On the sidelines, all the Arsenal coaching staff clearly captured Maël's performance just now, and they quickly showed expressions of amazement.
"He?"
Philip immediately turned to look at Wenger, wanting to see the latter's reaction, "His Strength and Speed are stronger than we imagined?"
Wenger's brow was furrowed, but there was obvious trembling and surprise on his face, and even the speed of his speech was much faster, "Our eyes don't deceive us, it must be."
Philip turned back to look at Maël on the field again, and sighed: "And Speed and Strength, these two abilities, are not his super strengths in the EFL Championship last season, how suddenly so strong?
"Is it just extra training?"
In a trance, he remembered what he had retorted when Wenger first mentioned Maël's extra training to him.
Football is related to talent... Hard training can't solve the problem, it's useless to train like this.
Now it seems that everyone has to believe in the role of extra training, at least to believe in the role of extra training for Maël.
"Who knows?"
Wenger didn't delve into this question, a few rays of light appeared on his face, "I only know that the one who returned to the team is an even more remarkable player."
He remembered that he had wanted to transform Maël into an all-around striker some time ago, and the idea of standing in the middle and pushing forward.
It seems that this is not the optimal solution for using Maël?
He has very strong physical confrontation, super fast Speed, first-class Cross and Cut Inside shots.
The wing with more space and more range of activities seems to be the stage most suitable for him to bring gorgeous performances?
"Philip."
Wenger had a new idea, there were still a few fiery colors in his eyes, and his expression was full of longing for the future, as long as it was related to football, and related to enhancing Arsenal's Strength, he would be like this.
"I want to play four-three-three."
He said very seriously and firmly: "I want him to play in the old position on the wing, but to be closer to the center, to take advantage of his advantages and play the role of a pushing forward striker in counterattacks, killing two birds with one stone.
"He has this ability, he must have it, I can confirm it!"
Philip listened to his tone and felt his surprise and excitement at the moment, but did not answer, just showed a sincere smile.
Professor sees hope... He must be very sure at this moment that Maël has the ability to change the team.
All the anxiety and worry in his heart disappeared, and all the sad things in the past disappeared, leaving only the expectation for the future.
"He doesn't have to come back to defend."
Wenger said excitedly, with a smile finally appearing on his face, he no longer concealed his fanaticism, "We need to equip him with a defensive midfielder to stand behind him, responsible for sweeping.
"Frimpong is good.
"In addition, we must treat him as the most important explosive point in the team, giving him a lot of ball possession and freedom.
"Compared to being afraid of him losing the ball, I am more afraid that his talent will have nowhere to be released, and I also believe that before he loses the ball and causes the team to lose the ball, he can open the opponent's door one step ahead!"
Wenger stuffed the training plan in his hand into Philip's arms, turned around and went to the Administration Building a little eagerly.
Finally, he only left a somewhat chic sentence: "Philip, you will lead today's training, I want to go and write some tactical ideas about him first."
"Wait!"
Philip stopped Wenger, a few sly smiles appeared on his face, and he took out a USB flash drive from his pocket, "Mr. Wenger, do you still remember your previous 10-year plan?
"I had a hunch at the time that you might use it, so I copied a copy before you deleted it."
It may be a bit too much to say that he looks like a child waiting for praise at this time, but it is more appropriate to say that he looks like a middle-aged man waiting for a hug.
"Oh," Wenger turned his head, but didn't step back, he smiled: "Thank you for your kindness, Philip, you have always been a careful person.
"But now, I don't need that 10-year plan, I will make a new 10-year plan."
After speaking, he shrugged and smiled, turned around and walked across the coach's bench with a sunshade, towards the asphalt road directly exposed to the sun, leaving only Philip alone in a mess in the wind.
Philip: "..."
Why is it different from what he imagined? "Where did Mr. Wenger go?" An assistant coach next to him saw Wenger leave and asked.
Philip sighed, not too lost because of what happened just now, he looked up at Wenger's back.
...
Coordination lv4 (Coordination lv4)
...
After the training match, Maël looked at his attribute panel.
Player: Maël Davis (Player: Maël Davis)
Age: 18 (Age: 18)
Height: 185cm (Height: 185cm)
Weight: 75kg (Weight: 75kg)
Preferred foot: Right foot (Preferred foot: Right foot)
Potential: ★★★★ (Potential: ★★★★)
Ability: 74 (Ability: 74)
Physical: 82 (Physical: 82)
Speed: 88 (Speed: 88)
Strength: 85 (Strength: 85)
Stamina: 77 (Stamina: 77)
Dribbling: 72 (Dribbling: 72)
Shooting: 73 (Shooting: 73)
Passing: 68 (Passing: 68)
Defense: 59 (Defense: 59)
Skills: Muscle Maniac lv5 (When physically confronting, there is a small probability of knocking the opponent away) (Skills: Muscle Maniac lv5 (When physically confronting, there is a small probability of knocking the opponent away))
Lightning Speed lv5 (Starting Speed +10%, continuous acceleration +10%) (Lightning Speed lv5 (Starting Speed +10%, continuous acceleration +10%))
Tomahawk Cannon lv5 (There is a certain probability of kicking a powerful shot) (Tomahawk Cannon lv5 (There is a certain probability of kicking a powerful shot))
Coordination lv4 (Balance ability +4, not easy to be shaken down) (Coordination lv4 (Balance ability +4, not easy to be shaken down))
Coordination lv4?
Maël was a little surprised.
He didn't expect that he would actually upgrade Coordination during a training match.
Is it because of the frequent changes of direction and emergency stops during the training match?
Or is it because of the frequent physical contact with Sagna and Vermaelen?
He didn't know, and he didn't bother to think about it.
Anyway, it's a good thing to upgrade.
The higher the Coordination, the more stable his center of gravity will be, and the less likely he will be knocked down by the opponent.
In addition, he can also make more difficult moves.
Not bad.
Maël nodded in satisfaction.
...
After the training match, Wenger announced the list of players for the Arsenal China Tour.
Maël, Fabregas, Arshavin, Van Persie, Alexandre Song, Vermaelen and other main players were all on the list.
The Arsenal China Tour will start in early July.
Their opponents are Newcastle United and the Chinese national team.
After the China Tour, Arsenal will return to London to prepare for the new season.
The new season of the Premier League will start in mid-August.
Maël is looking forward to it.
He wants to see how far he can go in the new season.
He wants to become The Football God.
His back was very tall, yet it appeared exceptionally small under the sunlight overhead. However, in any case, when the sunlight gently kissed the top of his head, when vitality reappeared on this aging man, he once again gave off a feeling of omnipotence.
"He has gone into the light," Philip replied simply, turning his head to refocus his gaze on the field.
Only, the light was there.
...
After a few days of recovery training, Arsenal began training in various offensive and defensive formations and tactics, with set pieces being mentioned frequently during this phase.
They were officially starting their final preparations for the new season, with a fierce four-front schedule about to begin!
Maël showed unprecedented seriousness during this period. The tactics of wealthy teams are often quite complex.
Especially for teams like Arsenal, which tend to use short passing, they have many meticulous designs in the front, middle, and back lines.
In daily training, he could also clearly feel that Mr. Wenger's attention to him was increasing day by day.
Often, even the arrangement of certain training courses was clearly related to him.
Whenever he didn't perform well, Wenger would call him into his office and give him a private lesson to explain tactics.
"The team won't have too many long passes."
Inside the office, Wenger stared intently at the tactical board, explaining Arsenal's most basic offensive and defensive style to Maël. "We will try to quickly develop the ball to the frontcourt using short passes, pursuing rapid advancement in the process.
"Right center-back Vermaelen has excellent footwork. He generally undertakes the task of passing the ball forward from the backcourt. Occasionally, we also need the two full-backs to advance.
"Midfielders and forwards must find gaps between the lines to receive the ball. In this process, they must intersperse runs to disrupt the defensive players and create more gaps and opportunities.
"When the ball comes to a more forward position, Alexandre Song will generally take on the task of organizing. Further forward, we will strive to hand the ball over to Fabregas..."
He paused here, but there was no expression on his face. "In the final step, we will aim for the penalty area, launching a rapid attack with a strong desire to attack their dangerous area.
"The ball will generally develop in the direction of Van Persie, he is our first scorer."
"Understood." Maël nodded. In daily training, he had already been exposed to many more detailed passing tactics.
Knowing the team's main ideas and direction, he could be considered to have initially integrated into the team.
Next, everything would be left to time. Understanding and coordination could only increase slowly.
...
The days passed like this, and Maël could feel that his performance in training was getting better and better, and his cooperation with his teammates was becoming more and more tacit.
On July 21, his Coordination received an upgrade, making it his third lv4 physical ability.
[Skill: Coordination lv4]
[Proficiency: (1/5000)]
[Effect: Your control over your body is approaching its limit. Your flexibility and balance are almost at their highest. Any difficult movements on the football field seem to be no challenge for you!]
"Coordination?"
He didn't expect that the name of this ability at lv4 would be Coordination.
It seems that the proficiency panel has a very high evaluation of the word 'Coordination'. Thinking about it, it's hard to find a better adjective than Coordination.
Perhaps when it is upgraded to lv5, there will be an eye-catching description.
"3 physical skills all at lv4!"
Maël finished his training for the day, feeling very happy. He sneaked into the swimming pool in the mansion to relax his muscles by swimming.
After that, he could increase his Stamina to lv4 with Davis's help, and then find one of these 4 skills to upgrade to lv5! He was extremely eager to know what level the 'human limit' mentioned when the panel first appeared was.
...
On July 22, Mendes arrived in London to start negotiations with Arsenal for Maël's new contract.
Before the negotiations, Maël met with him in a coffee shop, and the two discussed some final issues.
"I estimate it's 80,000 pounds."
Mendes stated Arsenal's lower limit, he was very confident: "Trust me, I have learned about Arsenal and Wenger's attitude before, they will not give a new contract lower than this price.
"In addition, do you have any considerations regarding the buyout clause and the term? I estimate their proposal is 100 million pounds and a 2-year extension."
"What does Mr. Mendes suggest?" Maël chose to ask Mendes first, as the other party obviously had more experience and expertise in this area.
"It depends on the salary."
Mendes' voice paused for a moment, then continued: "If they can offer a salary of more than 100,000 pounds, then this aspect is not unacceptable."
"Of course, I'll try my best to lower it for you, what are your thoughts?"
Maël nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "I have no problem with the release clause. As for the contract extension, I still have the same idea as before, only extend it for 1 year to avoid endless extensions."
"Understood." Mendes, understanding Maël's request, didn't sit with Maël for too long, and the two then walked out of the cafe.
Maël waved goodbye to Mendes, anticipating, "Hopefully it's good news."
"Definitely."
Mendes waved back at him, smiling and saying, "After the negotiations, I might have to go back first. I'll come over again when the signing is confirmed. You should be having pre-season friendlies soon."
"We'll keep in touch by phone, and I'll communicate everything with you, trying to ensure your requests are met first."
"Just focus on playing well, leave these things to me, you just need to concentrate on the field."
"Okay."
Maël said goodbye to him and returned home, feeling the pressure increasing day by day.
The new season's Premier League schedule has already been released. On August 14th, they will face Newcastle United in the first round of the league.
Before that, he heard that the team was also planning about 2 friendly matches for final adjustments.
On July 25th, Maël's new contract was basically confirmed, and his salary reached £95,000.
Compared to before, it increased again by 43k, and his after-tax weekly salary reached £57,000, surpassing his previous pre-tax salary!
With Mendes' efforts, he signed a contract with Arsenal with a £100 million release clause, extending it for 1 year, with a total contract period of 4 years.
Now, it's just waiting for Mendes and the club to make the final details confirmation, and once everything is ready, he can complete the signing.
After training this afternoon, Wenger gathered all the players together, seemingly having something important to discuss.
"The team is about to start a tour of China."
He got straight to the point, introducing, "We will have 2 friendly matches there, the first against Bayern Munich, and the second against Boca Juniors."
"Prepare well, we leave the day after tomorrow. These should be the only 2 friendly matches before the start of the season."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Arsenal players' eyes moved, and many people's faces showed strong excitement and desire, including Maël.
As someone who traveled from China in 2024, he hadn't returned to his homeland for a long time.
During the season, he was busy with matches, and during the off-season, he was busy with training, and he had no relatives or friends to visit when he went back. He didn't know who to look for, and it seemed like there was nothing else to do besides wandering the streets alone.
Taking advantage of the team's tour of China this time is a good thing.
He had long wanted to play a match in his homeland, feel the enthusiasm of Chinese fans, and listen to the commentary of football commentators in his native language on his matches! Not to mention, he might wear the Arsenal jersey there and face Bayern Munich, a world-class giant!
In this era, Bayern Munich, with a host of superstars such as Lahm, Robben, Ribery, and Schweinsteiger, is definitely a strong contender for the Champions League title every year.
Fighting them? It's a good opportunity to test his current abilities and see how he performs when facing a strong team! "Maël."
After training, Wenger stopped Maël, signaling him to go to his office.
Maël followed him in and found Wenger sitting in front of the familiar tactics board again. He smiled and stepped closer.
"You will be in the starting lineup."
Wenger said very firmly, moving the tactics board, "The match against Bayern Munich cannot be regarded as a friendly match, but as a key match to test our true level, understand?"
"That's what I thought." Maël replied with a smile, secretly clenching his fist. Starting in such a match must be an exciting experience.
"The formation will be 4-3-3."
Wenger reached out and adjusted the tactics board, pulling out the left winger's piece, "You will be the team's left winger, without the responsibility of retreating and defending. After everyone retreats, you and Van Persie will stay in the frontcourt."
"At that time, your position may be closer to the center, and you may occasionally need to retreat to receive the ball."
"Of course, this will change according to the situation on the field. You can also stand on the wing and wait for opportunities. The choice is yours."
Wenger closed the tactics board and added, "This is a tentative tactic to test our true level, but don't focus too much on winning or losing, just play to your strengths."
"Understood." Maël nodded slightly, then stood beside Wenger, waiting for him to continue.
As a result, Wenger didn't say anything for a long time. The two looked at each other awkwardly for a while, then pretended to be busy, one tidying up the tactics board and the other scratching his head.
"Nothing else?"
Maël proactively asked, assuming Wenger had other instructions for him since he had called him in.
"That's all."
Wenger waved, signaling Maël could leave, but then stopped him as Maël reached the door. "Maël, be sure to adjust your form and play at your highest level.
"Let the whole world see your ability, let Arsenal fans understand what level of player is standing on the team's left wing this season."
Maël turned back with a smile, nodding emphatically, "I will."
...
On the morning of July 28th, the entire Arsenal team, after more than ten hours of flight, arrived at the Capital International Airport.
The cabin door slowly opened, and Wenger and the coaching team got off the plane with large and small bags, bleary-eyed, as it was now the early hours of the morning in London time.
"Click, click!" The flashes of media reporters flickered rapidly, capturing the freshest first-hand photos. In this day and age, it was not easy to invite both Arsenal and Bayern Munich, two European powerhouses, at the same time.
Although Arsenal's honors in major competitions were not as good as Bayern Munich's, its Chinese fan base was very large, not inferior to Bayern.
Dozens of reporters stood on both sides of the plane's stairs, holding microphones and squeezing towards Wenger.
"Mr. Wenger, talk about the upcoming game, will new signing Gervinho start?"
"Can you tell us about Fabregas? To what extent has his conflict with the team intensified?"
"The team's 17-year-old Maël has performed well in the EFL Championship. Will he get a chance to play in these two friendlies?"
Wenger paused briefly, answering a few simple questions, bypassing some that were obviously not easy to answer.
Behind him, Maël got off the plane carrying the suitcase distributed by the club, took a few breaths of fresh air, and listened to the standard Chinese around him, a sense of familiarity rushed over him.
He turned his gaze, scanning around, an uncontrollable urge to speak his mother tongue surged into his heart.
It's been a long time since I've been back, but he suppressed this impulse. This was the first time in his life he had come to this land, so it was best not to cause unnecessary trouble.
In the future, I can manage my social media accounts here, and try to come back whenever I have time to sit with Arsenal fans in China.
Maël followed the team, got on the Arsenal-branded bus that had been prepared, and drove out of the airport onto the capital's highway.
"We Arsenal are invincible!!"
On both sides of the street, many fans wearing Arsenal jerseys spotted them and immediately rushed up, holding up their jerseys and singing the widely circulated lyrics.
"Arsenal, go!"
"Van Persie! I love you!"
"Arshavin, play well, don't go out drinking every day!"
"Professor! Mr. Wenger! Look at me, look at me, over here!!"
They were very crazy, some even chasing the team bus all the way, excitedly greeting the players on the bus.
Most of the Arsenal players were lying on their seats, drowsily falling asleep, only Maël watched them with great energy, watching for a long time.
I must strive to perform well in my homeland and bring a wonderful game to Arsenal fans in China!
He didn't want to lose face here, and excitement surged into his heart from this moment on.
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