On the plane from Madrid to Barcelona, David kept his eyes closed, seemingly relaxed, but his mind was racing. He was contemplating how to persuade another future superstar—Andrés Iniesta.
His timing was fortuitous. Barcelona's midfield was crowded, with many talented players competing for a spot. Even Harvey Alonso could only claim a fringe role in the team, while Iniesta was still fighting for his chance in the youth setup.
More importantly for David, Iniesta was not Catalan—a crucial detail.
Though Iniesta had joined Barcelona's youth academy at a young age, he lacked the fierce local attachment many of his peers had to the Catalan giants.
David recalled news from his previous life—Iniesta's father had almost pulled him out of Barcelona's academy because the young boy struggled to adapt initially.
This gave David confidence to pursue him.
Iniesta didn't have an agent yet, so David had to negotiate directly with his father.
After two long days of careful persuasion, David finally relaxed, but the more important hurdle was Iniesta's own opinion.
Barcelona's midfield at that time was overflowing with talent—even the highly paid Helgadóttir struggled to secure regular time. Alonso's youth teammate was frustrated sitting on the bench, confident in his skills but worried he'd never break through. At just 17 years old, Iniesta wanted to find his own path rather than languish in the youth ranks.
With Iniesta's consent secured, the rest was easier.
He wasn't contractually bound to Barcelona—it was more an informal arrangement. So even if Barcelona resisted, little could be done except watch a priceless gem slip away, leaving behind a token training fee of around €20,000.
And David, who insisted on fair dealings, planned to pay it.
Thus, his trip to Spain ended on a successful note, although not without drama.
When David landed in the Netherlands, news awaited him. Royal Sociedad's coach, Toshak, openly blasted Notts County and Alonso in the press.
Toshak, who was vacationing when the transfer news broke, nearly fell off his yacht upon hearing that his captain had been sold for a hefty sum—then to a second-tier English club.
Toshak had planned to build the team around Alonso, whom he viewed as a rare organizational talent—the kind he hadn't seen in a decade.
He never imagined losing such a key player before the season even began.
The notion that a Second Division English club could suddenly afford such a transfer bewildered him.
Toshak was left to coach a side with its captain gone, frustrated but powerless to blame anyone but Notts County and Alonso.
In a press conference, Toshak spared no criticism:
"Clearly, Alonso has no plan for his career, or he's so greedy that he'll kneel before money. Pursuing money isn't shameful for survival, but abandoning your beliefs because of it? I have no words."
Toshak's harsh words disregarded Alonso's brief apprenticeship. For him, Alonso's choice equated to selling out.
"Notts County, England's oldest professional club, have long lost sight of football's true rules. Do they even have £14 million in annual revenue? Buying a few star players with money might improve short-term results, but if the young man overseeing things runs out of cash, the club will bankrupt. Then they may never regain professional status."
These sentiments were passed to Spanish media, perhaps dismissed over Iberian dinners. But in England, the news was explosive.
An English lower-league club buying a relatively unknown Spanish player for £14 million?
Even top Premier League teams rarely made moves of that magnitude.
Was the world spinning too fast? Could anyone keep up?
Meanwhile, Alonso's £200,000 annual salary remained hidden—if it leaked, it would surely cause a seismic shock through English football.
A quick comparison:
- Sol Campbell's weekly wage after joining Arsenal was £10,000.
- The average Premier League player earned about £40,000 weekly (around €60k).
- Even Thierry Henry's new weekly salary was merely £5,000 (£38k per year).
Alonso's salary was top-tier in the entire Premier League, yet he played for a second-tier English club.
Despite the shock, fans cheered. Many believed Toshak's words merely reflected jealousy—that Notts County and Alonso were foolish to make such a gamble, that it was amateurish hubris destined to fail.
Notts County paid handsomely for an unknown talent. This seemed reckless. Without David's deep pockets, the club would surely collapse.
Just weeks prior, news of David mortgaging the club was still fresh in the fans' minds.
Alonso willingly descending to England's third tier seemed a career joke. Surely within two seasons, such a promising player would be discarded. Then who else but a low-level club would offer such a salary?
Still, not every reaction was ridicule. Notts County fans saw hope—the club's rise might finally be real.
After all, not even entire clubs could boast such transfer budgets last season.
Yet some fears lingered.
If David ever ran out of money and couldn't pay wages? Bankruptcy could no longer be avoided.
No fan wanted to see their beloved club crumble from financial ruin.