Messi asking these questions now truly gave him little capital to boast about!
Thinking this, Cao Baiming immediately thought that compared to Messi, Suarez seemed relatively easier to approach.
If Suarez could be bought over, wouldn't that show immense sincerity?
After all, Messi and Suarez were good friends. The camaraderie of the legendary MSN trio was undeniable. For Messi, besides his national team buddies Aguero and De Paul, these two were definitely at the top of his list.
Suarez was currently a free agent, completely available for transfer, negating the need for lengthy considerations. He was also no longer young and was likely seeking a lucrative destination for his final two years of effort, aiming to save a substantial retirement fund.
Leagues in oil-rich nations were already a priority for him. However, the conditions Cao Baiming could offer were significantly better, and by a large margin!
Joining Manchester United would not only mean a higher salary and better treatment than any other club, but also reuniting with his good friend Messi, and even the chance to win the Champions League!
With such an attractive proposition, how could he possibly refuse?
However, entrusting such matters to Ten Hag, who he knew was about to be sidelined, before Guardiola's arrival, was a gamble. It would be better to handle it personally.
This immediately clarified things. Not only Suarez, but Neymar also held significant promise.
Recently feeling sidelined at Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar not only overlapped with Mbappé in position but was also overshadowed by Mbappé's status. This was undoubtedly difficult for the competitive Neymar to accept.
Yet, he chose to stay at Paris Saint-Germain for the money. Other destinations might not have offered as much, and perhaps he had no better options.
Furthermore, as a superstar of his generation, the third pillar of the Messi-Ronaldo era, Neymar was unwilling to be forever defined by this "third man" moniker; it was an insult.
He even aspired to lift the Champions League trophy once more in the twilight of his career, or perhaps win his first Ballon d'Or, to make his career more complete.
Now, he had the hope of achieving all of this, Cao Baiming mused.
Such a request was unlikely to be refused by Neymar. Moreover, Paris Saint-Germain seemed disinclined to continue supporting their €220 million asset.
Someone had to take him off their hands! That someone would be me!
Cao Baiming's eyes gleamed. Without a second word, he contacted Mike and the two clubs, quickly obtaining the private contact details of both Suarez and Neymar.
With a single message, Cao Baiming arranged a meeting time with the two. They didn't need further details; seeing Cao Baiming's name was enough to agree.
Both had attended his birthday party. While not close friends with Cao Baiming, they maintained an acquaintance.
Moreover, Cao Baiming was currently the most talked-about football star and one of the wealthiest individuals globally. An invitation from such a figure was hard to refuse directly.
However, they were unaware that alongside inviting them, Cao Baiming had also invited two other individuals.
Cao Baiming's plan was to bring Messi, Neymar, and Suarez together to discuss the matter and present his proposals to all three, laying out the facts.
This was an audacious move, but risk and reward always go hand in hand!
Currently, only Manchester United under Cao Baiming could afford to support these three aging players who might soon be unable to play at their peak. The offers were even calculated based on their prime performance, a rarity in the world.
Cao Baiming was taking a financial hit on this deal, all for Messi's comfort. Integrating a prime Messi into his future fully realized Manchester United team was paramount, and worth any cost!
Unexpectedly, before the agreed-upon meeting time, other news surfaced. Verratti expressed great interest and was the first to proactively reach out.
The club's efficiency was commendable, which pleased Cao Baiming.
However, wasn't this going too far for Paris Saint-Germain? Poaching two key players from PSG at once would surely turn them into Paris Saint-Mbappé.
At that point, PSG might become as laughable as Arsenal is now. But at least Arsenal had Henry, and PSG had Mbappé. Whether a single player could lead the team remained to be seen and depended on the individual.
At this moment, the top clubs in the five major leagues were all in a state of extreme tension. They understood that once this period passed and the next season began, everything would change irrevocably.
In this grand transformation, who would survive and who would be completely consumed, falling into a long-term slump, remained an unknown.
More importantly, by capitalizing on this crazy transfer window, seizing fleeting opportunities, one could soar in the new season!
Who said the future belonged only to established powerhouses? That was not necessarily true!
And the club dreaming big wasn't just Nottingham Forest. Many other clubs, upon hearing of Nottingham Forest acquiring Cao Baiming, had become extremely agitated, wondering why it was them.
They too wanted to make a major transaction to secure their place in the new season's new landscape!
However, many clubs were currently in a state of extreme sorrow and anger. These were the powerhouse teams that had actively extended olive branches to Cao Baiming, such as the most enthusiastic Real Madrid, who had consistently strived to build a super-fleet.
Cao Baiming was a crucial piece in their ambitious plan. While not indispensable, he stood head and shoulders above others.
Real Madrid's squad composition had recently shown its age. Although their top stars were brilliant, they were undeniably aging.
Football, as a sport, brings many issues with increasing age.