Joelson's Gamble

After saying goodbye to Carl, Maël went with most of the players to the side of the pitch to stretch his muscles. It was a necessary cooldown and could reduce Muscle Fatigue.

Head Coach Hans seemed to have left early, and Mr. Wenger was nowhere to be seen either.

Trial matches were cruel. Hans definitely did not want to announce the results on the spot, and he would also try to avoid talking with or saying goodbye to the players who were not staying.

It was more appropriate to head back first, then call them one by one to inform them.

As he stretched, Maël began to think about his future.

Staying with the team basically was not a problem anymore. He just did not know whether Mr. Wenger or the scouts had taken notice of him. Thinking about it, the chance of being picked after just one match was probably still rather small.

He was not in a hurry. Right now, improving his strength was the real priority.

Without ability, even if he went to the First Team or another professional club, it would be completely useless.

"A good training environment and enough time have already been secured. The new goal is promotion to the First Team."

Maël adjusted his mindset and felt a wave of security. This counted as a kind of improvement too; at least he no longer had to worry about returning to a life of drifting from place to place.

The first thing he thought about was which skills he should practice next. Of course he would not abandon practicing Long Shot and strength, but the reason he had rushed to practice those two abilities before was to deal with today's trial match and give himself a few powerful weapons that could make him stand out in one burst.

Now that the trial match was over, if he kept practicing only those two abilities in the future, it would inevitably feel a little top-heavy.

From today's match, he had already discovered that certain abilities had to be acquired as soon as possible.

Setting aside the highest level of lv5, he at least needed to reach the average professional-player standard of lv3.

Otherwise, when he truly reached an intense professional league, he would not even be able to adapt to the most basic match Rhythm, nor would he be able to keep hold of the ball.

At that point, even with a lv5 Long Shot, he would have no way to bring it into play.

"So multi-track development is necessary."

Maël made his decision, then started making a detailed plan. First, he would train all several basic abilities to lv3, then pick out one or two of them for specialized upgrades to lv4 or lv5.

Ensuring his basic abilities first, then developing his specialties—that was the most correct way to grow.

As for basic abilities, in terms of technique, they were nothing more than four types: passing, Ball Control, dribbling, and shooting!

In terms of the body, they could also basically be divided into four types: strength, speed, stamina, and Coordination! Do not think abilities like Ball Control or Coordination were unimportant. On the contrary, the more basic something was, the more it served as the foundation for whether one could play a match well.

If the roots did not grow well, if he could not control the ball, and if every movement was so stiff it looked like he was about to fall, then everything else would be pointless.

"Add extra training in Cut Inside while dribbling, and another in Cross among passing skills."

Maël identified the two abilities he needed most right now, then began thinking about the physical side. "For the body, I can practice strength first for now. Once strength reaches lv3, I'll add Coordination in."

After thinking all this through, the stretching was basically over too. He got up, took a few sips of water, and walked toward the dormitory.

As soon as he arrived at the dormitory, Maël saw a text message on his phone.

The note showed it was Mr. Hans's number—"Come to the office."

To make himself look more formal, Maël suppressed the excitement in his heart, took a shower, changed his clothes, and only then set off.

At the entrance of Colney Training Base, several scouts walked out from inside.

Joelson from Sheffield United Team almost immediately dialed a number. The new season was about to begin. Big clubs could afford not to hurry with reinforcements, but small teams had no time to be comfortable.

They had to seize every opportunity as much as possible, even if that opportunity might not be a good one.

What Joelson wanted to do was recommend Gilbert to the club while also strongly recommending that Number 31.

Even if doing so was a little risky and a little hasty.

But he had to do it.

The way resources were distributed in this world had already determined that teams like theirs needed to take greater risks when choosing players.

If there was an excellent young player whose quality everyone recognized, then the clubs that wanted him definitely would not be limited to Sheffield United, Leeds, and Burnley.

At that time, their rivals would certainly become clubs on a similar level, such as Dortmund, Benfica, and Ajax.

The call was quickly connected, and a voice came from the other end. "Do you have a result? The transfer window is about to close. Once you've decided over there, we'll contact Arsenal immediately. This is our last chance to strengthen the squad."

Before Joelson could cut in, the voice on the other end kept rattling on. "The other scouts have been coming back one after another, but none of the players they brought are satisfactory. Gilbert, the one you've been watching, is basically our last hope."

But he did not feel like blaming him. He knew how anxious the club's management had become by now.

Just as the Burnley scout had said not long ago, after failing to win promotion last season, many of their team's outstanding players had chosen to leave.

Most of those who remained were either old and preparing to finish their contracts before retiring.

Or they had originally been unable to make the starting lineup and now wanted to play a season in the Championship to raise their personal value.

Without a doubt, they all lacked the competitiveness and motivation to push for the Premier League.

If things continued like this, never mind pushing for the Premier League—the team would even be at risk of relegation! "There's no problem with Gilbert. His ability is among the very top in the United Kingdom for his age group."

After waiting for a long while, Joelson finally got his chance to speak. "It's just almost impossible to buy him. Wenger sat on the sidelines and watched his match today. I think he'll definitely pay attention to this player."

"No need to buy him! No need!"

The voice on the other end carried helplessness and anxiety. "Actually, I never held out much hope of buying an Arsenal player in the first place. As long as we can loan one for a season and get through this campaign, we can figure out the rest afterward."

"I know, boss."

Joelson nodded, then continued, "But in today's match, the best player wasn't Gilbert."

"Who is that?"

"Arsenal's Number 31, someone we've never paid attention to before."

"Never paid attention to? Is there any footage? Send it to me."

"This match should be available on Arsenal's official website, but as for anything else, I couldn't find it."

The voice on the other end fell silent. Only after a long while did the sound of a deep, bracing breath come through. "How good is he?"

Joelson rubbed his chin, the sharpness and ferocity of Maël's long shot surfacing in his mind. "He and Gilbert each have their own traits. I think they're players on the same level, with the same impact."

The other end was silent for a long time again, as if hesitating. Only after more than ten seconds did he seem to finally make up his mind. "I trust your eye. In fact, if I don't trust you now, I've got no one else to pin my hopes on.

"I'll contact Arsenal. You don't need to worry about the rest. Hurry back—oh, no, stay there and wait. Come back with the players! If the player you recommended can really help the team, believe me, I'll love you for the rest of my life."

Joelson couldn't help laughing, a chill rising up his back. "Let's forget that last part, boss."

After hanging up, he looked at the entrance of Colney Training Base, his expression slowly turning melancholy.

He did not know whether the player he had recommended to the team this time could help them, nor did he know whether the team could turn danger into safety this season.

No, the first thing he should worry about was whether the team's Sporting Director could loan the two of them from Arsenal. Please give recommendation votes, monthly votes! Any and all votes!