The First Contract of His Career, and His Second!

Maël walked for more than ten minutes before reaching the Administration Building at the youth training center.

When he reached the door of Coach Hans's office, a staff member who had been waiting there stopped him. "Wait a moment. There's still someone inside."

Maël nodded. Before long, he saw a trialist who had played in midfield today walk out, his face beaming with joy.

"Congrats, brother."

The other man was very happy, and naturally, that happiness spread to Maël as well.

"You too."

Maël smiled faintly, took a deep breath, then walked into the office.

About a month ago, he had come here once. Back then, Coach Hans had looked after him and specifically lent him a pair of boots.

After today, it would also be time to return those boots.

However, the favor involved definitely could not be repaid just by returning a pair of boots.

"You're looking well."

When Hans saw Maël, he could not help smiling too. "Looks like you know something good is happening."

"Of course. Staying here is very important to me."

Maël did not deny it. He stepped forward and sat opposite Hans. "For me right now, nothing could be better than this."

Hans was burly and fierce-looking, but at this moment he could not help teasing Maël. "Aren't you worried at all that I called you here to say goodbye and offer you a few words of comfort?"

Maël raised his eyebrows, his expression confident. His meaning was obvious: he was not worried.

"All right."

Hans took a contract out from under the desk and handed it to Maël. "Take a look at the contract the team is offering you."

Maël accepted the contract and began flipping through it.

As Hans watched his progress through the pages, he explained, "It's not Arsenal Football Club signing with you directly. It's the Arsenal Youth Academy. You can understand it as a youth contract, but many of the clauses are the same as the First Team's.

"If you can make it into Arsenal's First Team in the future, the person sitting opposite you then won't be ordinary old me, but Mr. Wenger.

Hans smiled, paused, then continued, "Eight hundred pounds a week. That's the top salary in the youth team. Aside from that, there are also appearance bonuses in the Youth Team League, goal bonuses, and so on. There will also be bonuses for promotion to the First Team.

"In short, Arsenal Football Club guarantees everything for young players. As long as you make progress, the club will immediately reward you with bonuses."

Maël turned another page and asked, "Why am I on the top salary?"

He knew Hans was not lying to him. He had talked with Gilbert before, and the youth team's top salary was indeed eight hundred pounds.

Compared with the First Team, that was not much money.

But in worldly terms, for a young man not even seventeen yet to earn just over a hundred pounds a day by playing football, that was really quite good.

At the very least, Maël would no longer have to worry about boots.

As long as he wanted to, he could keep his eye on one series and buy a pair every week until he had bought them all out. He also would not have to keep living in a dormitory where both the conditions and environment were only average. As long as he wanted to, he could rent a small place in the London suburbs nearby and decorate it however he liked. "Because of the potential you've shown recently, and because of your age."

Hans explained calmly, and did not forget to spur him on while he was at it. "Actually, you're already not that young to be receiving a contract.

"If your salary were only a few hundred pounds, we'd be afraid you'd worry about making a living and your conditions, and wouldn't be able to focus.

"So this definitely can't be your end point. I hope you can keep moving forward."

Maël nodded to show he understood. After flipping through a few more pages, he put the contract down. "I have no objections."

Hans rose from his seat and extended his right hand. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Pleasure doing business with you."

Maël shook his hand, then, under Hans's guidance, signed his name in multiple places and left his payment account details and so on.

A few minutes later, he left the office.

Once he had some official portraits and promotional photos taken in the Team Media Room tomorrow, he would officially have joined Arsenal U17! It was a small step in his entire professional career, but a huge step before his eyes.

Walking out of the Administration Building and breathing in the fresh air outside, Maël felt that everything was so beautiful. Even the air seemed filled with a sweet scent.

He really wanted to shout to release it, but there were too many people around, and he was afraid of being treated like a lunatic.

"Uncle."

He called his uncle. Maël was full of emotion, and it was as if he had endless things to say. "I stayed. Eight hundred pounds a week. I won't be coming back recently. I'll only have winter break at the end of the year.

"When my first paycheck comes in... I'll buy a few pieces of clothing for my little sister, and I'll gradually buy some things for all of you too. Remember to check for them when the time comes."

The voice on the other end was clearly louder than usual. "Really? Eight hundred pounds... That's more than I make. Maël, you've made something of yourself. Congratulations, congratulations."

After a burst of footsteps, his younger uncle seemed to have walked somewhere else, and the receiver moved farther away too. "Maël stayed! He can get eight hundred pounds a week!"

There was a commotion on the other end, with his aunt's surprised voice and the noisy excitement of his younger brother and sister jumping around and waving their arms and legs.

As Maël listened, he started smiling without realizing it. Just today alone, the muscles in his face were starting to feel a little sore.

"Hey! Hey!!"

Suddenly, an anxious voice came from behind him. "Maël, don't leave yet!"

Maël turned around and found Hans chasing after him with a phone in his hand, his expression both anxious and excited. Looking closer, there was also something complicated mixed in.

Ten minutes later, in Hans's office.

Hans sat in front of the computer, moving the mouse constantly as he printed the contracts, while the printer beside him kept spitting out paper.

Maël and Gilbert sat across from him, looking at each other. Both of them felt dazed, as if the whole world were swaying, impossibly unreal.

Sheffield United, the Championship side that had nearly made it into the Premier League last season, wanted to take the two of them on loan? After the club's Sporting Director spoke with Mr. Wenger, they had agreed to the loan request? Maël truly did not know what to say. He had only just signed the first contract of his life, and now he was actually about to sign a second.

Though he had expected something like this before, and even daydreamed about it.

But it had all come a little too suddenly.

"Clack! Clack!"

Hans straightened the printed contracts, then shook his head helplessly. "In any case, that's the situation.

"The club now needs to sign new contracts with both of you. This time, they're professional contracts with Arsenal's First Team. Your weekly wages will rise to £2,500, the contract term is three years, and the release clause is £5 million."

Maël and Gilbert exchanged a look, then numbly took the contracts and began flipping through them.

Hans did not stop what he was doing. He started printing another contract and explained as he worked, "If you agree to the loan, Sheffield United will cover this salary in full, and there will also be additional wage and bonus clauses.

"For example: once you make 10 appearances for the club, your weekly wage rises to £8,000; 20 appearances, £20,000. If you appear for the team and the team takes 3 points, £3,000; 1 point, £1,000. A goal is £2,500, an assist £1,500."

The moment he finished speaking, the throats of the two men opposite him bobbed violently. "We agree." ×2 Hans froze, realizing he probably did not need to say much more. He only had to take out the contracts and let the two of them sign.

Indeed, the bonus standards and development value of a professional club held enormous appeal for these youth-team kids.

Was that a Championship club? No, it was a great place to boost their market value, a mountain of cash piled up in pounds!