May 23rd, morning.
A sunny day, Maël and Gilbert went to the team to report, in a good mood.
As they walked to the entrance of the Colney Training Base, perhaps many Arsenal fans had heard the news in advance and made a special trip to welcome them.
The number wasn't large, only about a hundred people, but when they gathered at the narrow entrance of the base, it still seemed like quite a scene.
Some had prepared posters of the two from their time at Sheffield United, others held up Arsenal jerseys, and still others had blank sheets of paper waiting for autographs.
"Maël! I've been following you since the 7th round of the EFL Championship, you played very well, good luck next season!"
"Gilbert, a kid who grew up in the youth academy, I've seen your U15 matches!"
"Good luck, we're waiting for you to become Premier League stars!"
"You are the future of Arsenal!"
"Save the team!"
Maël smiled as he walked towards them, taking photos with the fans who wanted them one by one. This second return home was different from the first.
Whether it was the achievements and honors he had, or the scale of the reception, things had changed! He didn't yet dare to hope for joining a team with a special signing ceremony inside the stadium, attracting tens of thousands of people to welcome him.
But having dozens of fans come specifically to see him already gave him a feeling of joy.
He had left unnoticed, but now he was returning with the club's fans aware of his existence and looking forward to his future journey at Arsenal!
Maël could feel himself moving forward step by step, climbing another level every so often.
One day, he would make the Arsenal fans go crazy for him, make all of London go crazy for him! "See you at the Emirates Stadium."
Parting with the fans, Maël waved goodbye to them, promising to meet again.
He and Gilbert walked through the gates of the Colney Base, where a new group of people were waiting to welcome them.
Hans once again led the U18 players standing there, still with his wife, and still with younger children coming to admire them.
It seemed as if everything was the same as last time, only Maël and Gilbert's identities were different from before.
This time, they came with the title of EFL Championship champions, breaking the record with 103 points! One was also the league's best player, top scorer, and Assists Leader, shattering countless records! "The champions are back!"
Hans opened his arms towards Maël. This time, he first talked about the shoes, "My shoes are going to appreciate in value again. I really don't know how much these shoes, which you personally wrote 'represent your beginning,' will be worth in the future."
"Sell them for 10,000 Pounds?"
Maël was also happy to see him. The two had met in the Fulham area of London a while ago, but hadn't had time to sit down together.
"Not selling." Hans refused decisively. He smiled and pulled his wife next to him, asking her to tell Maël what was on his mind.
"Hans asked me to invite you."
Hans' wife was a little nervous, but still smiled and said, "He's always wanted to invite you to his house for dinner. Last time you said you'd come when you got back, he's been talking about it for months."
"I remember." Maël nodded, he did remember this, "After I get settled here, I'll definitely find time to go."
"Good!"
Hans came up and shook Maël's hand, looking very happy. He squeezed it tightly, afraid Maël would run away.
"Good to see you again."
After shaking hands, Maël came to his old U18 teammates and greeted them.
Seeing them easily brought back memories of the Colney Training Base, the laughter in the gym, the reluctance at parting, and the funny story of signing two contracts on the same day.
Back then, earning a Weekly Salary of 800 Pounds made him happy, and earning a Weekly Salary of 2500 Pounds felt like taking off.
Including when he came back to sign a salary increase contract, these teammates imitated the way they waved and shouted to him before he left the first time, encouraging him to bring them surprises like he did the first time.
It could be said that he did it.
He also achieved his goal, returning here in the best possible way! "Congratulations!"
"We are proud of you."
"We'll go to the Emirates Stadium to watch you play in the second half of the year, haha... We must see you score a goal there!"
The U18 players came up to congratulate him. As the gap between them widened, they gradually stopped considering Maël as one of their 'youth players,' and the complex emotions naturally dissipated.
Now, when they looked at Maël, it was with pure admiration and respect, and a bit of pride.
"Thank you, I definitely will."
Maël hugged them one by one, and looking at them, he could feel how much he had progressed this year, with major changes happening every few months.
"Here they come, here they come..."
Beside the U18 players, a group of children were craning their necks, like U8-U10 players, curious but afraid to come forward.
"Ah!"
"Maël!"
Maël walked over and patted their heads, and the group of them shrieked excitedly, with many children running around in circles.
Looking at these happy young players, thinking about their limitless future, he felt a wave of joy.
Was it because he was in a good mood today? He didn't think about it anymore. After saying goodbye to these people, he headed to the First Team head coach's office.
Soon after, Maël pushed open Wenger's office door first, with Gilbert waiting outside.
"Finally back."
Wenger and a group of assistant coaches saw him come in, stood up from their seats, and clapped their hands with smiles, welcoming his arrival.
Returning from loan at the end of the season, there would definitely be no special press conference, mostly just a simple welcome from the coaching staff, followed by a simple ceremony before gathering the players for training.
"I never said..."
Wenger looked at Maël, somewhat emotional, and spoke of what he hadn't said during their last meeting: "Actually, I never thought that the player who used to spend all day on the training ground, who seemed to have rather mediocre conditions in all aspects, would one day return to me like this.
"Maël, your rate of improvement is incredible."
The season had ended, and he had shed some of the pressure and fatigue. After a pause, he added with a smile, "Your appearance is too. I didn't do anything, but I got such a talented young man for nothing.
"Sometimes I really think, were you sent by God to save me?"
"Haha..." Philip and the others shook their heads and laughed. This side of Wenger was not usually seen; he was always very serious and didn't talk much.
"40 goals, 27 assists."
First Assistant Coach Philip read out Maël's EFL Championship stats and laughed, "Not even half of that. If you can produce a third of those EFL Championship stats in a single Premier League season, you'll be top-tier."
"Don't say that, Philip." An assistant coach interrupted him, reminding him, "The player just came back and is not even 18 yet. Don't put so much pressure on him."
"No, no, no."
Another assistant coach felt that this assistant coach was wrong and shook his head, saying, "Maël is definitely not someone who fears pressure. I believe he can perform well in the Premier League. We often play against EFL Championship teams in cup matches and know the level there."
"Yes." An assistant coach echoed, "I believe he will reach a top level sooner or later!"
Everyone encouraged and praised him, and the scene instantly became lively.
Maël met the Arsenal First Team coaching staff for the first time, roughly memorizing everyone's faces.
"Alright."
Wenger stood up at this moment and walked to the tactical board. "Attend the club's morning training session at 9:30. There will be a welcome ceremony for you then.
"Before that, I have an idea I want to discuss with you."
Maël came to the tactical board and stood with the assistant coaches, listening attentively.
"I want to talk to you about Van Persie first."
Wenger chose an angle that Maël hadn't expected. He picked up a piece representing a forward in the 4-4-2 formation on the tactical board. "His finishing ability is first-class, and his physical ability is also good. People mostly regard him as a pure Dutch traditional center forward.
"But everyone has forgotten that he was actually famous for his delicate ball control skills when he debuted. His dribbling and passing are also first-class."
Maël nodded slightly, still not understanding what Wenger wanted to tell him.
"It's just that after Henry left, his position became more and more forward, gradually becoming a finisher in front of the goal."
Wenger pushed the piece representing Van Persie to the front of the goal and continued, "And we couldn't find someone to replace him, so we kept him in this position.
"What I want to say is that he performs well in this position, not because he is best suited for this position, but because he is top-tier himself."
Wenger got to the point, his eyes filled with the fervor of a high-stakes gamble, "I want him to drop back, play in the Bergkamp role, the number 9.5 position. I've always felt that's the most suitable position for him."
"And I want to move you up to the original center forward position, changing your original role."
He said this very seriously, without hesitation, "Not just a finisher, not just a breakthrough player, not just a speed-type center forward, I want to develop you into... an all-around center forward!"
Maël finally understood what Wenger meant by saying so much. His heart trembled. He had never thought about changing positions before.
An all-around center forward?
Several figures quickly flashed through his mind: Ronaldo, Shevchenko, Lewandowski, Harry Kane... He's going to play that position? Maybe, it's possible.
If he could really have a good synergy with Van Persie in that position, the attacking line they formed would definitely be extremely lethal!
"Wenger just used Bergkamp to talk about Van Persie, and the meaning is actually very clear."
Philip then took over, drawing a parallel, "We need a new Henry, and you are the young player we've seen in recent years who is most likely to reach that level."
"A new Henry?"
Wenger was afraid that saying this would make Maël uncomfortable, so he smiled and said, "No, what we need is a top all-around center forward, maybe it's Henry, maybe it's Maël."
"Of course, this is just a plan. Whether it's feasible and whether it can appear in next season's Premier League will depend on us learning more about you and observing your performance in every training session at Arsenal."
"I understand." Maël nodded. He couldn't make a decision on this matter, so he'd leave it to the more professional coaching staff to evaluate.
He should focus on showing his characteristics in training and get a starting position first.
Whether he's placed on the wing or as a center forward, he'll do his job well and strive to contribute to the team!
"Prepare for a training match."
Wenger finally came forward, patted Maël on the shoulder, and said with a smile after a few seconds, "I hope you can do it, good luck."
...
At half past nine, Maël and Gilbert followed Wenger, heading to the First Team training ground, where a welcoming ceremony awaited them.
For the two of them, it was a place completely different from any training ground they had been to before!
Although they had been at the Colney Training Base for a long time, they had never set foot on that pitch, only watching from afar when there were no First Team training sessions.
Countless legendary superstars had emerged from there, witnessing countless inspirational stories, and many classic moments had been born.
Tony Adams, Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Vieira, Ljungberg, and other club legends had all left their footprints on that field.
Even looking at the present, there were several of the best players in European football.
And they would meet these players today and become teammates!
"Van Persie."
Gilbert saw the figure of his idol from afar. He grinned, then turned his head to look at the other stars with admiration.
Arshavin, Walcott, Ramsey, Nasri, Alexandre Song, and so on. Most of the people here were people he had been watching on TV every week for a long time.
Shifting his gaze, he saw Diaby, Wilshere, Koscielny, Fabregas?
Wait, Fabregas?
"Didn't he go on strike?" Gilbert turned to ask Maël, looking confused.
"I don't know what's going on."
Maël shook his head, not caring too much. He was still immersed in excitement, thinking that he was about to enter a top team, and his breathing was a little rapid.
A new journey was about to begin, and he was about to officially become a member of Arsenal.
"Clap clap clap!" Applause rang out. The Arsenal First Team members, who were standing in a circle, applauded for the two with smiles or indifferent expressions. They had experienced many such moments.
"Maël, Gilbert."
Wenger brought the two to these players. He saw Fabregas, but he didn't want to ruin the mood on this day that should have been happy, so he pretended not to see him.
I hope you don't cause trouble... Wenger snorted in anger, adjusted his state, and smiled again, "I don't think I need to introduce them any further."
The players didn't speak. As well-known figures in European football, they were a little proud and wouldn't take the initiative to talk before the ice was broken.
This was a common situation. The assistant coach quickly arranged a small ice-breaking game, asking the older players to line up in two rows, leaving an empty space in the middle, and then letting the new players run through it.
During the process, the older players could pat the slower new players. Of course, it was understood that they couldn't hit too hard, it was just for fun.
As all the Arsenal players lined up, smiling faintly as they waited for the two new players to pass through, Fabregas walked to the side of the training ground, found a step, and sat down, showing no intention of participating.
That was fine, too. Gilbert was the first to go up, looking at the familiar faces on both sides, and rushed over with a smile.
"Bang! Pow pow! Bang!"
A series of slaps and punches landed on his back and arms, none of them too hard. At this moment, laughter finally appeared on the training ground, "Haha...!"
When it was Maël's turn, he originally wanted to sprint a long distance to pass through as quickly as possible, but he didn't expect the gap they left to be too small, not enough for him to use his full speed. He could only bend over and run through as quickly as possible.
He also took a few hits, but didn't feel much. The older players were relatively gentle.
"Wilshere."
Wilshere was the first to greet him. As a well-known talented player in the team, he was only a little over a year older than the two of them.
Maël gave him a high-five, then saw Alexandre Song and others come up, introduced themselves, and gained a preliminary understanding.
When Van Persie came up, thinking that this might be his future partner, Maël carefully observed him. The Dutch striker was quite handsome, standing out among the Arsenal players.
"Van Persie."
Van Persie had a faint smile on his face, neither warm nor cold: "Happy cooperation in the future."
He just said a normal platitude, but it aroused Maël's imagination. He reached out and gave him a high-five, saying, "Happy cooperation in the future."
ps: I'll try to post another 4k chapter before going to bed, please vote for me.
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