The draw for the Champions League group stage is the day before the transfer deadline.

This morning, Lu Ling woke up very early. She hadn't felt like she had been overly nervous lately, but the moment she suddenly opened her eyes on the bed, she felt tension all over her body. After a long sigh of relief, she took her phone and looked at the time, it was only five o'clock, and she had only slept for four hours. She was still sleepy, but she knew she couldn't possibly fall asleep.

So she did something she hadn't done in a long time, and she ran to Harrington. It took her an hour or so. Despite being tired and even having a little pain in her knees, she felt more awake than ever. Moreover, the pleasure of sweating profusely may not have been experienced by her for a long time.

Throughout the morning, Lu Ling was in a state of euphoria, and she would greet everyone she met. The players inevitably whispered, what happened to the manager today, has the best alternative been found for Delgado, or is the best alternative close to being signed?

The assistant coach was a little intimidated by her state. So, after the morning training session, Tim didn't pull the two players to go into the details as usual, but pulled the head coach aside.

"Christine, you have to tell me what's going on. ”

Lu Ling tilted her head and shrugged her shoulders, "What? Did something happen?" her expression didn't seem to sense the TA at all.

"Oh please, don't tell me you didn't know you were excited all morning, as if something good had happened. There's progress on Monchi's side?"

Lu Ling shook his head, "The strikers he recommended to me all have some problems, which we discussed two days ago. This morning he sent me another player profile and video, and I haven't had time to look at it yet. It's an Englishman, from League Two. I don't hold out much hope. ”

"Yes, I received it too, but like you, I didn't have time to look at it. Tim sneered, "English League Two striker, can we get a Jamie Vardy [Leicester goalscorer] in the lower leagues?"

"Oh, even the new Vardy...... Nor is it for us. ”

"Then why are you happy?" Tim thought for a moment and lowered his voice, "Have you reconciled with Patrick?"

"Really, how come I don't know?" Lu Ling joked, "Tim, don't guess, I think I just drank too much coffee." She said and looked at her watch, "Seriously, I really drank too much coffee, and I'm in a hurry to go to the bathroom right now." Then I have to go to the cafeteria to watch the Champions League draw with the players, I don't want to miss it......," she said, her voice getting quieter and quieter, leaving the assistant behind her.

Behind her, the assistant teacher was a little deflated: "Christine, I have a bad premonition. ”

She then looked back, "I beg you, don't say anything......

"We're going to be in the Death Round. ”

"Then thank God. ”

Her voice sounded free, and this time she was really far away.

****

Felipe Delgado's English isn't too good, but the good thing is that basic communication isn't too much of a problem. Besides, the coach and assistant coach are all Spanish-speaking, which is not a problem at all. It's just that he gets a little frustrated when new teammates tell jokes that he doesn't understand well. Fortunately, assistant coach Juan is an extremely patient and friendly guy, and if he is around him, before he can get an interpreter, he will tell him what his teammates are laughing at.

As it stands, team-mates are teasing that Everton should have drawn a good draw because they are a Pot 1 team. And rival QPR will likely go to the Group of Death, just like they did last season.

"Without Patrik and without Felipe, I think it will be difficult for Christine to qualify from the group. ”

"Their fans are happy to travel ......"

"Haha......"

Delgado heard his name and the three letters of QPR, and he looked at Ousmane Dembele who was speaking, and grinned. When he lowered his head, he frowned again. He was slightly apologetic for refusing the QPR, especially for the young manager. When they talked on the phone, they had a good conversation, and he almost thought he couldn't go to another team. But the sincerity of Everton and Mr. Flores eventually struck him. More precisely, he certainly wants to join a Premier League winning team.

And now, he can say that he is happy with his choice. From the dressing room to the coaching staff, the team looks like an ambitious club. As for Mr. Flores...... Delgado glanced back at the manager, who was not looking for a seat to sit down, but was standing by the door of the dining room, watching with his iPad. Presumably, the manager is very busy and will leave as soon as he watches the live broadcast of the draw, after all, tomorrow is the transfer deadline, and the team may still have reinforcements.

On TV, the draw is about to begin in earnest.

****

The sound of conversation in Spanish was everywhere. Patrick was used to it, and he could even understand quite a few jokes, but it would be a little harder for him to speak one in authentic Spanish. Pique would still translate for him sometimes, and he didn't want to dampen the enthusiasm of the Spaniards, so he didn't bother to tell him that he could actually understand.

It's actually quite interesting. He took Spanish classes but never studied Spanish seriously, perhaps his energy was focused on football at that time. However, it was because of football that he started learning the language again.

Peake sat next to Patrick and acted as translator again. But this time, Pique wanted to play a trick on the Englishman.

"Hey, do you know what they just said?"

"What?"

"They're talking about you and Amber. ”

"Really?"

"They laughed at you for being rejected by Amber. Remember, it's them, and I didn't join in. ”

"Then why haven't I heard Amber's name?"

"Because ......" Pique was about to continue making it up, but he noticed that the corners of Patrick's mouth were weirdly curved, so he dragged out his voice, "Hey—you understand, don't you? You know I'm making it up?"

Patrick smiled and raised an eyebrow.

Pique grumbled a few bites, and Patrick only found it even amier. But then the Spanish centre-back began to talk and stopped.

"If you want to say anything, just say it, I'm not going to listen to you gossip later. ”

“…… It's nothing. Pick snorted, he had heard something from Shakira, and he wanted to tease Patrick again, but the appearance of the Englishman made him think it was no fun. And on TV, former Dutch star Seedorf is about to reveal the first group of the first team.

****

Soon, with sighs, the fate of eight groups and thirty-two teams has been revealed.

A: Barcelona, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Fenerbahce

B: Juventus Arsenal Valencia Gothenburg

C: Everton, Sevilla, Besiktas, Olympiacos

D: Paris Saint-Germain Queen Park Rangers Basel Benfica

E: Bayern Atletico Madrid, Celtic St. Petersburg

F: Dynamo Kyiv, Real Madrid, Dortmund, Anderlecht

G: CSKA Moscow Monaco Leverkusen AC Milan

H: Sporting Portugal, Manchester City, Lyon, RB Leipzig

Nicolas gave Juan a high-five. It can be said that their signing is very good, and it is not surprising that they will definitely qualify from the group. In the Premier League, in addition to the Toffees, Manchester City's signing luck is also very good, which can be said to be even better than Everton.

And the QPR, which was predicted to be in the death group, was actually just a normal group, not too bad a sign.

In the Premier League, the poor signings are Arsenal and Manchester United. Especially Manchester United.

Juan stared at the names of several clubs in Group A, and said with a bit of schadenfreude: "How do I feel that there is a fate between Jose and Pep that will never be separated. Nick, you see, even if Pep is back in La Liga, he still can't escape playing Jose. And, this group, oh, I gotta say......"

"Fulloftistsandturns, isn't it?" Nicholas interrupted the assistant and asked rhetorically with a slight smile. But it actually sounds more like talking to yourself.

Juan was stunned, not knowing what he was referring to. He frowned, pondering, and asked, "Are you talking about Jose and Pep?" or are you talking about us this season?

Nicholas shrugged, "Maybe it's all or maybe it's neither." His eyes paused for half a second on the screen above Group D, then turned away.

Juan didn't say anything for a few seconds, and then he suddenly asked, "Is Christine angry?"

"Yes. But where does she have time to be angry with me right now? If she can't find a suitable replacement, then I don't think we have to worry too much about them this season. Nicholas said, turning around, "Steven (Walsh, Everton's director of football) is waiting for me, are you coming?"

Juan hurriedly followed.

Behind them, Everton's players are still cheering for the signing.

****

"I wasn't as lucky as Nick, but I think it's a pretty good result. Tim's smile was very bright, "Zixiang secretly asked me just now, did you guess the result of this lottery a long time ago?"

"And how did you answer him?"

Tim pouted slightly, "You won't like my answer." ”

"Tell me about it. ”

"I said you have a good father, so maybe you're a good guesser, too. ”

"Yes, not only do I not like this answer, but I want to punch you. ”

"Come on, just don't punch me in the face, Monica loves my face. ”

Lu Ling smiled helplessly, "Forget it, wait until our group comes out." ”

"We've all qualified from the group, and you're going to beat me up?

"You won't want to know. Monica might hate me. ”

Tim felt that the manager's smiling appearance was a little eerie.

"Alright, I need to go back to the office. Lu Ling continued, "Oh yes, if you have time, just look at the information and video of that League Two player, and then tell me your opinion, I shouldn't have time to watch that." ”

"No problem. Tim agreed.

Lu Ling gradually recovered from his state of excitement. Tomorrow is the transfer deadline. She also needs a striker. She doesn't want to waste time with her League Two players and she needs to continue discussions with Monchi as soon as possible.

As soon as she got back to the office, Monchi's phone rang in.

"Christine, I think we have one more candidate, and that's a possibility that's only recently emerged. ”

She began to think, and Monchi was not in a hurry to speak, as if he was happy to wait for her guess.

“…… Do you mean Missi Batshuayi?"

"Yes. ”

Michy Batshuayi was Chelsea's first-choice centre-forward last season, but his relationship with Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has gone awry this season. In the first two rounds of the league, Michy Batshuayi was pressed to the bench.

In those two games, Chelsea suffered a heavy defeat at West Ham and a draw away at promoted Malize United. Despite his poor record, Conte did not give the Belgian striker a single minute of playing time.

After the Felipe Delgado deal fell through, Lu Ling began to search for a possible transfer of the established striker. But she knows that just as Everton are reluctant to give Lukaku to their Premier League rivals, so will Chelsea not want to give Michy Batshuayi to a Premier League side.

But there is one thing to take advantage of, and that is that the relationship between Michy Batshuayi and Conte has deteriorated to the extreme, unlike Everton's situation. Chelsea may want to get Michy Batshuayi out of the way, and Michy Batshuayi himself is desperate to get out of Stamford Bridge.

Of course, you have to pay for it.

Monchi thinks the club can try a rent-to-own scheme, and Lu Ling also thinks it can.

So they added Simon to the call and began working on the plan.

****

August 31, transfer deadline.

Lu Ling had never felt that a day could be so busy.

This year's transfer deadline is not a direct international break, but a league game ahead, so she will also be in charge of press conferences and training for the third round against Crystal Palace.

QPR had already made an offer to Chelsea early in the morning to sign Michy Batshuayi on loan, rent-to-own buy. Chelsea, for their part, have expressed some interest but are asking for a loan fee of up to £15 million and a buyout of £45 million.

That's a bit high, but there aren't many options for QPR. Simon went to negotiate further with the club, and Lu Ling learned from Monchi that Michy Batshuayi himself was interested in joining QPR to play in the Champions League – and that he would not have to move as QPR was in the same west London area as Chelsea.

After the afternoon press conference, Tim knocked on the door of the manager's office. Lu Ling said, please come in. After that, the QPR TA hugged the laptop and pushed the door in.

"Christine, I know you may be pressed for time. But you have to look at the situation of this League Two player. ”

Lu Ling didn't say anything, threw down the papers on the table, and looked at Tim's notebook.

On the screen, is the basic information of this player.

Philipp 'Phil' Warren

Date of birth:

Place of birth: London

Club: Leyton Orient (League Two, Fourth Division)

Height:

Weight: 78g

Position: Striker

International appearances: 0

Looking down further, Lu Ling frowned.

2017-18: 3 starts, 6 substitutes, 2 goals

What is that statistic? He is very young, only 18 years old, but he can't play in League Two at this age......

Tim seemed to see Lu Ling's thoughts, he said: "I've seen it, there are a little off-field reasons why he can't play, you can watch his video." ”

Lu Ling originally wanted to refuse, but she still clicked on the video of this player. Five minutes later, her eyes were filled with a different look.

It's a loose looking player, yes. It even looks like a lower-middle-class thug in Britain.

But every touch of the ball, every confrontation, and even every shaking and change of direction of his body is unmistakably telling Lu Ling that this is a very talented player. Moreover, it is possible to play center.

Lu Ling watched it for another five minutes, then directly closed the computer cover and asked, "Why doesn't such a player have a chance to play? And no one seems to be interested in him?"

'I don't know exactly why, but it has a lot to do with the character of the player. I specifically inquired about the situation at Leiton Easton, and the coaches generally felt that Phil Warren was too loose, liked to cause trouble, and did not listen to discipline, which was difficult for him to succeed. ”

Lu Ling pondered for a while, maybe for more than ten seconds.

"I'm going to sign this player. ”

In addition, she is also preparing to make a phone call to Pyter, who was also played for Leyton Orient about five years ago. Of course, in the echelon of the east in Leiden. Perhaps, Pat knows this guy.

****

The hustle and bustle of transfer deadline days came to an end at 11pm.

Most of the big clubs didn't make any major signings. One of the most notable signings was QPR's successful loan move from Chelsea to Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi. According to media outlets, Michy Batshuayi's loan fee is £10 million, while the cost of a buyout at the end of the season is £40 million. It has also been revealed that QPR wanted to add a clause that "cannot be recalled in the winter", but Chelsea refused. As a result, the QPR had to compromise and set a clause that "in the event of a recall, Chelsea will be required to compensate £10 million".

In addition, Everton sent the former main striker Romelu Lukaku to Paris Saint-Germain, and the striker, who was also Belgian, left the Premier League title for a transfer fee of up to 60 million pounds.

In another less noticeable news, the QPR has brought in an unknown striker from League Two side Leyton Orient called Phil Warren, who is said to have spent only £2 million on QPR. However, this made Leyton Orient fans excited, as this figure set the highest value for a player sold in the team's history. And when they sold sixteen-year-old Patrick Amber to QPR, they only got £800,000. 166 Reading Network