Seeing this news report, many of Julien's questions suddenly became clear.
Like why the Reuben brothers had contacted him, wanting to sign him without mentioning a specific club—only saying they'd discuss details once he committed to joining.
Now it appeared the Reuben brothers weren't the decision-makers at all, merely middlemen.
The real party interested in signing him was the PIF, Saudi sovereign wealth fund.
Even the Saudis only had preliminary intentions—they hadn't even decided which club to acquire yet.
Julien knew Saudi money would eventually flood into football, starting with Al Nassr signing Cristiano Ronaldo. But that would only happen after the Saudis witnessed the Qatar World Cup and made their decision accordingly.
However, Julien believed their attempt to acquire Arsenal was nearly impossible. Kroenke had no wise reason to sell.
Money? As heirs to the Walmart fortune, the Kroenkes weren't hurting for cash.
The current majority shareholder Kroenke and second-largest shareholder Usmanov had gradually developed irreconcilable differences due to their competing interests. The disputes entangled in their rivalry for control weren't for outsiders to fully understand.
American "sports mogul" Kroenke currently held 63% of the shares with no intention of selling. After gaining operational control, he'd authorized CEO Gazidis to recruit talent for Arsenal's various departments, granting them maximum autonomy to manage the club.
Kroenke was calculating but unwilling to spend big.
Both he and Usmanov wanted complete control of Arsenal—it would grant them access to more resources and connections across various capital networks.
But before achieving total control, Kroenke absolutely wouldn't invest a single penny.
Whether Kroenke actually had a clear strategic plan for Arsenal's development didn't matter. His sole objective was complete ownership.
Though the Reuben brothers had brought in David Dein, someone with extremely close ties to Arsenal, it still seemed unlikely to work.
Dein's greatest achievement had been in 1996, when he'd defied opposition to bring Arsène Wenger from Japan's J-League despite Wenger's career struggles—pioneering the Premier League's hiring of foreign managers.
That decision had ushered in Arsenal's most glorious era.
Then in 2007, Dein had facilitated Kroenke's purchase of Arsenal shares, only to be kicked out by the Arsenal board.
The full story was long and complicated.
The end result was Kroenke gradually devouring Arsenal's shares piece by piece, while Dein—realizing Kroenke had no intention of making Arsenal great switched his support to Usmanov. Dein even sold his roughly 15% stake to Usmanov, attempting to help him seize control of Arsenal.
Unfortunately, Kroenke proved to be even more ruthless, playing the other English directors and shareholders—their minds were still trapped in "British Empire" thinking and made them like puppets.
In summary: Dein had pushed for reform to lift Arsenal from crisis toward greatness by bringing in Kroenke. The board then resented an American daring to profit from English football and expelled the accomplished Dein.
Afterward, Dein brought in Usmanov to counter Kroenke, but Kroenke exploited Usmanov's Russian identity, orchestrating an "Anglo-American friendship against Russia" narrative with Arsenal's directors to buy out all the original shareholders' stakes.
During this period, Arsenal fell into a dark age.
Wenger had to shoulder everything alone.
Previously, Wenger handled the sporting side while Dein managed the business, it seemed like a seamless partnership. Now Wenger's pressure had multiplied intensely.
On one side: enormous economic and competitive pressures.
On the other: fans' lack of understanding, mocking him with memes about "selling club captains."
Wenger had truly given everything to Arsenal.
To some degree, Julien actually hoped the Saudi sovereign fund could acquire Arsenal—it would ease Wenger's suffering.
But realistically, unless Wenger was willing to leave Arsenal, this situation would continue.
In the future original timeline, Wenger only left after Kroenke achieved complete control of the club.
However, while the Saudis might not be able to buy Arsenal, this situation had opened a new line of thinking for Julien—one concerning his own future.
Since the Saudis were willing to enter the Premier League now, why not target a different club?
Moreover, the Premier League didn't yet have Financial Fair Play regulations. Manchester City and Chelsea were perfect examples.
In the OG future timeline, when the Saudis later acquired Newcastle, all the paths had already been blocked by City and Chelsea—Financial Fair Play prevented Newcastle from offering high wages to attract top talent.
But what about now? Julien's eyes suddenly brightened. This was an excellent opportunity.
UEFA's Financial Fair Play wouldn't take effect until next season, and its impact would gradually become apparent—the rich getting richer, Europe's elite clubs gaining ever greater advantages.
The regulation was simple: spending had to align with revenue. But how could smaller clubs compete with big clubs on revenue?
This window of opportunity was the best chance.
With this realization, he suddenly had totally new plans for the Reuben brothers. If they could contact the Saudis, so could he.
Furthermore, there was one crucial factor: with enough money, Julien genuinely believed he could build a top-tier team.
He also wondered if he could recruit David Dein to manage a club.
Julien was relatively familiar with David Dein's background.
The man was absolutely world-class talent for football club management. Arsenal's loss of Dein had been catastrophic.
Since Dein became an Arsenal shareholder in 1983, he'd maintained excellent relationships with basically all Arsenal players. As a management expert, Dein understood how to use reciprocity to create a harmonious internal environment, giving everyone at Arsenal a strong sense of belonging.
Anyone in management knew how difficult that was to achieve.
For instance, there was a persistent belief that Thierry Henry's eventual decision to leave Arsenal was directly linked to Dein's departure.
After Dein left, conflicts between Arsenal players and the club had multiplied. Without Wenger still there, they might have become unmanageable.
Additionally, Dein's importance to Arsenal's transfer operations as a negotiation expert couldn't be overstated.
Arsenal wasn't among England's wealthiest clubs. During Wenger's early glory years, they'd relied on buying low and selling high, profiting from transfer fees—then using those significant revenues to acquire players and build the squad.
Sound familiar? It was basically the modern "selling club" model. These transfer upheavals were primarily Dein's handiwork.
Finally, there was Dein's influence and network within the FA, Premier League committee, and throughout England—soft power assets that had ensured Arsenal could secure benefits in both the Premier League and Europe, maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with major clubs and organizations.
After Dein's departure and Arsenal's loss of these resources, they were rapidly marginalized, no longer considered among the absolute elite clubs.
Julien immediately pulled up this year's Premier League table to review.
He even looked at potential Championship promotion candidates. England had so many clubs with deep history—if they were truly going to make an acquisition, the Saudis would obviously prefer one with greater influence.
Julien's mind was now completely consumed by these considerations.
Once this new line of thinking opened up, he couldn't suppress it.
Why had he delayed making a decision for so long?
Because he wanted to play "brotherhood football." He wanted to create history like he had at Bastia, rather than simply adding to an already prestigious club's legacy.
Clubs meeting those criteria were genuinely rare. But now, his thinking had become crystal clear.
After working through everything, Julien immediately called his father Pierre. He told Pierre to formally approach the Reuben brothers and Dein. He needed to know whether the Reuben brothers had contacted the Saudis, or if Dein had made the connection or perhaps the Saudis had approached them directly.
Furthermore, Julien told Pierre, "Ideally, we should establish direct contact with the Saudi representatives. Tell them you have a bold plan that can achieve their objectives."
Pierre listened to Julien's rapid-fire instructions in a daze.
Huh? Weren't we supposed to be building a website? How did we jump to discussing club acquisitions?
Pierre was so shocked he didn't know how to respond, just kept saying "uh-huh" in agreement.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Pierre. He asked, "So is this why you've been delaying your decision? You've been waiting for the Saudi oil money to enter the picture?"
Hearing Pierre's question, Julien felt his father-agent had misunderstood. He laughed. "No, I just got this idea from reading the news."
"Mm-hmm," Pierre responded.
But no matter how Julien listened, Pierre's tone showed disbelief.
Well, it didn't really matter.
After emphasizing some additional details, Julien told Pierre to move quickly—the season was almost over, and time was short.
As for himself, he'd continue his flexibility training. He could feel the improvement coming soon.
While Julien trained relentlessly, Bastia's preparation atmosphere intensified almost tangibly.
Finally, April 24th arrived.
The entire Bastia squad crossed the English Channel, visiting London once more. Last time they'd been here, they'd taken away a victory.
This time, they expected nothing less.
In England, as match day approached, alongside the usual tabloid gossip came analysis from various pundits and commentators.
A Sky Sports columnist wrote: "Chelsea must transform Stamford Bridge into an impregnable fortress. Benítez's team needs to fully exploit home advantage, demonstrating absolute determination and match intensity.
While Bastia are vibrant, especially De Rocca's explosive acceleration—Premier League physicality and Chelsea's extensive European experience remain their shortcomings.
Defensively, maximum vigilance is crucial. De Rocca's off-ball movement and finishing are first-rate. Ivanović and whichever center-back partners him must maintain perfect communication and positioning—they cannot give him sprinting space. Any lapse will be punished.
Ashley Cole and others must weigh risks when supporting attacks from wide areas, avoiding gaps being exploited behind them. Bastia's counterattacks are razor-sharp.
Chelsea should aim for a home clean sheet or conceding at most one goal to establish a foundation for the second leg. Experience must translate into on-field concentration.
Offensively, Chelsea's advantage lies in powerful midfield control and technical ability. Mata is the team's creative soul. Hazard needs to showcase breakthrough ability to tear open defensive lines. Oscar and others must coordinate to control midfield tempo, minimize errors, and especially restrict De Bruyne from easily launching counterattacking passes.
The team needs to dominate possession, pushing Bastia back. If the match becomes an open, end-to-end affair, it actually favors the visitors who excel at counterattacking. Therefore, stable control and error reduction are key.
Overall, Chelsea are stronger on paper and should win narrowly, though the process likely won't be comfortable."
These opinions generally agreed Chelsea would win despite facing difficulties.
At the pre-match press conference, Benítez addressed questions about opponents Bastia:
"Bastia are an organized, energetic team. Their performance this season deserves respect, especially in the Europa League. De Rocca's pace and finishing represent significant threats. They have many talented young players. We need maximum concentration against them.
When asked about the "former Chelsea players returning," Benítez responded:
"De Rocca is a Bastia player, and De Bruyne and Lukaku now represent Bastia. It is professional. We understand their characteristics well, but that's only part of the information. More importantly, how we execute our tactics and limit their opportunities. As for emotions? On the pitch, focus and discipline matter more than emotion."
Regarding objectives, he said: "The goal is clear—win the home leg and establish an advantage. The Europa League is an important objective this season. We must take it step by step. Bastia will be difficult opponents, but if we perform to our level and focus on every tactical detail, we're confident of a positive result."
Hadzibegic was equally bold: "Chelsea are formidable opponents. Stamford Bridge is an extremely difficult away venue. We respect them but don't fear the challenge. Bastia have reached this stage through team strength and fighting spirit. Tomorrow, we'll play our football. We expect victory and to create history."
That evening, as Champions League action ignited first, Julien received Pierre's callback.
"The Saudis contacted Dein through intermediaries. The Reuben brothers got involved due to business connections—they don't actually want to dabble in football, just want good relationships with certain Saudis."
"I've already made contact with the Saudi side!"
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