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nWith their key transfer faltering, they had no option but to look for someone else. But it was easier said than done.

nMost of the good options had already been snubbed.

nIt would have been much easier to sign a forward or a defender. But most of the clubs were unwilling to sell their defensive midfielder.

nAlso, defensive midfielders were rather scarce compared to other positions.

nSo, despite having adequate funds, they were finding it rather difficult to find a good replacement.

nFrustrated by the failure to sign the player of his desire, Haruki anxiously skimmed through the documents before him.

nAt this moment, almost everybody present in the room was looking at him. They were awaiting his decision. Even though the sports director had the authority to sign players, they still had to discuss the matter with the coach.

n“Takeshi Ono,” Haruki mumbled softly.

nAmong the options present before him, this one was slightly better. Even so, he couldn’t help but feel uncertain about the signing.

nAlthough he could tell that the player before him was talented, he couldn’t help but feel concerned about his history of injuries.

nBothered by Ono’s record of injuries, he felt uncertain about signing him. But he could tell that if Takeshi could avoid injuries he’d be a great asset to the team.

nSo, he tossed the paper to the sports director and asked, “How is he right now?”

nSince it was Mokujima who had prepared the list, Mokujima was well aware of the details of the players present in the list.

nInitially, he also thought highly of Ono. After all, he had been fabulous during his younger years and Ono had also represented the nation once.

nWhen Ono was unhindered by injuries, he had been the main man of Sagan Tosu, earning himself the nickname of “Adhesive of Sagan Tosu”, due to his marvelous performance.

nSimilar to Hiro, who had earned the title of the most important player on the team, Ono had also achieved the same recognition on his team.

nBut he also had concerns regarding his injuries.

nDespite being a tough guy, Ono was rather susceptible to injuries.

nEven so, he believed that Ono could shine. So, he began to vouch for him, “At the moment, he’s recovering from a minor muscle tear. But he’ll be available before the start of the season.”

nUpon hearing him, Haruki pondered deeply about the matter before giving Mokujima the green light to initiate the signing process, “Then proceed with him.”

nMokujima felt relieved upon hearing him. Finally, he could breathe a sigh of relief. The atmosphere inside the room had been rather tense until now.

n“Yes, sir,” he said with enthusiasm.

n********

nInside the club office of Sagan Tosu, a rather bulky individual was seated. Before him sat a rather old-looking man dressed in casual fitted clothes.

nThe old man appeared rather hesitant. It was almost as if he had been having trouble speaking something.

nThe bulky individual with wide shoulders and a rather short frame furrowed his brows as he asked in a worried and anxious tone, “Sir, just tell me clearly what you want to say. Please don’t talk in circles.”

nThe old man sighed upon hearing him, “Sigh! It seems like I’ll have to be blunt.”

nHearing him, the robust individual started having an omen. His heart sank and he started feeling even more anxious than before.

nTakeshi Ono was the robust individual with a short frame and neatly trimmed hair who sat there at the moment. He was dressed in a tightly fitted grey t-shirt that complimented his muscles underneath and casual black shorts.

nTo his side lay a crutch resting on the table before him.

nThe old man before him was the manager of the Sagan Tosu.

nFrowning, the elderly gentleman reached into the drawer under the table and retrieved some papers. Then he handed the paper to Ono.

nOno was puzzled and curious to receive those papers.

nHe couldn’t help but feel curious about the content of the paper.

nThe manager then broke the news in a rather dejected tone, “The club has decided to sell you. These are the offers we’ve received.”

nUpon hearing those words, Takeshi felt betrayed. He had given so much to the team. But now when his form had been deteriorating, the club had decided to cast him away.

nEven though he was well aware of the cruelty of the professional league, he still couldn’t help but feel sad about the news.

nIt’s not that he wasn’t aware of it.

nHe had been hearing some rumors regarding his possible transfer. But he couldn’t bring himself to accept those rumors.

nBut now that he heard from his coach, he felt devastated by the news. He felt as if the sky had befallen him.

nWith trembling fingers, he reached out to the papers.

nEven the manager took notice of his expression and felt pity for him. During his peak, he was regarded as an untouchable asset.

nBut now, the club had decided to cast him away with ease.

nThinking about Ono’s feelings, he felt guilt for him. However, despite being the manager, he was helpless against the pressure from the higher-ups.

nIf only he hadn’t suffered that major injury, he’d have had a glorious career.

n‘The world of professional sport is harsh.’ the old man thought sighing helplessly.

nTakeshi unwilling to accept that he had been cast aside still reached for the papers. Then he began to skim through the offers.

nThe offers he had received were all from lower leagues. So, none of those offers excited him. Even though he hadn’t been able to perform well, he was aware that his form hadn’t deteriorated to the level of being demoted to a lower league.

nAfter skimming through the offers, he looked at the manager, his eyes displaying hesitation.

nThe manager could tell that he wasn’t satisfied with the offer. Well, he had already read the offer. So, he was aware that it wouldn’t satisfy him.

nIf it had been satisfactory enough, he wouldn’t have trouble disclosing the news in the first

nplace.

nYet still, the club had to offload him due to his salary cap being way too high.

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