744 A Temptation from Italy

The big-screen television was broadcasting the best of Nottingham Forest games from over the past few seasons, with only one leading character.

"George Wood! He really is the linchpin of Nottingham Forest! The beautiful tackle from the oblique rear, no foul, very clean!"

"It's George again! Where did he run out from? He snuck up next to Riquelme, put his leg out, and cut off the ball!"

"He's giving chase... His speed is breakneck! What an amazing explosive force! Studs-up! He has fouled! However, he stopped a quick counterattack from Manchester United, and even getting a yellow card was worth it!"

"Sidwell had a head-on collision with him. I'd say Sidwell must have thought he had hit a wall! George Wood did not move at all, and he intercepted the ball. His defensive stance is solid!"

"He completely froze Kaka, and the Brazilian seemingly vanished under his close marking..."

"Fàbregas! Oh. He couldn't pass the football because he was pushed to the ground by Wood. It's so unfriendly. Fàbregas protested to the referee on the ground, while George Wood just turned and ran away."

"Cristiano Ronaldo! This is a counterattack by Manchester United. He sprints and dribbles the ball on the sideline! No one can stop him. No! George Wood rushes up to stick close, and Ronaldo tries to get rid of him, but the feint is ineffective against him! A beautiful defense!"

"A shot to the goal!! The ball's in! George Wood—a world-class ball! He saved England. He saved Capello! Saint George blesses England!!"

The commentator's passionate voice echoed in the darkened room, but everyone in the room took their eyes off from the television screen.

"Our new target." A bald man in the center said to the people here, "He's incomparable. Cesare told me so after following him for two years. I believe in his insight."

An old man known as "Cesare" stood up. He was AC Milan's chief football scout in charge of bringing in defensive players, the former AC Milan team captain and the legendary Paulo Maldini's father, Cesare Maldini.

"I've carefully edited all the videos of his games I've shown you. You can see from the video the standard of his defense. He mainly benefits from his physical fitness. He has many nicknames in England, almost all of which are aimed at his abnormal body. He seldom gets hurt... No. He has actually never been injured. He's in a stable shape and got a solid basic skill. He's got a good attitude, and there has never been any rumor about conflicts with his teammates and coaches. I think he is a man who meets AC Milan's requirements in terms of technique, tactics and even temperament."

However, the team's manager, Carlo Ancelotti sitting opposite, did not think so.

"I don't think Tony Twain will let their team captain go, and George Wood is a very loyal player. It will be too difficult to manage the transfer."

The baldheaded Galliani laughed. "That's not something you need to worry about, Carlo. We just have to make sure one thing now, and that is Gattuso's condition no longer meets our requirements. We need a 'new Gattuso.'"

Ancelotti hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "We do need a defensive midfielder, but I think trying to sign on George Wood will be too difficult..."

Galliani was a little unhappy and said, "In that case, do you have any good candidates to recommend, Carlo?"

"Blasi, Mariga or Sammarco is a good choice too..." Ancelotti had just reported the three names when he was interrupted by the older man next to him, Braida.

"Napoli's asking price is too high, and we've been negotiating the Blasi deal for about a whole year, and there has been no progress. If we satisfy Napoli's demands, I think it is pretty much the same money-wise, if we buy George Wood. As for Mariga, I think he's just got great potential. What we need is a player who can come in and play as the main force in the midfield. Mariga is not good enough. As for Sammarco, he doesn't want to come back. What can we do?"

Braida was the official in charge of AC Milan's transfers, and his words held more authority than Galliani's. Ancelotti was not willing to be persuaded just like that. He retorted, "George Wood's problem is not the transfer fee; thirty million or fifty million is the same. The key is his attitude and Tony Twain... Do you think Tony Twain is easy to talk to?" Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

Galliani did not expect to end up in a situation similar to the quarrel. He waved his hands impatiently to signal to Braida to shut his just-opened mouth.

"I told you, Carlo. That's not something you should worry about. You focus on leading the team in training for the games. Leave the purchase of the players to Braida and me."

Braida was the "king of transfers" for AC Milan. At sixty-three, he had brought in many classic transfers for AC Milan, such as Rijkaard and Shevchenko, who also played in Eastern Europe, to San Siro. He was a senior football scout and expert negotiator.

However, he had already stepped down as AC Milan's Chief Executive Officer a year ago, and this time Galliani re-hired him for the sake of George Wood.

His intention was clear. I know that it will be challenging to buy George Wood, that's why I brought Braida here.

Ancelotti looked at the three men who were standing together on the same side, pursed his lips, and did not speak anymore. Everyone unanimously decided at the final meeting that they would specialize in George Wood alone for the remaining time and sign on the world's hottest defensive midfielder at all costs.

Since Gattuso suffered that terrible injury in the winter of 2008, his form had declined rapidly. Now the AC Milan midfielder could only play as a substitute. His willpower was the same as before, but he was not physically and technically as good as before. More often than not, his spirit was willing, but the body was weak. His full beard, which used to be a symbol of courage and boldness, now appeared to be a sign of age.

AC Milan youth team had a young Nigerian player, Wilfred Chinoye Osuji, once labeled as the "new Makelele"; they had also lured him. At the time, Ancelotti strongly advocated to keep Chinoye in the squad and used him as Makelele's successor. However, in reality, it was a failure. Chinoye did not become the second Makelele. He was lost in the people's expectations and disappointed AC Milan's top brass. The matter also led to Galliani's growing distrust of Ancelotti. Therefore, this time, he decided to force his way to sign George Wood.

He knew that it would not be easy to sign George Wood, not to mention from trying to "extract a tooth from the tiger's mouth" like Tony Twain. This time he let Braida step in and make a breakthrough with George Wood's agent.

A former celebrity in the fashion world, Billy Woox's sudden career switch to become a sports agent had shocked people. However, he still had his old connections in Milan. Galliani and Woox had several opportunities to meet and were considered "friends." He believed it was right for him and Braida to work on Billy Woox. Whether George Wood would be able to join AC Milan, his agent was the key.

※※※

"Hey, George! Guess where I am?" Wood's cell phone rang with his agent. Billy Woox always had a sly sounding voice.

Wood was not one to play such a meaningless game with others. He simply asked, "What's up, Woox?"

"I just had coffee with a friend in Milan. We talked about you. Guess who that person was?"

"Who?"

"Galliani, AC Milan's second most important figure."

"Oh." George Wood grunted and did not continue to ask questions.

Woox had long been used to Wood's way of thinking. He added, "He's very interested in you and wants to hear if you will be willing to play for Milan."

"AC Milan?" George Wood's impression and feelings toward most of the world's powerhouse clubs might displease these clubs because he would not even show surprise when he heard their names. In his mind, all the teams were the same. "Why should I go to play there?"

"They promised you a higher salary than what you get at Nottingham Forest and will give up all your portrait rights."

At Nottingham Forest, after many contract renewals, George Wood, whose current weekly salary was around one hundred thousand pounds a week, had become the highest-paid player in the squad after Beckham and Ribéry left and the older van Nistelrooy accepted a new contract. At the same time, half of his portrait rights were owned by Nottingham Forest—if not for Billy Woox, he would not even get the half.

George Wood was not a fool and could tell which side would give more money. But...

"I think I make enough money now, Woox."

As if he had expected Wood to say that, Woox laughed at the other end of the line, "There's one more condition. Do you want to hear it?"

"What?"

"They promised to use the power of AC Milan to treat your mother. It will be a more detailed and professional treatment than what Nottingham Forest did."

Wood was silent.

After he hung up, Wood went to the kitchen to help his mother. Sophia asked about the call just now. "Mr. Woox called?"

"Yeah. He told me that several other clubs are interested in me."

"Did you promise him?" Sophia coughed and asked.

"No." Wood's lips quivered as he replied.

Sophia did not say anything. She just reached and rubbed Wood's messy hair.

※※※

Twain was amazed as if he had found the New World. He discovered that George Wood was distracted during training these few days. There was even a rare decline in his form!

He was not worried about anything at first. Instead, he was pleased with the discovery. Because George Wood was finally getting closer to becoming human, at least his form would fluctuate, rather than being so tediously and despairingly steady.

So, he joked about Wood during training and excitedly announced it to the surrounding people.

"Hey, George! Are you in love? Which girl has taken your fancy? Introduce her to me."

Wood gave a cold expression in return.

"All right, I respect your privacy. When you feel the time is right, you can introduce me then."

After the ruckus from him, the people in the team all thought George Wood was really in love. Otherwise, it was hard to explain his recent absent-mindedness. It was known that he had always been the most serious and toughest on himself during training.

This situation continued for several days until one early morning, while Tony Twain was still getting cozy in bed with Shania, he received a call.

When their lovemaking was interrupted, Twain naturally did not have a good temper. He shouted, "I don't care who you are. If you can't give me a reasonable explanation, it's only half-past six!"

He heard Pierce Brosnan's voice. "I just heard the news, Tony. I think I need to tell you. Have you heard?"

"What?" Twain was completely confused by the man's random remarks.

"The news that AC Milan is very interested in George Wood..."

Twain sighed and said, "I thought it was some big news. Aren't there always rumors like that every summer? To be honest, Mr. Reporter, if George Wood weren't loved and sought after by the flies, he wouldn't be George Wood."

Brosnan hurried to explain, "No, I mean they're for real."

"They need to find a successor to Gattuso, so I understand..." Twain still did not take it seriously. He lay back on the bed while his fingers circled back and forth on Shania's smooth and flat lower abdomen.

"They got in touch with George's agent Billy Woox in private."

"I knew that sneaky old man can't keep still. But his word is useless. George Wood has to agree first."

Shania watched as Twain hand circled bit by bit downwards and moved to the edge of her white panties. She seemed to regard Twain's hand as a little bug crawling around on her body, and she observed it very carefully.

"Ah, that's what I wanted to tell you..." It took a long time for Brosnan to remember what the subject was. "I heard from my media friends in Italy that AC Milan worked hard to get the player's consent and prepare for George Wood's mother to undergo surgery and treatment. The club will bear all the costs!"

Twain's hand was about to pry open the panties and enter a hidden utopia, but he suddenly retracted his hand.

"What did you say?" He sat up on the bed.

No one knew better than he did what Sophia meant to George Wood. When the Forest team and Wood signed their first professional contract, the club paid for Sophia's operation and treatment, and that led to Wood's unswerving allegiance to Nottingham Forest. After that, he gradually grew into a standard-bearer at Nottingham Forest in later years.

He never thought there would be another club willing to do the same thing for Wood.

He knew that Sophia's illness was incurable. The long-term accumulation of all kinds of illnesses had long hollowed out this delicate but strong woman. The only reason supporting her was perhaps because she hated to part with her son. So, the club did not continue the medical treatments for Sophia. Anyway, George Wood made enough money to buy the medicine to continue the treatment.

But it did not rule out the possibility that George still had delusions deep inside. If there were more money, more advanced professional equipment, superior doctors and medicines, more exceptional hospitals, he could save his mother's life.

In that case, would it matter where he played football? It suddenly dawned on him why George Wood did not seem right these days.

"I'm so stupid..." muttered Twain.

"Uncle Tony?" Shania raised her head beside him, looking strangely at Twain.

"Tony?" Brosnan asked on the phone.

There was only one person in the world who could make Wood upset. It was not a beautiful girlfriend nor a big salary contract. He only cared about his mother. There were only two people in his world, him and his mother. It was something he had known for a long time. If he had detected it earlier...

"Well, thank you for telling me this, Brosnan! I'll allow you to go onto the training ground for an exclusive interview!" After he promised Brosnan the relevant repayment, he hung up and intended to give George Wood a call.

However, halfway through dialing the number, he put down his cell phone again.

"It's not even seven o'clock now..." He turned his head to look at the clock. "What happened so far has already happened, makes no difference if it's earlier or later..." With that, he laid down again. But his hand no longer strayed toward Shania's body.

"If you're in a hurry to find George, why don't you drive to his house to pick him up before training? Then you'll have much time to talk in private on the way." Shania said suddenly.

Twain turned to look at his wife and said, "That's a good idea! And to thank you, Shania..."

Shania glanced at him and said, "Ah, here you go again... I suspect that you're twenty, Uncle Tony..."

Twain laughed mischievously and held Shania in his arms. "Your Uncle Tony has a heart that never tires!"

Shania's young, healthy, energetic body snuggled in the crook of his arm, making him feel like he was on his honeymoon every day. He already had a plan in his mind about George's matter. For now, he had to make time for Shania.