In addition to contract renewal/transfer negotiations, Lu Wenbin is also busy with advertising endorsements.
After winning the Bundesliga and UEFA Cup titles, completing the triple crown miracle of a newly promoted team, and winning the European Golden Boot, Lu Wenbin's value is no longer what it used to be.
With the support of the Chinese market, Lu Wenbin's endorsement value is higher than that of many stars who have been famous for many years, and major brands are flocking to him.
Of course, it is not as good as the well-known heartthrobs like Kaka, Ronaldo and Beckham, but it is not cheap either.
While Mendes was dealing with major clubs, he also helped Lu Wenbin secure several three-year contracts and some one-year, but not cheap, print advertising contracts, including one with the world's top sports brand Adidas.
They promised to help Lu Wenbin promote his products globally, not just in the Chinese market.
This is the treatment for a true world-class superstar, because we are optimistic about Lu Wenbin's potential and his performance in the Champions League next season.
In addition to foreign brands, large groups and brands in China finally came to Lu Wenbin to be their spokesperson.
Lu Wenbin's image has already jumped out of the quagmire of Chinese football with his devilish performance in Europe. In the eyes of domestic fans, he has become an independent player and will not be confused with domestic players.
Therefore, everyone dares to ask Lu Wenbin to be the spokesperson without worrying that his identity as a Chinese player will have a counterproductive effect.
But Mendes not only had to deal with Lu Wenbin's contract renewal/transfer negotiations and foreign brand endorsement negotiations, but also had to deal with Real Madrid's negotiations to purchase Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, a price that was higher and more sensational than Lu Wenbin's. Add to that negotiations with other players under his management, and even everyone in Mendes' agency was too busy to handle it.
Therefore, Mendes and his agency have no time to deal with endorsement applications in China.
Therefore, Mendes and Lu Wenbin discussed and decided to find another Chinese agent to be responsible for Lu Wenbin's affairs in China. The salary and commission would be paid by Mendes using part of the commission he received from Lu Wenbin.
The candidate was found and negotiated quickly.
The agent in charge of domestic Chinese affairs was an acquaintance of both of them, Fu Qingqing, a native of Tianjin who had once served as an interpreter for Lu Wenbin.
With her experience as an interpreter for the famous star Lu Wenbin, Fu Qingqing no longer works as a tour guide. She is doing well in the domestic translation industry and has found a satisfactory partner. They are now married. Lu Wenbin even sent her a gift through someone.
But obviously, the translation job is not as profitable or glamorous as being Lu Wenbin's agent.
So, when Mendes and Lu Wenbin contacted her, she agreed immediately and began to contact and negotiate with domestic brands that wanted to sign Lu Wenbin as their spokesperson as Lu Wenbin's domestic agent.
In addition, Fu Qingqing also contacted and negotiated with media such as CCTV and Guizhou Satellite TV that wanted to interview Lu Wenbin, or other domestic charity activities.
After staying in Europe for a week, Lu Wenbin signed a private coaching contract with a sprint coach named Noel, who had trained Olympic athletes.
For the next year, Noel will become Lu Wenbin's personal coach, helping Lu Wenbin with speed training privately when he is not training or competing.
After finishing the shooting of the endorsement advertisement, Lu Wenbin returned to China with his parents and Kate, and Fu Qingqing met him at the Beijing airport.
As for dealing with Hoffenheim Club, it is left to Mendes.
As a player, Lu Wenbin has a good relationship with the club owner and teammates, so he will not participate.
After returning to China, Lu Wenbin first accepted an exclusive interview with CCTV-5's "World Football" program, and then signed two endorsement contracts with domestic brands, filmed commercials, and participated in two promotional activities.
After finishing his work in Beijing, when he flew back to Guizhou Province, Lu Wenbin was warmly welcomed by thousands of fans at Guiyang Longdongbao Airport.
These fellow villagers like and support Lu Wenbin very much.
Lu Wenbin signed hundreds of signatures at the airport before he was picked up by a convoy sent by the provincial television station.
He accepted an exclusive interview for more than an hour on Guizhou Satellite TV, and then participated in a charity event in the province to promote campus football.
After all, Lu Wenbin also came out of Guizhou high school campus football, and there is also a Guizhou Zhicheng goalkeeper Wu Sihuo who came out of the provincial high school campus football league and is now a main player in the China League Two. Campus football is very popular in Guizhou now.
Afterwards, Lu Wenbin returned to his hometown in Meitan with his parents to meet relatives, friends, classmates and teachers and take a break.
…
Just when Lu Wenbin returned to China to rest, on the morning of June 9, La Liga giants Real Madrid announced on their official website that Florentino, who had been restored and returned to take charge of the Galacticos for the second time, had signed his first major transfer.
Real Madrid signed the Champions League champion and Ballon d'Or winner Kaka from Serie A AC Milan for a transfer fee of 65 million euros. The contract is signed for 6 years and will officially take effect on July 1 after the summer transfer window opens.
Kaka's transfer fee of 65 million euros is second only to Zidane's 73.5 million euros when he transferred from Juventus to Real Madrid in 2001, making it the second most valuable player in the world.
Kaka's annual salary after tax is 9 million euros, which is also a sky-high price.
Kaka's popularity around the world is still beyond the reach of Lu Wenbin.
His blockbuster transfer instantly attracted all the attention of Barcelona's treble, Hoffenheim's treble, Lu Wenbin's movements, etc.
The second phase of Florentino's Galacticos has officially begun.
Not only Kaka, Florentino is also pursuing Ronaldo. He wants to recruit all the Ballon d'Or winners from the previous two years under his command to build his second Galactico.
At the same time, Florentino, who was originally pursuing striker Benzema, suddenly announced that he would join the competition for the European Golden Boot Lu Wenbin, and directly offered 50 million to join the competition for Lu Wenbin, causing headaches for the Hoffenheim club.
Florentino believes that Lu Wenbin has higher offensive power than Benzema, and the front trident composed of Ronaldo, Kaka and Lu Wenbin is more in line with the model of an invincible battleship in the universe in his mind.
Although Lu Wenbin is less famous, his status as a treble winner and European Golden Boot winner will not bring down the reputation of Real Madrid.
The participation of Real Madrid has undoubtedly made the competition for Lu Wenbin among European giants fierce. Chinese fans are also excited, and countless people hope that Lu Wenbin will join Real Madrid and conquer the Bernabeu.
Even Lu Wenbin himself felt a little excited.
However, after asking Mendes and being almost certain that Ronaldo would transfer to Real Madrid, Lu Wenbin told Mendes that he would not go to Real Madrid, which is full of superstars.
He currently has no speed, no dribbling, and no ability to organize an attack. He cannot dribble and score goals by himself and needs to rely on his teammates to pass the ball to him.
If he went to Real Madrid, the whole team would be full of superstars. Who would care about a 19-year-old kid? Everyone would shoot the ball themselves.
Moreover, the level of chaos among the superstars in the Real Madrid dressing room is not something he can conquer now.
The results and nicknames of the UEFA Champions League's 16th place in recent years have proven the complexity of Real Madrid. At least wait until his achievements are higher in the future.
So, after thinking it over again and again, Lu Wenbin felt that he should stay in the familiar Hoffenheim as the core, and then lead Hoffenheim to win the Champions League and the Golden Ball, and then go to a wealthy club to conquer the world!
In Hoffenheim he doesn't need to worry about the ball. As long as he can create an open opportunity, everyone will automatically pass the ball to him.
Easier to achieve results.
What Lu Wenbin wants is not the false reputation of a wealthy club, but more championships and more goals, which can allow him to gain more experience and upgrade skill points, which is the most important thing.
(A question to the readers: when the European Super Cup between the Champions League champion and the UEFA Cup champion begins next season, should the protagonist lead Hoffenheim to defeat Barcelona? Should Barcelona retain its title of six-time champion, or should the great achievements of the first six-time champion team be left to the protagonist?)