"June 9th, after the Ball Control ability and additional skills emerged, let's sort out the training plan.
"Currently, the physical skills being trained are: Strength, Coordination; the technical skills are: Ball Stopping, Weak Foot, Ball Control, the latter two being mental-type technical skills, and there's also a characteristic skill attached to Ball Control.
"Ball Stopping training will have to wait for the private coach to arrive, but the others can be practiced first. Keep up the effort!"
"."
"June 11th, frequency-related training was conducted at the training ground and gym in the morning and afternoon, respectively. The effect was pretty good, probably because my basic Coordination and Strength are decent, providing a foundation for practicing this ability.
"But I feel that my training method is definitely not the most optimal, reasonable, or fastest way to improve. This requires professional knowledge, so I'll probably still need the help of a private coach!
"I must choose two good private coaches to accelerate my skill proficiency improvement in the future!"
"."
"June 14th, half of the vacation is almost over, time flies so fast. Many abilities have improved nicely. I'm really looking forward to performing in the Premier League next year.
"The dream of driving luxury cars and living in a mansion in London has already been achieved, so let's see if I can become a football star in this football city!
"Actually, my influence isn't small now. I often get recognized when strolling around London. I hope that one day I can turn this international metropolis into a city like Sheffield City, making the Gunner fans go wild for me and making other Premier League teams tremble."
"June 17th, training intensity has increased, and physiotherapy massages have also increased to three times a day. I must seize this period of improvement!"
"After a few days of training, I can feel that the lv1 level of the additional skill should be body reaction speed, which came out during the previous 'Ball Sense' practice. Frequency is lv2, so what will lv3 be? "Is it as written on the 'Additional Skill' panel, possessing Ball Control rhythm? At that time, I will definitely have some Ball Control dribbling ability, right?"
"."
June 20th, evening.
Maël finished his training for the day in the gym of his own mansion, bringing up all the abilities he had focused on practicing during this period to observe the increase in the skill proficiency panel.
[Skill: Strong lv3]
[Proficiency: (1382/2000)]
[Skill: Flexibility lv3]
[Proficiency: (927/2000)]
[Skill: Power Side Foot lv3]
[Proficiency: (672/2000)]
First are the three lv3 abilities that have been constantly practiced. Their improvement speed is still very good, and Strong is very close to breaking through.
Maël has also noticed during this period that his core strength and small muscle group strength have improved very significantly, and his size is also slowly increasing.
"Adama Traore is coming."
He likes to use this Wolves forward as an example, mainly because the impression he left during his peak was too profound.
Moreover, Maël often imagines what an Adama Traore with shooting, passing, and Ball Control abilities would be like? That will be his appearance in the Premier League next season, able to easily cope with both positional warfare and counterattacks!
[Skill: Ball Sense lv2]
[Proficiency: (721/800)]
[Additional Skill: Frequency lv2]
[Proficiency: (429/1500)]
Maël looked at the proficiency of the two 'Ball Control' abilities again and found that the increase was okay.
Ball Sense should be about to usher in a breakthrough to lv3. It is not enough to only train this skill to lv3, it must directly launch an impact towards lv4!
At that time, with Ball Sense lv4, and the additional skill trained to lv4, his Dribbling Skill level will definitely have no gap with passing and shooting.
June 22nd, Maël received two private football coaches at his mansion. These were the two he had finalized with Mendes over the phone.
"José."
A lithe middle-aged man extended his hand to him first. He was wearing sportswear and looked very energetic. "I used to work as a technical ability coach in the La Masia youth training camp's 93-94 team, and continued until I left the youth training camp 2 years ago.
"After that, I studied at the German Sport University Cologne for 1 year, during which I received invitations from more than a dozen top youth training camps."
José is Spanish, but his English has no Spanish accent. "But I didn't go. I always felt that I couldn't provide technical guidance to more than twenty young people at the same time. That's inefficient.
"I only want to coach a few of the best young players, or provide technical guidance to supernovas, using my professional knowledge to help them grow into superstars.
"When Mendes contacted me, he sent me a copy of your various data. After reading it, I felt that the opportunity I had been waiting for had finally arrived. It was time to go to London."
José sat on the sofa, and Safina quickly brought him a plate of dried fruit and coffee. He nodded to her in acknowledgment, his attention still on Maël.
"Nice to meet you."
Maël shook hands with him. The Spaniard had worked in La Masia's youth academy and had advanced studies at a top sports university. It sounded like he was stacked with 'technical training' buffs.
Without hesitation, he had reviewed the training plan and philosophy this man had sent him and was certain that he was the right private technical coach for him.
"Davis."
Next to him, an old man with graying temples but a very sturdy build extended his hand. Even without an introduction, his contrasting appearance made it easy to believe that he was an expert in physical training.
A bit like Pintus from Real Madrid.
You could tell from his sturdy physique that he had some skill in this area, and seeing his graying temples, you would definitely believe that he was experienced and strict with himself.
"Former fitness coach of Boavista, a team in the Portuguese Premier League... now retired."
Davis was Portuguese, a compatriot of Mr. Mendes. He shrugged and said, "But I couldn't resist Mr. Mendes' repeated invitations. He said there was an amazing player here, and following him, you will gain all the honors."
"I asked him, is it the new Ronaldo? He replied yes, but not Portuguese."
"I said if I could serve such a player, I wouldn't care if he was from our country or not. I just want to accomplish something before I say goodbye to the world."
"Haha..." The three laughed together, gradually getting to know each other. The first impression was pretty good.
"Are you two willing to live here?"
Maël already knew about them and had no doubts. He just wanted to settle things quickly. "As you can see, it's very big here. My physical therapist and nutritionist live on the first floor."
"I'm very willing," Davis replied first. His wife was a few years older than him and had passed away the year before. His children were already working.
When people get old, they get lonely staying at home alone. It's nice to come out to work and be with colleagues.
"I can too."
José smiled and introduced himself, "My wife is a full-time housewife, taking care of three children at home. They probably just need me to send money back, haha."
"Of course, when you are in the busiest phase of the season, I will definitely be free. After formulating a daily training plan, I may have to go back to Spain to see the children from time to time."
"No problem." Maël nodded and said to the two, "After completing your work, you can go home at any time. Just let me know in advance."
Next, the three discussed salary issues. Mendes had already given Maël a reference in this regard, so the negotiation went smoothly.
In the end, the two joined Maël's team with a weekly salary of 4,000 pounds!
Back in his room, Maël did a quick calculation. He now needed to pay his team 14,000 pounds a week, which was a relatively high amount.
In the past, this was a number he could never have imagined. He used to worry about a few hundred pounds for shoes... It could only be said that the growth was too rapid.
"Quickly raise my salary, quickly start the season!"
He felt a sense of urgency in his heart. After the salary increase, his fixed income would be much higher, and there would be generous bonus clauses after the season started.
At that time, the pressure on him to support the team would be much less.
He wouldn't have any thoughts of reducing investment in this area. He understood that only by increasing his speed of improvement, becoming stronger, and increasing his abilities would his value rise.
The current investment would return to him in the best possible way in the future.
The next day, the two private coaches officially started their jobs. After reviewing Maël's training schedule, they began to formulate a detailed training plan.
Maël also participated a lot in this process, even to the point of directly intervening.
He clearly told José that, apart from his Weak Foot, Ball Control, and foot speed, he had no intention of practicing other technical skills at the moment.
He also clearly told Davis that he was currently mainly practicing physical Strength and Coordination, including some physical training needed to improve his foot speed.
Other than that, nothing else.
Both expressed incomprehension. Logically, wasn't it their job to develop a comprehensive training outline based on the player's current situation? How did Maël do it for them?
However, since they had just started their jobs, they didn't want to say anything to the new boss. The two still wrote down the training plan according to Maël's outline.
Special training began.
"Vomos!!"
"Ole! Ole!"
Maël bid farewell to his solitary training days, now spending his time either with Jose on the training field or with Davis in the gym.
He entered a more professional and healthier training environment, leading to a significant boost in his improvement rate.
"Ball Control training should incorporate cone drills; there are at least a hundred similar combination drills, but the most important thing is your own focus and a training attitude that 'pursues maximum speed and rate.'"
"You're doing very well in this regard, barely needing me to remind or urge you, which may be related to your long-term habit of extra training and your demands on yourself."
"Keep it up, Maël! You can definitely improve your Ball Control significantly before the season!"
...
"The rate of your footwork is related to the strength of your thighs and your ability to react to counter-traction. I've noticed that your leg strength and Coordination are very strong, so your foundation should be excellent. Now it's just about adaptation training."
"Your muscles are a bit strange. Usually, everyone has some weaknesses, but I haven't found any obvious ones in you."
"It's more like you've pushed everything to an ideal, perfect state through long-term training, which is what all athletes are striving for, especially top athletes."
...
With their wholehearted help, on June 25th, Maël's Ball Control ability broke through from lv2 to lv3.
[Skill: Adhesion]
[Proficiency: (1/800)]
[Effect: After mastering the Unloading Force skill, you didn't give up on training your Ball Control ability. You still strive for higher breakthroughs, and you slowly discover that you can easily stick the ball to your feet!]
"Marcelo?"
Maël quickly recalled a few moments of Marcelo, the Real Madrid full-back, where no matter how fast or how wildly the ball was passed to him, he could easily trap it on his foot.
It was as if his instep was covered in super glue, directly sticking the incoming ball to it.
"I still need to practice this."
Maël didn't plan to give up on Ball Control training. Although Adhesion was already an exquisite Ball Control skill, he still needed to be stronger.
In fast-paced, high-level leagues, defenders close in quickly. Simply sticking the ball to your feet only buys you some time to deal with the ball.
What if you could start moving the moment you trap the ball, directly bypassing the defender, or directly create an angle to shoot? Like Bergkamp's famous turn, using the instep to flick the ball up, arcing it over the defender and back to his own feet, directly pushing a shot into the far corner to score!
He didn't expect to be able to consistently perform that kind of move, but he still needed the ability to turn with a single touch in ordinary situations, or to break free and start moving directly when receiving a high ball.
Maël could actually do it occasionally now, but it wasn't consistent. He wanted to be more consistent!
"Oh!" During training the next day, Jose exclaimed after witnessing Maël's significantly improved Ball Control skills, "Maël! You've mastered it too quickly. Your body is definitely not fully developed yet, and you're improving rapidly with practice."
Maël smiled faintly, not saying anything. There would be more of this kind of thing in the future; this was just the beginning.
On June 27th, 'Ball Sense,' which was already on the verge of breaking through, finally did.
[Skill: Ball Control lv3]
[Proficiency: (1/2000)]
[Effect: After becoming familiar with the football, you have gradually mastered the skills to control the football, your feet have become very flexible, and you have the ability to steadily control the ball!]
Ball Control skills had arrived too!
Maël dribbled the football and launched an attack towards the mannequin. This time, his attack was very fast, and he was constantly making changes in direction.
He used both Bicycle Kick and step-over feints, occasionally flicking and pulling the ball.
"Pa!" After performing two Bicycle Kick dribbles, he suddenly changed direction to the right, followed by a Curved Shot towards the goal, which blasted into the far corner.
Feeling his feet and reviewing the technical movements he just made, Maël did indeed find that his ability to control the football had greatly improved.
Moreover, he was absolutely certain that this ability could be combined with Dribbling Skill to unleash even greater power!
"In other words, this Ball Control, with its attached skills, is a bit of an all-around buff."
Maël's mind became clearer. Ball Control should be a comprehensive improvement in Dribbling Skill, and the attached skills are the improvement of linked additional characteristics.
As for Bicycle Kick and step-over feints, these are more like breakthrough skills that can be used better with this ability, and the same goes for Marseille Turn and Elastico.
Keep practicing, and sooner or later, he'd grind out an all-around monster!
...
Time slowly entered July, and the transfer frenzy in European football gradually began. Various transfer news flew around, stirring up wave after wave of enthusiasm among the fans.
Of course, some are happy while others are sad. This season's transfer window must be a very painful one for Arsenal fans.
After Fabregas had a conflict with two young players in the team, he flew to Barcelona that night, and his transfer officially entered the process at that moment.
"July 2nd, Fabregas is expected to complete his transfer from Arsenal to Barcelona within 48 hours. The player's current Transfermarkt value is 50 million euros, and Arsenal is asking for 40 million euros!" - The Guardian
"July 3rd, according to reports, Barcelona is only willing to pay 34 million euros for the transfer of Fabregas. The Spanish midfielder may consider paying 5 million euros out of his own pocket to complete the transfer in a 34 million + 5 million manner!" - The Sun
"Arsenal loses another general? Nasri, once a young player, is now a popular star showing superstar potential. Manchester City has offered him a generous contract of £185,000 weekly salary." - France Football
"Chelsea and Manchester United want to launch a final assault to sign Maël? Abramovich's offer seems to have exceeded Manchester City's offer to Nasri. Is such a high price for a young player under the age of 17 a bit of a gamble?" - London Evening Standard
Various transfer news emerged one after another, and undercurrents surged between major clubs, as a transfer storm gradually arrived.
On the evening of July 4th, Wenger completed the final confirmation and various procedures for Fabregas's transfer to Barcelona at the Colney Training Base.
Thus, Fabregas confirmed his departure. This player, on whom he and Arsenal had spent eight years of effort, ultimately brought the club a transfer fee of 39 million euros.
At the subsequent press conference, Wenger left a classic quote: "I train a player for eight years, not to sell him."
It wasn't that he didn't have the ambition to pursue championships, nor was he just running around to pay off the club's debts, selling players to raise money just to plug the holes.
That was not his intention; many times he was just forced to make this choice.
After returning from the press conference, he was busy contacting Manchester City again, as the negotiations with Nasri had reached the final stage.
"Do not accept an offer lower than 28 million."
He expressed his meaning to Philip, asking him to contact Manchester City.
After a while, Philip returned, with hesitation and complexity revealed on his face. "They made a final offer of 27.5 million euros, and the player also called the club, saying he would go on strike until the end if he couldn't leave."
Wenger lit a cigarette with a 'click', hesitated in place for a long time, and finally chose to swallow his bitterness, pursing his lips and fulfilling their wishes, saying: "Agree to them."
Philip ran out again to contact Manchester City, and after returning the second time, he had many faxes in his hand.
There was no way around it; during the critical period of transfers, the club was very busy, which was unavoidable.
"There are two offers for Maël."
Philip placed the faxes in front of Wenger, clenching his fists and worriedly saying, "There are also seven or eight inquiry faxes, hoping that the club can communicate and talk with them about Maël's transfer."
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