After Arsenal somewhat sluggishly took their corner kick, the game gradually approached its end.
In the final moments, Mancini brought on David Silva to strengthen the attack, and Wenger subsequently replaced Chamakh with Vermaelen, switching to a five-defender formation.
These were both fairly conventional tactics to try and win, and neither coach showed much emotion on their faces.
On the EFL Cup front, having a chance to compete for the title was good, but bowing out early was also acceptable, as it would mean fewer games in the second half of the season, enhancing their fighting strength in other competitions.
"Bang!"
In the 84th minute, David Silva used his exquisite footwork to break through Frimpong and Arteta's defense, setting up Agüero with a through ball.
This pass pierced Arsenal's defense, creating a half One-on-One opportunity for Agüero.
However, the Argentine striker's instep shot towards the far corner skidded wide, missing the goal by about two feet.
"Ah!" Manchester City's traveling fans exclaimed, many waving their hands in resignation, leaving early to catch their ride back to Manchester.
Mancini sniffled a few times, brushed the snow off his head, turned around, and sat back down on the bench with a calm expression.
In the 91st minute, the final minute of injury time.
Maël shielded the ball near the left corner flag, with Zabaleta and David Silva pressing him from behind, trying to steal the ball from his feet.
Balotelli, perhaps discouraged or afraid of getting a yellow or red card, stayed far away, strolling in the center of the field, quietly watching him perform.
"Bang, bang..."
Maël quickly couldn't withstand the pressure from the combination of the tall and agile players, changing direction and poking the ball through the gap between them, heading towards the center.
He thought they were going to close him down, but David Silva seemed to know he was no match and simply dodged out of the way.
Poor Zabaleta, who had intended to close down and draw a foul with his teammate, ended up taking a full-force collision from Maël because of his teammate's dodge.
"Bang!"
The two bodies collided, and Zabaleta rushed off the field with a look of complaint, as if something far away from the field was attracting him.
After regaining possession of the ball, Maël kicked it to Van Persie, who was supporting him in the center, and then cut inside.
While delaying time was important, if there was a chance to pursue a goal, he still had to approach it with the right attitude.
"Maël is coming up! Balotelli was just strolling around the edge of the box, like an old man in the park with a cigarette and a beer, and now he has to be on high alert again.
"Van Persie controls the ball, looking like he's going to shoot directly! Oh... it's a feint, he passes the ball to Maël, who's following up.
"The cannon is set up!"
After running at a steady pace to the center, Maël saw Van Persie deliver a well-timed pass with moderate speed, and his eyes lit up. He turned to check the goalkeeper's position.
After turning back, he saw Balotelli's sturdy figure rushing towards him. The previous year's Golden Boy Award winner certainly had impressive physical attributes.
Balotelli knew he wouldn't be able to catch up before Maël shot, so he looked up at his own goalkeeper's position, judging his stance.
For some reason, he put himself in Maël's shoes, wondering where he would shoot if he were him.
Blast it into the top right corner! This was the best line that appeared in Balotelli's mind, and he believed he had the technique to do it.
"Bang!!"
At that moment, Maël shot, meeting Van Persie's pass, he drew back and unleashed a powerful Curved Shot, opting for more power rather than a more dramatic curve.
From the moment it took off, the ball headed straight for the top right corner, only experiencing a brief change of direction before slamming into that spot.
Manchester City's second-choice goalkeeper, Pantilimon, hadn't faced many tests today, but it seemed that when he did, they were crucial, make-or-break moments.
The shots aimed at his goal were either wide, straight at him, or, like this one, offered no hope of a successful save.
"Swish!"
"The ball is in again! Two-nil! Arsenal seals the victory! We can probably congratulate Arsenal in advance for reaching the semi-finals of the 11-12 season's League Cup! In the other match, Liverpool is also leading Chelsea two-nil, so the semi-final in the lower bracket is very likely to be a showdown between Arsenal and Liverpool!
"Maël's signature Long Shot! Balotelli, ah, he had an average performance in attack today, and the player took on more defensive duties.
"I've mentioned his name many times, but I can't say anything praising him. Today, he has repeatedly served as Maël's backdrop in defense! This previous Golden Boy Award winner seems to be completely defeated in front of Maël. I don't know if this counts as a hint."
On the field, deafening cheers erupted again, and Arsenal's players excitedly ran towards the corner flag.
Maël laughed and spread his arms, running in a winding path, making a gliding motion to complete his celebration.
Snow in the morning!
EFL Cup! Brace to advance to the semi-finals! "Aahh!"
Reaching the sideline, he clenched his right fist and swung it towards the sky, expressing his excitement at this moment.
It's certain that after this match, Arsenal will enter the League Cup title contention mode, and Wenger will devote all his efforts to this cup.
This battle line that he has been longing for will also officially become an important battle line for the entire team! "I will be with you!" Van Persie understood Maël's thoughts and rushed up to say, "So, the team's new goal is to end the embarrassing six-year title drought by the end of February!"
"Isn't there a trophy?"
Arteta from the midfield came up and laughed, "Doesn't Arsenal basically win the Emirates Cup every other year?"
He was referring to a pre-season warm-up tournament, sponsored by Emirates Airlines, held annually at Arsenal's home ground, the Emirates Stadium.
In previous years, Arsenal would participate every year and often win the final champion's trophy. Although it sounds a bit self-entertaining, it still has considerable value in warm-up matches.
This year, due to the team's China tour to improve financial issues, they did not participate in this cup.
"No need to bring up embarrassing facts."
Captain Van Persie smiled and patted Arteta, and the group ran back to their own half.
When passing by their former teammate Nasri, they exchanged a blank stare and then stopped paying attention to each other.
Nasri's presence was weak today. He needs possession and the support of his teammates. Following Manchester City's rotation lineup with chaotic tactics, he couldn't perform.
The man felt somewhat indifferent at this moment, as if losing was just losing, and they could win it back from the Premier League anyway.
The Arsenal players mostly smiled with their heads down. Nasri doesn't know what kind of team Arsenal is this season, but they do.
At the end of the season, they'll look back and see who the stronger team is, and whether the person who left made the right choice or the wrong one.
"Beep! Beep! Beep—!"
Three long whistles then sounded, and the match officially ended. In the end, Arsenal defeated Manchester City two to zero, advancing to the EFL Cup semi-finals!
"Good luck."
On the sidelines, Wenger came to Mancini and shook hands with him after the match. "Great team."
"I don't know how to accept this compliment." Mancini shrugged with a smile, generously accepting the defeat, and said politely, "Maël is really great. Watching him play up close is very impactful for me.
"So, maybe the wait of the last six years wasn't a bad thing? I hope you can get your wish from the EFL Cup this season. I only want to lose to the champion team."
As the words fell, the two leaned back and smiled together, patted each other on the shoulders, and walked into the player tunnel.
Maël received another small crystal trophy for the EFL Cup Man of the Match after the game. Now, he has a little bit of all kinds of strange trophies.
If he remembers correctly, all cup competitions have a highly valuable individual award: the Final's Best Player! Its winner is generally considered to be the best player of the tournament.
Maël naturally coveted this, so he could set a small goal for himself first—to reach the final.
After this match, time will enter December, and the Golden Boy Award ceremony will be held in the mid-to-late part of this month.
Since this year's FIFA awards ceremony will be held in January next year, the December Golden Boy Award can be regarded as a warm-up for the Ballon d'Or next month.
Mendes began to exert his strength at this time. He joined forces with many media outlets to steer the topic towards Maël's Golden Boy Award, launching a public opinion offensive.
Even at the post-match press conference of this match, many reporters threw similar questions to Mancini, Wenger, and others.
"I think this is a no-brainer. If the organizers don't want to give the Golden Boy Award to him, then I really can't think of who they can give it to unless they raise the age range to 24." - Wenger said at the post-match press conference.
"I don't want to talk about these individual awards, but our team has two Golden Boy Award winners, okay, I have to say, Maël's performance deserves the Golden Boy Award, there will be no controversy." - Mancini's speech. "I didn't expect to win two Player of the Month awards in my first season in the Premier League, thank you everyone. Maël is a very good competitor. I won the Golden Boy Award in 2007, but my performance at that time was not even half of Maël's." - Agüero's acceptance speech. "I don't want to talk, but he should get this honor, enough! Stay away from me." - Balotelli said when he was blocked in the player tunnel. If Wenger and the people within Arsenal's statements were regarded as biased.
Then Agüero, who had just won the Premier League Player of the Month for November, as well as Mancini and Balotelli's statements, were still very impactful.
This instantly topped the headlines of major media outlets along with the heat of 'Candidate Maël scores a brace', causing heated discussions among fans.
"Maël can prepare his acceptance speech in advance, this is the most suspense-free Golden Boy Award ever."
This comment became the most popular comment under all related posts, and many people copied it and sent it to more places.
On December 1st, the 14th round of the Premier League kicked off, and Sheffield United drew 1-1 with West Brom at home, taking 1 point.
At the post-match press conference, Gareth Speed appeared here with Golden Boy candidate Gilbert, seemingly premeditated.
When the reporters steered the topic to Maël, both of them leaned forward.
"I think it should be given to him. I've been in football for almost 30 years, and I've never seen such an outstanding candidate."
Gareth Speed's answer was very straightforward. He looked expectant, as if he was happy to see Maël win the award. "Every year, the selection for the Golden Boy Award takes place when the season is about to reach its halfway point. At that time, most of the candidates don't have very good statistics.
"If I remember correctly, in previous years, league statistics of 10+ were generally quite solid for the candidates. I mean in the top leagues.
"And Maël has already scored 15 goals and provided 7 assists in the league this season.
"Even just looking at his Champions League statistics, he's already close to 10+, which is unprecedented!"
When it was Gilbert's turn, he was even more direct. "I'm also a Golden Boy candidate, and I've been paying attention to this award.
"I must say, his current competitors are almost only Götze and Griezmann.
"Griezmann's statistics aren't that obvious, so it's difficult for him to compete with Maël for this award. As for Götze, he's had a small burst of form recently, and his goal contributions in the league this season have reached 7 goals and 5 assists.
"But that's a difference of 10 goal contributions, isn't it? Don't say that match performance is very good and statistics don't represent everything.
"I've tried my best to compare Maël's weaknesses with other people's strengths. My purpose is to make you understand that even his weakest point is much stronger than others.
"If you want to calculate Maël's total club goals this season, he already has 22 goals and 11 assists. It seems like he's already a candidate for that award in January.
"Haha... I think Maël has a chance for that award next year. Next year is a major tournament year."
...
On December 2nd, after the 15th round of the Bundesliga, Dortmund coach Klopp and Götze also made their final efforts.
"It's just a draw, it won't affect the team, and it won't have any impact on the players."
Klopp's face was a little unsightly during the press conference, as he suppressed his dissatisfaction and said, "I support Götze to win the Golden Boy Award. Sometimes team honor is also particularly important. He helped us win the Bundesliga title last year."
"But on the other hand, Maël helped Sheffield United win the championship with 100% record as a core player, creating many historical records... He doesn't seem to be lacking in this aspect either," a reporter reminded with raised eyebrows.
"Haha..." Klopp chuckled twice and didn't speak, seemingly implying that the two leagues had different levels of importance, but in reality, he had nothing to say.
But there was no way, Götze was a player he liked very much, and he had to attend this press conference today.
"I think I also have a chance."
Before the press conference ended, Götze said this sentence with some grievance, feeling a bit pitiful.
Throughout the press conference, pro-English media and pro-Mendes media had been putting pressure on him, making him feel extremely helpless.
In addition, Maël's performance and form since the beginning of the season seemed to be impeccable in every aspect... causing him to sometimes lose all courage to fight against it.
However, he had promised German fans about this Golden Boy Award at the end of last season.
If he couldn't get it now, it wouldn't just be him who would be disappointed, but also the expectations he carried would be shattered.
"Hoo...!"
After the press conference ended, Götze locked himself in the small equipment room, occasionally letting out sobs.
Klopp, Lewandowski, Reus, and others stood outside the door, their expressions very solemn, but they didn't dare to make any noise.
...
London, England, at the mansion.
This day at noon, Maël and José came to the lawn in front of the villa, preparing to add fancy dribbling and heading to the training program.
From the second month of arriving in London, after having some money in hand, Maël had been working on repairing and maintaining the lawn at the entrance, striving to make it reach the level of a professional natural grass football field.
Although it wasn't too big here, it wouldn't be difficult to renovate it and create a five-a-side football field.
After several months of effort, the lawn was finally usable. When Maël was doing some small technical training, he no longer had to drive to Colney Base, but could practice at his own doorstep.
This was very convenient, greatly reducing travel time and increasing extra training time.
Moreover, training at his doorstep meant he could go inside to rest and replenish energy at any time, which would also increase his enthusiasm for training.
"Not bad."
After arriving on the training ground, José looked at the lawn and sighed, then said, "Why do you suddenly want to practice heading and fancy skills?"
"To be well-rounded," Maël replied simply. After spending so much time together, these coaches had long been accustomed to this aspect of him.
"Fancy skills are my forte."
José picked up a football, starting with zero frames and performing several fancy juggling moves, also making several fancy dribbling moves with extremely high frequency. "Or rather, it's the strength of most Spanish technical coaches.
"On weekdays, when you're playing matches, I often move the ball around in the room, constantly maintaining my footwork."
"But I've mastered some training methods and techniques for headers, it's just that my demonstration might be a bit lacking, I can't jump high."
"It's fine." Maël nodded, as long as he grasped the methods and techniques, he could slowly figure it out by following his rhythm, anyway, the proficiency panel would give him feedback.
As long as he practiced for three or four days, he would be able to find the fastest way to improve.
"Come on."
José took the ball and began to explain, "Any kind of freestyle starts with freestyle juggling, basic moves like atw and akka are must-haves.
"With your current Ball Sense, making these moves is very simple, but freestyle requires stability, it requires a high success rate.
"And you need to gradually increase the success rate after increasing the difficulty based on these basics."
José seemed to have experience with street football, and while speaking, he began to demonstrate the moves, even lying on the ground and dribbling the ball a few times with the soles of his feet.
"Huh?"
Maël looked at his appearance and felt a sense of foreboding, "I won't have to practice those skills of top freestyle football bloggers, will I?"
"No need." José stood up with a smile and joked: "I'm just teasing you, your training demand is freestyle dribbling, to ensure flexible legs and feet, just practice some cool and unexpected abilities.
"Of course, I can't say for sure whether you will have that ability in the end... Everyone knows you master things quickly."
Maël felt a little relieved and followed his movements, officially starting the freestyle dribbling training.
In the process, José carefully stared at his instep, analyzing the reasons for each success and failure, and explaining the techniques.
"Your feet are a little stiff, which shouldn't be the case, your Coordination and Ball Sense are very good.
"You have to get used to a feeling of relaxation... Freestyle football and Samba football are inextricably linked, and Samba is about doing whatever you want, it's about passion and exuberance, it's a kind of football art."
"."
"I must mention the importance of focusing on this process, you have to devote yourself wholeheartedly to have a chance to reach a new realm.
"Proficiency in skills is just skills, if you want to truly master freestyle dribbling, a very important point is to practice your heart... Focus on feeling the football and your body become one, allowing it to go anywhere under your control.
"Every part of your body can touch the ball, not just the instep, the inside of the foot, but also the outside of the foot, knees, shoulders, and any other part of the body.
"You have to combine them, just like forming words and sentences, everyone will have their own style, and so will you."
"."
"Okay, these are some abstract concepts, which I think need to be mastered, you also have to master many basic freestyle dribbling moves, let me teach you some."
"."
When the freestyle training ended and the heading training began, José took out the camera to film, preparing to use the previous comparison method to correct the irrationality of Maël's heading movements.
Of course, he certainly knew some basic knowledge and could give some experience on the spot.
"Tuck your chest and abdomen, use the explosive power of your waist to exert force, use your core to exert force, not your neck, that won't have any power.
"Pay attention to the timing of the jump, as well as the timing and position of touching the ball, which will affect the accuracy of your header shot.
"There's not much to say about these, I think the rest is a matter of going from unfamiliar to skilled... I will send you training observation reports every day, and you can correct your own according to the heading posture of top center forwards."
Maël had been receiving the information from José and training accordingly.
Unfortunately, the first day of training did not produce a proficiency panel, his heading and freestyle abilities should not be at lv1, or not be simply classified as skill-based abilities.
He was not disappointed, as long as he decided to take this first step, he could always slowly improve later.
Opening the proficiency panel, he observed the proficiency improvement of other skills... This month's schedule was tight, plus there was a National Team Match Day, so the skill improvement speed was not fast.
But it was still steadily moving forward, with a lot of gains, after all, it was moving forward.
[Skill: Brutal Shot lv4]
[Proficiency: (241/2000)]
[Skill: Volley lv3]
[Proficiency: (692/800)]
[Skill: Outside of the Foot Curve lv3]
[Proficiency: (678/800)]
Skill: Stamina lv3
Proficiency: (1824/2000)
Skill: Rhythm lv3
Proficiency: (1311/1500)
"They're almost leveled up."
Seeing that four of his skills were approaching the upgrade threshold, a smile appeared on his lips. He could imagine the kind of progress and overall strength he would have in the second half of the season.
These two lv3 shooting skills, lv3 stamina, and lv3 rhythm, once they all reach lv4, he can set them aside.
He can focus more on upgrading his Long Shot lv5, and practicing his fancy Dribbling and Heading, these two new skills!
"I need to add Speed to my physical training as well."
He made this decision for two reasons. First, he wanted to see what kind of strength lv5 Speed would bring. Second, if all the training categories were skill-based, it wouldn't be very reasonable.
Keep it up!
Heading towards becoming a Ball God!
On December 3rd, Arsenal challenged Wigan Athletic away, officially starting the last month of the first half of the season.
Their schedule this month, compared to before, not only didn't decrease, but even increased by one game. This was normal, as the Christmas devil's schedule was about to arrive, and January that followed was also tightly packed.
After playing Wigan today, they will play the last round of the Champions League group stage on the 7th, where they will be guests at Olympiacos's devilish home stadium.
And then.
The 15th round of the Premier League on the 10th against Everton, the 16th round of the Premier League on the 19th against Aston Villa, the 17th round of the Premier League on the 22nd against Manchester City, the 18th round of the Premier League on the 27th against Wolves, and the 19th round of the Premier League on the 31st against Sheffield United.
These are five consecutive Premier League games! Arsenal will complete the first cycle of this season's Premier League and end the first half of the season.
It can be said that this month is crucial. Whether they can stabilize their ranking in the standings during such a dense schedule is the key to whether they can compete for the championship at the end of the season! Countless teams in history have fallen out of the championship race in this month, even if they had previously maintained a significant advantage.
And everything starts with this game against Wigan Athletic at the beginning of the month.
"Bip!"
In this game, Maël watched from the bench. In the EFL Cup game against Manchester City, he, Arteta, and Koscielny were the only three starters who played the entire game.
The other starters got a good rest and can play in this game in full condition.
Since they already had good combat power, and the opponent was Wigan Athletic, who were at the bottom of the standings, Wenger let him and the other two who played the entire game rest, to conserve their energy for the devilish five-game streak in the second half of the month.
The game progressed particularly smoothly, with Arsenal taking the absolute initiative from the start.
In the first twenty minutes, they created two excellent opportunities, but Walcott failed to seize them. He can be a bit erratic at times.
In the 28th minute, Alexandre Song received a pass from Vermaelen and charged all the way forward, finally unleashing a Long Shot in front of the penalty area, breaking Wigan's goal.
One to zero!
As soon as Wigan Athletic kicked off, Vermaelen, who had just completed the assist, made a preemptive interception and drove straight in, even dribbling past four players, and finally pushed a shot into the far corner of the goal.
Two to zero! Consecutive goals!
A center-back's solo effort!
Vermaelen's reputation as a goal-scoring defender cannot be shaken off. After scoring, he made a violin-playing gesture, echoing Maël from afar.
"Hat-trick!"
Maël gave him a thumbs up in a teasing manner, encouraging him to aim for a Hat-trick, causing a burst of laughter on the bench, "Haha..."
A center-back scoring a Hat-trick, they had never seen it before, it was too difficult.
The first half of the game ended like this. In the second half, Wenger brought on Chamberlain and Frimpong, letting the rotation players experience the Premier League.
In the 61st minute, Gervinho received a pass from Van Persie and broke into the penalty area, using a powerful shot into the near corner to help Arsenal seal the victory.
Three to zero! More than ten minutes later, Walcott assisted Van Persie in scoring a goal, setting the score at four to zero.
This was also the final score, Arsenal winning a big victory. When facing lower-ranked teams, they should show this kind of performance.
"Pa pa pa!"
After the match, Maël stood up and applauded; it was truly a fantastic goal-fest.
He saw his reassuring teammates, which was important in a congested schedule. Only with a strong overall team strength could they have a better chance of competing for team honors.
This might be the strongest Arsenal since their peak. He had to seize the opportunity and become a club legend here!
"I was afraid of variables, so I brought you along."
Wenger came to his side after the match, a smile on his face. "I didn't expect it to go so smoothly. It seems like you came for nothing."
"It's okay. Starting from December 4th, you can rest until December 10th. You won't be included in the squad list for the next Champions League away game."
"Prepare well and help us win those five games at the end of the month to stabilize our position at the top of the league table."
"You are a player I can rely on now. With your good physical condition, I feel more confident in what I do."
Maël gave him a high-five and a hug, nodding in agreement. He took a deep breath, feeling a bit of pressure.
On December 5th, Mendes arrived in London with representatives from two foreign brands, meeting with Maël at a high-end restaurant.
The Mengniu deal fell through. After learning that Agüero's offer was only £800,000 a year, they considered it a cost-effective choice and ultimately signed the Argentinian.
After that, they didn't want to find another endorsement in the Premier League with overlapping functions. If they had greater exposure pursuits, they would choose from the top players in the Ballon d'Or rankings.
However, another Chinese brand joined the pursuit of Maël, and ultimately succeeded in gaining Mendes' favor.
"This is Fan Linli, the signing manager of Tsingtao Beer."
Mendes led Maël into the private room, raising his hand to introduce, "That's Jason, the spokesperson for Lay's Chips."
"They are all prepared for filming in London. If you have time, you can complete the shooting in the next day or two."
Maël walked in, nodded to them, and sat down in his seat.
Before coming, he already knew the endorsement fees and terms of the two companies. Tsingtao Beer offered £1.4 million per year for 3 years, while Lay's Chips offered £1.5 million per year for 2 years.
The specific bonus clauses were very similar to Puma's in terms of weight and amount, but due to brand characteristics, they would not set up generous terms such as Superimposed Bonus and Tiered Bonus.
This was already very good. Two non-sports brands, one offering £4.2 million and the other offering £3 million, proved their trust in Maël's value.
"Happy cooperation."
"Go! Little star!"
The contracts were quickly signed. The four of them walked out of the restaurant together, and after agreeing to start filming tomorrow, they parted ways on the roadside.
Maël took out his phone and started calculating. After deducting Mendes' 15% commission and 40% tax, he could get £1.479 million in endorsement fees from these two companies each year.
If you add Puma, that's £1.9125 million, close to £2 million.
Very good, this was close to his salary, and that didn't even include bonuses.
"Are you calculating money?"
Mendes saw his expression and guessed what he was doing, smiling, "I've already calculated it for you. Just ask me."
"It's okay, I've already calculated it." Maël put down his phone. "I have to thank Mr. Mendes for this income."
Mendes shook his head and waved his hand, "It's just mutual help. I've also gained a lot from you. In any case, this is all money you've earned on the field."
"Only when your performance is good and your value is high can I play a role. You are always the main driver."
The two walked aimlessly along the road. Since Maël joined Arsenal, they rarely took walks together like this.
They were clearly important partners and good friends, but they rarely chatted, always meeting and leaving in a hurry.
Winter in London was already a bit cold. One of them was wearing a Puma cotton jacket, and the other was wearing a suit coat. From a distance, they looked more like a family taking a walk.
"These are the two before the Golden Boy Award."
Mendes looked at the ground, rubbing his hands, "After the Golden Boy Award, there should be more coming one after another. In short, high-profile stars have many endorsements. Some people even have dozens of endorsements."
"But you should understand that these are just small money. The big money is in Puma, in the bonus clauses."
He revealed a cunning look, "For example, if you are confirmed to win the upcoming Golden Boy Award, you will immediately receive a bonus of £2.6 million."
"Puma £1 million, the two companies that just signed, £800,000 each. After deducting taxes and fees, you will have about £1.33 million in hand."
Mendes looked up at Maël and said, "Your savings are almost £5 million, right?"
"Not yet."
Maël shook his head, calculating, "I spent a lot on equipment before, plus investments in the newspaper and other expenses. After these two endorsement fees come in, I'll have about £3 million in my pocket."
"If I win the Golden Boy Award, it'll only be around £4.5 million, which is still far from enough."
"That's already very good." Mendes looked at Maël, his eyes full of envy. "When I was your age, I didn't even have £10,000 in my pocket."
"Not to mention, the money you've invested isn't gone; it's still part of your assets."
Speaking of this, he couldn't help but sigh, "Looking back, investing in Instagram was such a great deal; it's almost increased tenfold, right? I wish I had invested some back then, but I'm always hesitant about industries I don't understand, haha."
He breathed on his hand and then put his arm around Maël's shoulder. "By any calculation, your assets are now over £20 million. What are you planning to do with all this money in the future?"
This was indeed a good question Maël had never considered before. He looked up and thought.
First, he analyzed what money meant to him.
He liked money, he liked making money, that was for sure. He couldn't say that money had no meaning to him; it was very meaningful.
It was a reflection of his social value, and with money, he could do more things and satisfy most of his needs.
But when his money was enough to satisfy all his life's desires, enough to buy private jets, yachts, and other big boy toys, enough for him to squander for a lifetime, what would he use his money for?
"Definitely do something I want to do."
He was sure of that. He wouldn't just keep investing; that wasn't his interest. And what he wanted to do was nothing more than the industry he was currently in—football! His love for sports was extraordinary; it was a field that could bring extreme pleasure, and his spiritual world was always full here.
So, he would probably do what he had jokingly said before: buy a football team to play with, right? Then slowly extend his reach to other sports, building a sports empire. Flying around every week to watch his team's games, experiencing the joy of management and development, as well as the passion of various sports competitions? He didn't know; the future was uncertain, so he could only think about it for now.
"I want to buy a team."
Maël told him his idea, joking, "If there are any good lower-level teams, Mr. Mendes can let me know and keep an eye out for me."
"Ah?" Mendes turned his head, his eyebrows raised. "Are you serious?"
"Kind of, but not now."
Maël smiled as he looked ahead, walking uphill. "I love football. When I've won all the honors as a player, if I don't want to play anymore, being a team owner wouldn't be bad either."
"Maybe I can even serve as the coach or even a player again? Haha, just think of it as a fantasy."
"But that's too far off. I should focus on playing well in the current Premier League season. Sometimes planning too far ahead isn't a good thing."
Mendes stared at Maël for a while, realizing he wasn't joking, before turning his head away. "That's a good idea. Although no one has ever done it, I will support you."
"Many lower-level teams aren't that expensive. If you can bring Arsenal's operating system back, find some scouts who can spot 'future stars,' it could be very promising."
"I always have a list of teams from investment banks. Like you said, when you don't feel like playing anymore, or you want to be your own boss, haha, forgive me, that's indeed a bit outrageous."
"Anyway, whatever you decide, you can come to me, and I'll help you get in touch."
Maël nodded and chatted with him about other things for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, he prepared to go back. "See you tomorrow. I hope I can win the Golden Boy Award smoothly at the end of this month."
He was still focused on the player aspect; everything here still held a strong attraction for him.
He hoped his Grand Slam career would start with the Golden Boy Award at the end of this month, and accelerate from there!
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