Chapter Summaries

Maël’s standout performance for Sheffield United drew widespread attention, while Arsenal manager Wenger learned of his progress and decided to arrange an early salary increase. The chapter ended with Wenger moving to strengthen Arsenal’s commitment to Maël and the other young player.

• Sheffield United finished August with two Championship wins and two losses, leaving them 11th with six points, and Gareth Speed praised the hard-earned start.
• Media coverage and fan discussions focused on Maël after he scored twice and assisted another goal against Preston, and his Facebook followers surpassed ten thousand.
• Hans told Wenger that Maël and the other Arsenal youngsters had started for Sheffield United, and Maël had recorded two goals and an assist.
• Philip brought Wenger a report on the players, and Wenger praised Maël and Gilbert before deciding Arsenal would activate their salary-increase clause early.
• Hans and Philip recognized that Wenger intended to support the two players, and Hans thanked him on their behalf.

Maël earned £4,000 after signing memorabilia and agreeing to promote Kodall’s Sheffield United fan bar. He then learned from Joelson that Arsenal was giving both him and Gilbert a raise, though the amount was still unknown.

• Maël reached Stability Lv2 after intensifying his training and felt more balanced and composed.
• Maël and Gilbert visited Kodall’s fan bar, where Maël accepted a £4,000 endorsement deal.
• Maël signed memorabilia for the bar and agreed to promote it on social media.
• Maël received a call from Joelson telling him that Arsenal was giving both him and Gilbert a raise.

Maël agreed to Arsenal’s proposed raise to £10,000 a week, with Sheffield United paying his full wages in exchange for removing Arsenal’s recall clause. After celebrating the change in his fortunes, he planned for his family to visit and learned that Gilbert had also received a pay rise.

• Gareth Speed told Maël that Arsenal proposed raising his weekly wage to £10,000 and changing his appearance-based bonus to one based on goal contributions.
• Sheffield United offered to cover Maël’s entire increased salary if Arsenal removed its midseason recall clause, and Maël agreed to the terms.
• Maël calculated his growing savings and called his uncle Clermont, agreeing that the family would visit the United Kingdom in early October.
• Clermont told Maël that Ava was having conflicts with classmates, and Maël planned to send money to help arrange counseling for her.
• Gilbert emerged from his meeting with an £8,000 weekly wage and celebrated with Maël.

Sheffield United beat Derby County 1–0 through Gilbert’s winning goal, then Maël focused on improving his speed and dribbling. Sheffield United lost 3–1 to Scunthorpe despite Maël assisting Ward, leaving him determined to keep improving after his first defeat.

• Sheffield United defeated Derby County 1–0, with Gilbert scoring the winner and Maël celebrating with him in front of the away fans.
• Maël noticed his sprinting ability had improved and decided to add Step-Over Dribbling to his training after struggling against strong fullbacks.
• Scunthorpe took a 3–0 lead against Sheffield United, with Dagnall scoring twice and Muffin adding another goal.
• Maël dribbled past Canavan and assisted Ward, who scored Sheffield United’s only goal.
• Scunthorpe won 3–1, giving Gareth Speed his first defeat in charge and leaving Maël frustrated but resolved to keep improving.

Sheffield United faced Portsmouth as Maël hoped to score and help promote Kodall’s bar, where a signed-gift event drew fans before the match. A confrontation between Gilbert and Michael Brown escalated into a pitch-side melee, and Maël prepared to take the resulting free kick.

• Kodall launched a Maël-signed gift promotion at his bar, attracting fans who had missed out on match tickets.
• Maël took the field determined to score for Sheffield United and support Kodall’s business.
• Michael Brown fouled Gilbert, insulted him, and headbutted him, prompting Gilbert to retaliate.
• Maël shoved Michael Brown away, players from both teams gathered, and Gareth Speed protested to the fourth official.
• The referee showed Maël and Michael Brown yellow cards, and Maël took the ball to the free-kick spot to take the kick himself.

Maël scored a direct free kick to put Sheffield United ahead against Portsmouth, then celebrated by taunting Michael Brown and kicking the corner flag. Back at Kodall’s shop, fans celebrated the goal by buying out all 25 limited Maël collectibles.

• Portsmouth goalkeeper Asdang organized a six-man wall as Maël prepared to take a free kick from about twenty-five meters out.
• Maël blasted the ball past the wall and into the near corner, giving Sheffield United a 1–0 lead.
• Maël celebrated by taunting Michael Brown for dodging the ball, then kicked the corner flag as Gareth Speed roared on the touchline.
• Kodall and more than a hundred fans watched Maël score on television, then cheered and rushed to buy scarves, hip flasks, and other limited collectibles.
• The 25 limited items sold out, and Kodall toasted the fans while imagining that he might become Maël’s first brand partner.

Sheffield United took a two-nil lead over Portsmouth in the first half, and Maël’s Observation skill improved as he celebrated. After Gareth Speed warned the team about Michael Brown and identified the gap his positioning left behind, Maël exploited it in the second half and broke into the penalty area, leaving him one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

• Gilbert set up Evans for a low shot that beat Asdang and gave Sheffield United a two-nil lead.
• Maël’s Insight improved to Lv2, sharpening his ability to read the game and spot teammates’ movements.
• At halftime, Gareth Speed warned Maël and Gilbert about Michael Brown’s likely retaliation and told the team to attack the gap left when Portsmouth’s left center-back covered for him.
• Gilbert said he would stand up to Brown, while Maël urged him to protect himself.
• In the second half, Maël watched for Michael Brown to leave his position and made repeated runs into the space behind Portsmouth’s left center-back.
• In the sixty-third minute, Janu Hans passed to Maël, who carried the ball into the penalty area and faced the goalkeeper one-on-one.

Maël scored his second goal to put Sheffield United 3–0 ahead, then Michael Brown crashed into him after the goal. Gilbert retaliated with a dangerous tackle and was sent off, while Maël went to the dressing room and backed him; their relationship entered a new stage.

• Maël blasted the ball into the net for his second goal, giving Sheffield United a 3–0 lead.
• Michael Brown hit Maël from behind, and Maël confronted him while Gareth Speed demanded a yellow card; the referee showed no card.
• After play restarted, Gilbert launched a scissor-leg tackle at Michael Brown, who was injured and carried off on a stretcher.
• The referee showed Gilbert a straight red card, and Gilbert left for the players’ tunnel.
• Gareth Speed substituted Maël, who went to the dressing room and told Gilbert he had been cool; the two sat together until the match ended.

After Sheffield United's 5–0 win over Portsmouth, Maël and Gilbert celebrated their contributions while Head Coach Gareth Speed promised to support Gilbert despite his reckless act. Maël then attended the post-match press conference as fans in Kodall's shop celebrated his performance and growing popularity.

• Maël and Gilbert reflected on how far they had come, noting that Maël had scored twice and Gilbert had assisted once in the victory.
• The Sheffield United players returned to the locker room and pulled Maël and Gilbert into their celebrations.
• Gareth Speed told Gilbert that the team considered his action reckless but promised to use his connections to reduce the punishment; he then took Maël to the press conference.
• At Kodall's shop, fans watched Maël receive the Best Player trophy and debated how much his player value would rise.
• Celebrating fans crowded into Kodall's shop seeking Maël's signed gifts, but Kodall said the week's twenty-five sets had sold out.

Maël received a commemorative plaque showing his new Transfermarkt value of 8 million euros, while Gilbert’s plaque listed 3.5 million euros. In Lisbon, Jorge Mendes noticed Maël’s rise and ordered his staff to contact and monitor the young player.

• Maël and Gilbert assembled a display stand, and Maël placed his two Best Player trophies on it.
• Joelson visited with commemorative Value Plaques for Maël and Gilbert, revealing that Gilbert was valued at 3.5 million euros.
• Maël opened his plaque and discovered his value had risen to 8 million euros, leaving Gilbert dismayed by the difference.
• Jorge Mendes reviewed the updated market values, recognized Maël’s name, and watched a report about him.
• Mendes told his staff to make contact with Maël, keep watching him, and report any developments.

Maël assisted Sheffield United’s equalizer against Leeds United, then scored a stoppage-time winner against Nottingham Forest. He celebrated by throwing his shin guards to the fans and announced that he had contributed to five goals and five assists.

• Gilbert received a three-match ban and a £3,000 fine, while the referee was suspended for two matches.
• Sheffield United drew 1–1 away to Leeds United after Maël assisted Evans’s equalizer.
• Bonodanovitch gave Sheffield United an early lead against Nottingham Forest, but Pang equalized in the 70th minute.
• Maël scored a stoppage-time winner with a long shot after Janu Hans set him up.
• Maël threw his shin guards into the supporters’ section and indicated that he had recorded five goals and five assists.

Maël scored a last-minute winner to reach ten goal contributions, leaving Wenger and the Arsenal youth players amazed at his rise. At Sheffield United, Maël leveled up his step-over skill and received both the club and Championship Player of the Month awards as his team climbed to sixth place.

• Maël scored a late Long Shot winner, taking his goal contributions past ten and earning Best Player of the Match.
• Wenger visited the Arsenal youth meeting room and reacted to Maël's milestone as the players celebrated his performance.
• At Sheffield's training base on September 30, Maël reached lv3 in Step-Over Shoulder Feint and revised his training plan to focus more on shooting.
• Maël called his uncle about a family visit, but his uncle said they had to postpone it.
• A club staff member told Maël he had won Sheffield United Team Player of the Month and the Championship Player of the Month for September.
• Maël received the club's commemorative trophy as Sheffield United rose from 11th to 6th in the league.

Maël received the Championship's September Player of the Month award and helped Sheffield United beat Watford before assisting twice in a draw with Burnley. After the late equalizer, he was told he would be rested for the next match, while his eight assists put him atop the Championship table.

• Maël received the September Player of the Month trophy and gave an ambiguous answer about whether he would return to Arsenal or stay at Sheffield United.
• Sheffield United came from behind to defeat Watford 2–1, with Maël assisting Bonodanovitch's equalizer and Ward scoring the winner.
• Maël assisted Bonodanovitch and Lotton as Sheffield United took a 2–0 lead against Burnley, but Burnley recovered to draw 2–2.
• Maël's late long shot missed, and Gareth Speed told him he would be rested and left out of the next matchday squad.
• Maël's tally of eight assists in eleven rounds put him at the top of the Championship assists table.

After Sheffield beat Hull City, Maël raised Cannon Shot to lv4 and began training Curled Shot while considering which abilities to develop next. He met with a representative of Mendes Agency about becoming his agent, but asked for time to think it over.

• Sheffield beat Hull City 2–0, earning seven points from three October matches and moving into the Championship Promotion Play-off Zone.
• Maël completed the final practice needed to raise Cannon Shot to lv4 and felt his shooting technique had improved.
• Maël decided to train Crossing and Curled Shot, then began practicing Curled Shot.
• Pepino, representing Mendes Agency, invited Maël to discuss an agency deal and explained the firm's services and commission rates.
• Maël said he needed time to consider the offer and planned to use stronger performances to negotiate better terms.

Sheffield United fell two goals behind Doncaster in the first half, prompting Gareth Speed to send on Maël and Janu Hans after the break. Maël scored with a precise long shot to make it 2–1 and revive Sheffield United's hopes.

• Gareth Speed rested Maël, Janu Hans, and Lotton against Doncaster, but Coppinger and Sharp scored to give the home side a 2–0 lead before halftime.
• Gareth Speed sent Maël and Janu Hans on at halftime and instructed them to target weaknesses on Doncaster's left side.
• Maël and Janu Hans combined down the flank in the 57th minute, but Gilbert missed Maël's cross at the far post.
• Ward recovered the ball and passed it back to Maël near the top of the penalty arc.
• Maël feinted toward the far corner and struck a low long shot into the near corner, cutting Doncaster's lead to 2–1.

Maël scored twice after coming on as a substitute, helping Sheffield United recover from a two-goal deficit to draw level with Doncaster. As the chapter ended, he embraced the crowd’s calls for a hat-trick and decided to keep pushing.

• Maël scored with his signature Ground Shot World Wave, prompting Gareth Speed and Joelson to celebrate while worrying Arsenal might recall him.
• A Sheffield United fan told Philip he would be heartbroken if Maël left but would continue following his career.
• Maël nearly scored again in the 65th minute with a driven shot that brushed the side netting.
• In the 71st minute, Evans’s accidental heel flick sent the ball through Doncaster’s defense, and Maël dribbled past a defender before scoring to make it 2–2.
• Maël celebrated with the fans and set his sights on scoring a hat-trick.

Maël helped Sheffield United recover from a two-goal deficit against Doncaster, and his fifteenth goal involvement brought him level with a lucrative contract milestone. In stoppage time, Gilbert set him up for a trademark long-range shot, and the chapter ended as Maël struck the ball.

• Gilbert and Evans praised Maël for reaching seven goals and eight assists, while Janu Hans urged Sheffield United to press on and take the lead.
• Gilbert asked whether Maël had a contract clause for fifteen goal involvements, and Maël said he would join the twenty-thousand-pounds-a-week club early.
• Doncaster retreated into a determined defense as Sheffield United pressed for a winner, and Gareth Speed watched anxiously from the touchline.
• In the eighty-eighth minute, Gilbert drove forward, evaded several defenders, and passed the ball to Maël near the top of the penalty area.
• Maël set himself and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot as the stadium watched in silence.

Maël scored a stoppage-time winner to complete his first professional hat-trick and give Sheffield United a 3–2 comeback victory over Doncaster. He left the pitch to applause from both teams’ supporters, then declared that the Championship would be his league.

• Maël’s long-range shot struck the underside of the crossbar and went in, completing Sheffield United’s comeback from two goals down.
• Gareth Speed celebrated wildly as the referee confirmed the goal and Doncaster’s players collapsed in defeat.
• Maël celebrated his first career hat-trick and eighth league goal before Gareth Speed substituted him to protect the late lead.
• Doncaster fans applauded Maël as he left the pitch, and he acknowledged them before embracing Gareth Speed.
• Maël received the man of the match award and match ball, then said the Championship would be his league after reporters noted his eight goals and eight assists.

After Maël’s hat-trick drew widespread attention, Wenger told Philip to secure a new contract for him rather than recall him before the winter transfer window. Maël spent his day off celebrating his growing earnings with Gilbert, leaving his future at Arsenal to be discussed later.

• Sheffield United fans celebrated Maël’s hat-trick, and Wenger told Philip to finish signing Maël to a new contract while postponing any recall until the winter transfer window.
• News reports and online discussions praised Maël’s thirteen-match record of sixteen goal contributions and his powerful long shots.
• Maël calculated that his season bonuses had reached £55,000 and his savings £120,000, and he imagined buying a sports car and renting a villa.
• Maël and Gilbert spent their day off at a pool hall, where Gilbert jokingly ordered an expensive dessert platter at Maël’s expense.
• Gilbert broke the rack and sank the golden 9 as Maël toasted his upcoming raise.

Maël met with Philip to discuss Arsenal’s proposed contract extension and negotiated for higher pay and a shorter deal. Philip took Maël’s counteroffer to Wenger, leaving Maël awaiting the club’s response.

• Maël visited Kodall’s Old Pub, where Kodall thanked him for the success his autograph event had brought the pub.
• Maël met Philip, who explained that Arsenal proposed a five-year contract with a £40 million release clause and a weekly salary of £30,000.
• Maël said he could accept the release clause but countered with a weekly salary of £38,000 and a four-year contract.
• Philip said he would discuss Maël’s counteroffer with Wenger and give him an answer the next day.
• Kodall refused to let Maël pay for his drinks and congratulated him on his performance in the last match.