In most cases, club managers, fans, coaches, and the media all view issues from different perspectives.
For instance, if a local star like Harry Kane is a product of the club's youth academy, many believe the team should do everything possible to keep him.
But things are not that simple.
Fans familiar with the near-soap-opera situation of Gerrard almost moving from Liverpool to Chelsea will remember that he sacrificed personal gain to stay loyal to Liverpool.
There are also players like Totti and De Rossi, who spent their entire careers in Rome, giving up higher financial returns elsewhere.
This is admirable, of course, but in a professional league, no one should criticize players for making different choices.
Everyone deserves the right to decide for themselves.
In recent years, Leeds United has faced the same dilemma that Liverpool and Roma once did.
Just like Kante now.
Kante has been with Leeds United for many years, and he truly regards the club as his home.
Since 2015, top teams such as Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United have tried to sign him every summer.
At first, Leeds United raised Kante's salary, giving him the club's highest wage of £100,000 per week.
But it stopped increasing after that.
The club tried to boost his income through commercial promotions, but it didn't work.
Kante faced challenges yet still chose to stay.
However, this year, the situation is clearly different.
L'Equipe reported that Paris Saint-Germain is determined to sign Kante. Martin Samuel, a well-known journalist closely associated with Chelsea, revealed in his column that Chelsea is ready to offer Kante a contract worth up to £300,000 per week.
Leeds United is prepared to break its current wage structure, but the highest it can offer is £150,000 a week. If Chelsea truly offers £300,000, there is no way Leeds United can match it.
Even £200,000 would be impossible.
The same situation applies to Harry Kane, Van Dijk, and others.
Dele Alli's agent has been in disputes with the club for over half a year, constantly demanding a transfer because they cannot agree on a new salary.
At Alli's age, Leeds United is only willing to pay him £100,000 a week, while his agent is asking for more.
Obviously, there are wealthy clubs willing to offer him higher wages.
Many fans, as a result, believe the club is too stingy.
Of course, this is mostly directed at management. The fans still love Leeds United, but their complaints show their hopes. They want the club to pay higher wages to keep their favorite players.
On this issue, Fernando Lucas has stated many times before: "I can't do it."
Many people may wonder, didn't Leeds United report revenue of over £500 million, ranking fifth or sixth in Europe? So why can't they afford it?
The current top salary in the Premier League is £300,000 a week, while Leeds United's players get £100,000. Is that fair?
Yes, it's true that Leeds United's players are underpaid compared to others.
This has led to the squad being relatively young. After two or three years of development, players are often poached by top teams offering huge pay rises.
Take Salah for example. If he can move to Liverpool and double his wages, wouldn't that be a smart decision?
But the question is, how long can Liverpool sustain its current model?
Liverpool's top weekly wage is £250,000, with an annual wage bill of £260 million. Salaries account for 58% of the club's revenue. Does that seem reasonable?
Now let's look at Everton.
Their annual wage bill accounts for 85% of revenue, which is extremely unhealthy.
Why is it so high?
The reason is simple. Once the wage structure rises, it's almost impossible to lower it again.
Even selling the highest-paid players doesn't help because overall wages keep climbing unless the structure is completely torn down and rebuilt.
Everton's problem began when the club performed well a few years ago and became overly ambitious. After Moyes left for Manchester United, Everton loosened its wage controls to remain competitive. But results declined sharply in recent years.
Revenue fell, yet salaries remained high.
Now Everton finds itself in an awkward position.
Although Premier League broadcasting income has skyrocketed, much of that money goes straight into players' pockets.
The same goes for Burnley, a newly promoted team this season. Their wages account for 85% of revenue. Unlike Everton, they're doing it intentionally to strengthen the squad and stay in the Premier League.
Burnley has performed well this season, but what about next year? And the year after that?
The Premier League environment has become distorted. Without higher wages, clubs can't attract or retain top players. Without top players, competitiveness drops, relegation risks rise, and with relegation comes an income collapse that can even lead to bankruptcy.
Once you understand this system, it's easy to see why Leeds United refuses to follow that path.
It's a dead end and completely unsustainable.
In the Premier League, only two clubs control their wage-to-revenue ratio around 40%: Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Unlike in Gao Shen's previous life, the current Tottenham are only a mid-upper table team, far from the traditional "Big Six." But their financial efficiency is outstanding.
In Gao Shen's previous life, Tottenham's decline began the moment they broke their wage structure. In the summer of 2019, they spent heavily to sign Ndombele and made him the highest-paid player at £200,000 per week.
It's no coincidence that Ndombele failed to perform and Tottenham's results deteriorated soon after.
A similar example was Manchester United's signing of Alexis Sanchez on £500,000 a week. It became one of their worst transfers and caused chaos in the dressing room.
Such cases are common across European football.
Therefore, Leeds United has no choice. They cannot compete financially with the rich clubs because once wages increase, it may seem fine at first, but if performance declines, a crisis will quickly emerge.
For example, if Leeds United fails to qualify for the Champions League, revenue drops by £100 million instantly.
While wages remain unchanged, the ratio skyrockets, and financial pressure mounts immediately.
Over the years, Leeds United has developed its own set of rules. They never follow the path of other clubs. Instead, they prioritize cost efficiency, keeping players if possible, and selling them if not.
The club has maintained excellent relations with its players. Departures are handled amicably, and there have been few major conflicts.
The Premier League's competition level is extremely high now. Even with strong players, Leeds United cannot guarantee a top-four finish next season. That uncertainty is also what makes the league so appealing to fans worldwide.
The suspense is always intense.
Pochettino's Leeds United, Guardiola's Manchester City, Mourinho's Manchester United, Sarri's Chelsea, Klopp's Liverpool, and Arsenal—whose next coach remains unknown after Wenger's departure—are all battling for four Champions League spots.
It is truly the most competitive league in the world.
For Leeds United, the biggest challenge is finding a way to progress while surrounded by wealthy rivals, all while maintaining financial stability as more investors flood into the league.
Gao Shen, Su Qing, and Lucas set out Leeds United's "promotion" plan long ago: to increase revenue step by step.
As income rises, the wage structure will gradually follow, maintaining sustainable growth.
"With our current revenue, I think we can definitely raise the team's maximum salary to £150,000 per week," said Leeds United's Chinese CFO, Jiang Lijuan. "As for the number of players, it's best to limit it to five."
She believed this was the safest approach for Leeds United's financial health.
She had already flown to Spain to consult Su Qing and obtained his approval.
Lucas and Borrell exchanged helpless looks.
"If that's the case, it will be difficult to keep everyone, and Mbappé might have to leave," Lucas said.
Mbappé was not yet earning the top salary, but renewal talks were ongoing.
"Let's see what happens. If it doesn't work out, there's nothing we can do," Gao Shen replied.
As a coach, he naturally wanted to keep every player, especially since the squad had been molded perfectly.
But from the club's standpoint, financial safety is the top priority.
Since Gao Shen had made his decision, the matter was settled.
"By the way, Vinicius is about to turn 18, right?" Gao Shen asked.
"Yes, July 12th," Borrell replied.
"And Rodrigo?"
"Not until January 9th, 2019."
"These two are exceptional talents. We must bring them in as soon as possible and train them properly," Gao Shen instructed.
Leeds United had signed both players early for relatively low fees. They had been developing in Brazil ever since. The club paid a combined £10 million to Flamengo and Santos.
To put that into perspective, when Leeds United signed Achraf Hakimi from Real Madrid's academy, it only cost €5 million. So this was a substantial investment.
Due to FIFA and Brazilian regulations, players can only move abroad after turning 18. Vinicius would arrive first, followed by Rodrigo, meaning Leeds United could immediately apply for Vinicius' work permit.
Although Premier League work permit rules have tightened in recent years, players from strong football regions like South America can usually qualify through the "special talent" clause, which acts as a flexible exemption.
"Understood. Leave that to me," Borrell agreed.
The world of football is full of young talent. Despite constantly selling players, Leeds United continues to discover and nurture new stars. That's how the club has positioned itself in recent years.
Some even call Leeds United a star-making factory.
But Gao Shen, Su Qing, Lucas, Borrell, and the others are steadily helping the club evolve, aiming to join the ranks of Europe's top clubs as soon as possible.
Before that, however, Gao Shen needed to have a word with Pochettino.
As his opponent in the Champions League final, Pochettino knew all too well the challenges Leeds United faced.
(To be continued.)
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