiting in Bergamo.
Everything else would follow from there.