The God of Football Starts With Passive Skills-Chapter 239 - 64: Big Gamble and Sponsorship! Record-Breaking Price! My Teammate Reus! Bayern Closes the Door on Wang Shuo
Grosskreutz and Reus were both players from Dortmund’s youth academy.
However, they were both unable to break into the first team and ended up leaving for Red White Allen.
Red White Allen was the team from Allen Town, a small coal mining town about 60 kilometers northeast of Dortmund. The club had very close youth academy ties with Dortmund.
They had always played in the regional leagues. It was with the help of players like Grosskreutz and Reus, from Dortmund’s youth academy, that they were promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga. They finished 10th in the 2nd Bundesliga last season, successfully avoiding relegation.
It was thanks to their outstanding performances in the 2nd Bundesliga that the two players were able to return to Dortmund.
Grosskreutz’s return had been planned for some time.
But Reus’s signing was a last-minute decision by Klopp.
The young player had originally attracted interest from Borussia Mönchengladbach, but with the club unable to sign Zidane, Klopp decided to sign Reus, who was known for his speed and skill.
He hoped Reus could play a role similar to that of Schürrle at Mainz, becoming Wang Shuo’s right-hand man.
While Dortmund was making moves in the transfer market, Wang Shuo was in Stuttgart, visiting the Porsche headquarters and factory. There, he officially signed a sponsorship contract with Porsche.
Riding the wave of his transfer to Dortmund, Wang Shuo’s partnership with Porsche drew intense media attention both in and outside of Germany, especially from the Chinese press.
The 20 million euro transfer fee set a new, all-time record for a Chinese player!
At the press conference held at Porsche’s headquarters, Wang Shuo expressed his excitement about joining Dortmund.
"I’ve spoken with both Watzke and Zorc, and they’ve convinced me that joining Dortmund is a wise choice."
"Klopp was a very important factor in my decision to join Dortmund. We know each other very well, and I’m confident that by playing on his team, I can continue to improve and perform even better!"
After scoring 29 league goals last season, what’s your target for this season?
Breaking the 30-goal mark?
"Why not?" Wang Shuo replied with a confident smile.
"I hope to contribute as much as possible to the team through my own hard work."
"Of course, I’m not overly focused on my personal goal count. I’m more concerned with helping the team win games with my goals and assists. That’s what’s most important!"
Regarding Dortmund, Wang Shuo stated that it is a club with a long and glorious history.
"I hope to do everything I can to help it return to the top!"
When these answers were relayed back to Dortmund by the press, they were warmly received by the fans.
Last season, Frei scored 12 goals, and Valdes only scored 7.
Dortmund’s two main strikers only had 19 goals combined.
Wang Shuo had scored 29 all by himself.
’They’re not even in the same league!’
The German media also expressed excitement about Wang Shuo joining Dortmund.
Bild opined that by continuing to play under Klopp and moving to a stronger club like Dortmund, Wang Shuo had the opportunity to take his career to the next level.
Why did Wang Shuo reject Bayern?
Bild revealed more of the inside story.
Bayern had proposed a deal to Wang Shuo’s agent: they would sign Wang Shuo from Mainz and then immediately loan him out to another club.
"But both Wang Shuo and his agent rejected the proposal."
So, how did Bayern view Wang Shuo’s move to Dortmund?
In an interview with reporters, Hennes congratulated Wang Shuo on the transfer.
"I’m sure he will be successful at Dortmund."
Rummenigge, however, believed that rejecting Bayern would prove to be a loss for Wang Shuo’s career.
"He should be well aware that this summer’s rejection might mean he will never get the chance to join the best club in Germany, or even in all of Europe, ever again!"
Thus, the headline for Bild’s report read: "Rummenigge: Bayern Has Closed the Door on Wang Shuo!"
...
"Hello, Wang!"
When Wang Shuo arrived at Dortmund’s Westfalen Stadium in Thomas Essien’s car, Sporting Director Zorc was already there waiting for him.
Wang Shuo had just come from the hospital after a very thorough medical examination, and all his results were excellent.
The reporters at the scene were all excitedly snapping photos.
This was a collective unveiling for the new players.
Wang Shuo appeared at Westfalen Stadium, dressed in Adidas apparel. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Zorc led him into an office and introduced him to the club’s senior management: Laubal, Piper, Watzke, and Kneipen.
Also present were Reus and Grosskreutz, two of Dortmund’s young youth-academy products.
They were all young men, so Wang Shuo went over with a smile and shook their hands.
"Hey, Wang, it’s great to meet you!"
"I watched a lot of your Bundesliga matches, especially that DFB-Pokal final. You were amazing!"
"Thanks! I’m looking forward to playing together this season!"
Wang Shuo politely hugged his two new teammates, and they posed for photos together for the reporters.
The contract signing ceremony was actually quite simple.
After the signing, during a short break, Wang Shuo started chatting with his two new teammates.
"Marco, Kevin, are you guys both from Dortmund?"
They both nodded.
"Where do you think would be a more convenient place to live?" Wang Shuo asked humbly.
"Hodder!" Reus blurted out.
"That’s right, Hodder. It’s just south of Westfalen Stadium," Grosskreutz chimed in.
