Deadline Day Drama!

It was 2024 in Football Manager.

In this playthrough, I had accomplished a lot: Winning Euro 2020 with England, bringing the World Cup home in 2022 and lifting my first trophy in any FM game with my favourite team, Newcastle United (the Europa League). After a successful first season at Real Madrid, capturing La Liga and the Copa Del Rey, I aimed to win The Treble.

The Winter Transfer Window was about to close, and my last remaining RW, Agustin Allione, had been ruled out for three months with an injury. I needed to buy another Right Winger desperately. After a quick search, I decided to bring in disgruntled 29-year-old Raheem Sterling from Man Utd. I had worked with Sterling at Newcastle and in the England setup. After I departed for Real Madrid from Newcastle, they sold him to Man Utd, who proceeded to do nothing with him. Man U had no quibble to sell.

But I had depleted all of my sizable budget in the Summer Window after spending £70 Mil on forward Marcel Masio (a regen, or in other words - a fake player) and £66 Mil for Ballon d'Or winner Jack Wilshire. I had to sell someone.

I put 25-year-old Brazillian Paco (another regen) up for sale for £15 Mil (Man U were selling Sterling for £10 Mil). Paco could play LW, LM, CM and AM. I didn't want to sell him because he was valuable as a sub, but Paco had grown frustrated and had asked to leave earlier, so he was the obvious choice. He was a great player but wasn't good enough for the Real first 11. I quickly arranged a contract with Sterling, but Paco was fielding offers from a plethora of clubs and was taking his time signing with anyone. His payback for his time on the bench, no doubt. I had to delay and eventually cancel the Sterling deal due to a lack of funds.

It was now Deadline Day; I signed and agreed on terms with Sterling twice, only to cancel because that indecisive bastard Paco still hadn't decided on a team (and every time I rebid Man U drove the price up by £1 mil). Paco finally signed with a club (Spurs). After another bid and contract offer, I thought I got Sterling, but to my horror, the Madrid board took most of the transfer cash! The board left me with a paltry £5 mil. Sterling signed with AC Milan at the last moment of Deadline Day.

There was still a gap in my squad, so I bought up a youngster from Castilla, Joshua Oyala. A fairly promising winger. Trush in youth, eh?

I started him against Atl Madrid. His poor tackle cost us a penalty, the game and our undefeated record in the league.

...FUUUUU