Becoming a football god from Arsenal

Chapter 193 Let's go ride the London Eye! Negotiations for the acquisition of ins! Streamlining the front line! Champions League record!

February 2, inside the mansion.

"Time flies so fast."

After Maher finished speed training with Davis, he went to the schedule and took a pen to cross out the first three games of the month.

There are only 7 games left in this month's 4 games, and the championship battle at the end of the month is very close.

He looked at the words "England League Cup Final" and the "Wembley" stadium written on the field, and couldn't help feeling nervous and excited.

This is his first championship battle in a first-tier competition and also his first championship battle in a cup competition!

As long as he wins the League Cup, he will have a guaranteed major honor in his debut season in the top league.

If we can lift the Premier League trophy at the end of the season, it will be the double champion!

This is definitely a very dazzling start, a loud shot announcing his arrival to the world of football, and also symbolizing that he has officially joined the competition for "the best"!

Even though we have come this far, to the final critical stage.

There will be no word of retreat in Maher's dictionary. He will continue to keep calm, strive to overcome all difficulties he encounters, and finally complete his idea.

"I have an idea."

On the side, Davis looked at the flickering fire of desire in Maher's eyes and chuckled, "Is it because you played so well in your debut season in the Championship when you were 17 years old, and you want to keep doing so well in the future?

"Will we continue on this path that has already set the tone of 'unusual' and no longer accept mediocrity?"

Mahel nodded and turned to walk towards the living room, "You could say that."

"Isn't this putting too much pressure on yourself?" Davis followed him and continued, "This means you have to perform better and get more every season than last season.

"Almost no player can do this. The state of top superstars is also constantly fluctuating, but it is more stable than that of ordinary players."

Maher came to the living room and sat on the sofa, smiling slightly, "You are right, but I am obviously still in the rising stage, this is far from my limit.

"As long as I keep training, make myself better every day than the day before, and keep improving and growing, I will be able to offset the ups and downs."

He closed one eye, and started to move his right index finger upward from a point in front of him. "By then, even if there will be ups and downs between the months, overall, I will remain upward.

“这一点从我的身价涨幅就能看到，8m-20m-30m-45m-70m。

“Maybe between updates, I’ll experience ups and downs, but I’ll never stop climbing.”

He talked a lot today. The sense of achievement from the continuous accumulation of positive feedback from various lines gave him confidence and made him feel happy.

Sometimes people suddenly feel full of energy and the urge to talk, and feel that everything is getting better.

"You're very confident." Davis looked at Maher and smiled like an auntie. Those around him admired and loved this sunny young man.

"Yes." Maher admitted generously, smiling brightly, "I have always been confident."

That night, his good brother Gilbert seemed unable to hold back and came to London from Sheffield after his latest market value update.

Mahel and Isabella were arm in arm, looking down from the window of a private room in an upscale restaurant, searching for Gilbert.

I also wanted to see how well-known he was in London and whether anyone knew him.

"you two"

A voice sounded from behind them, startling them, and when they turned around, they found Gilbert had come up.

He was stunned when he saw the intimacy between the two, but soon he smiled evilly, "What is the relationship now?"

"Why didn't I see you?"

Maher didn't rush to answer his question. He walked from the window to the dining table and sat down. "You are invisible? Is this a skill you developed on the court?"

Gilbert paused, then reacted and waved his hands with a curled lip, "Get lost!"

Isabella chuckled a few times, turned her head to observe Maher beside her, and took the initiative to answer Gilbert's question, "My dear, someone described my relationship with him like this."

Gilbert's eyes swept back and forth between the two people's faces. When he found nothing unusual, he called the waiter to take the order.

"I'll treat you today." He seemed to be in a good mood, his face glowing as he said, "Don't underestimate me, I'm also going to get a raise soon."

"Okay." Maher looked at his good brother and felt happy for him. "Then let's celebrate today. Do you want to have a couple of drinks?"

"Row."

Gilbert got up and went outside to get some wine. After a while, he came back with a 1.5L barrel of craft beer. "After we finish this one, the next time we drink will be at the end of the season. We should celebrate our successful relegation then."

“Me too.” Maher nodded with a smile, “I hope we can celebrate the double championship.”

Gilbert took the glass and poured the wine, shrugged and said nothing, as if he no longer wanted to lament the different growth rates of the two of them and the gap between them now.

This time his market value was updated, and it reached 2500 million euros, but the gap with Maher is getting bigger and bigger, and it is already 45m.

“But.” He thought of something and raised his head again and said, “Mael, do you still remember the first time we updated our status?
“At that time, I had 350 million and you had 800 million, so the difference between us was 450 million.

"Now that more than a year has passed, our net worth has increased by almost 10 times. The gap has also increased by 10 times, which shows that my progress is not slower than yours."

Maher was stunned for a moment, not understanding what kind of ingenious algorithm this was. He laughed twice and said, "It seems that there is nothing wrong with this understanding."

Gilbert poured him a glass of wine and brought it over, continuing: "As Arsenal's 93-year-old youth training twin stars, our combined value has reached 9500 million euros.

"And together they have scored 31 goals and 20 assists in the Premier League this season. Cheers to this great result!"

"Ha ha."

A laugh rang out in the box, and all three of them burst into laughter, then raised their glasses and clinked them together.

The food came quickly and they chatted and drank. After a while, they felt a little dizzy and the atmosphere became more lively.

"The team already has 32 points this season. If we can get another eight points or so, there will be basically no pressure to avoid relegation."

Gilbert held the wine glass with anticipation on his face, "Next season, I will officially return to the team. I hope to get some playing time by then, fulfilling my previous fantasy and wearing the Arsenal jersey and fighting alongside you."

Without waiting for Maher to respond, he continued: “Good luck in the championship match at the end of this month, I will come to watch then.

"I hope you can score a goal to help Arsenal beat Cardiff City and end their 7-year title drought.

"As long as you complete this, you will definitely become the hero of this team."

"I'll come too." Isabella raised her hand, tilted her head back and smiled, "The moment you entered the finals, I booked a box at Wembley Stadium, so it was ready.

"I think you will definitely win. I will bring a high-definition camera that day to take pictures of you holding the trophy."

"Ha ha."

Maher couldn't help laughing when he heard the blessings from the two people, and he hoped that the game at the end of the month would come soon.

He picked up his glass and clinked it with the two of them. "Thank you. I will try my best to ensure that we can celebrate together at Wembley Stadium after the game."

After dinner, the three of them went downstairs to say goodbye.

"I'll stay one night before I leave." Gilbert pointed to the hotel next door, then quickly waved at Maher and predicted, "Don't invite me to your house. I don't want to be a light bulb."

Isabella bit her lower lip lightly, her expression a little unnatural, and tilted her head to observe Mahel.

Maher looked in Gilbert's direction and laughed, "No way, we haven't reached that stage yet."

Isabella felt a little disappointed, but she quickly turned to Gilbert and smiled, then took Maher's arm and said, "I told you, I'm just his female companion now.

"I'll let you know when there are major achievements. Haha, just kidding."

She is still bright and enthusiastic, and sometimes a little quirky and cute.

"Okay." Gilbert shook his head to show his disbelief. He waved goodbye very simply, "See you at the end of the month. I'm leaving. I won't bother you anymore."

He turned and walked away, leaving Mael and Isabella alone.

Isabella had sobered up a little after feeling the cold wind, and the arm that was around Mahel was a little stiff. She didn't know whether to let it go or hold it tighter.

As if she thought this was a good idea, she stretched her long legs and moved closer to Maher, looking at the street nearby and admiring the colorful neon lights in the center of London.

“It’s very beautiful, especially after the rain.”

A smile appeared on her face again, and the colorful lights flashing everywhere would sometimes hit her face, making her facial features more three-dimensional, yet still soft and beautiful. She was truly stunning.

Isabella seemed to be enjoying this brief moment of peace and comfort with Mahel. The smile on her face did not fade away and gradually became happier.

Suddenly, she felt Mahel's arm move, as if it was pulling upwards.

Just when she thought the other party was about to pull her arm away, she felt a cold touch on her hand. It was Mael's hand holding hers.

Isabella: “!!!”

She held her head high and chest out, feeling a strong sense of joy in her heart, and her whole body seemed to be suddenly injected with new energy.

"Let's take a walk."

Maher was wearing a sweatshirt under his coat. He flipped up the hood of the sweatshirt and walked forward, pulling Isabella.

"Okay." Isabella smiled sweetly and took two steps forward with Maher. She took the opportunity to cross the zebra crossing and interlocked her fingers with Maher's. "I'll warm you up."

Feeling that Mael's hand was also exerting a little force, she could no longer suppress her emotions, and she felt that the air around her became fresher.

She pretended to turn her head to look the other way, but actually she was laughing. She took two more steps and couldn't help but swing her right hand slightly. "Mael, we won the championship at the end of the month. Shall we go ride the London Eye Ferris wheel?"

"I don't know if I have time." Maher was not sure and gave an ambiguous answer.

"Then I'll make an appointment in advance." Isabella smiled cheerfully and advised, "Let's go. The schedule is so busy on weekdays, it's good to relax occasionally.

“Although I can’t help you with anything else, I can take you on a tour. I know all the best food, fun and interesting places in London.

"If you play with me for a day, I promise you will go home happy!"

Like a salesperson waiting for a silver tongue, she raised her chin and turned to look at Maher after she finished speaking, "How about it? Do you want to give it a try?"

Maer looked at her and smiled faintly. He seemed to be attracted by the beauty she described. After thinking about it, he said, "Okay, but the premise is to win the championship. What if I don't win then..."

"Oh, no." Isabella interrupted him, shaking her hands even more vigorously, sometimes even unable to resist taking a few steps and jumping a few times, "Ding ding ding ding ding ding."

The two of them walked like this for a long time, seemingly forgetting their tiredness, and did not say goodbye until very late.

On February 2, the 15th round of the Premier League kicked off at Sunderland’s home stadium, the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland is a team with a rich history, having won the top league championship six times. It is also one of the oldest teams in English football.

They no longer have the glory of the past, but they can be regarded as a mid-level team, ranking 12th in the league and have no worries about relegation.

"AahhOh!"

"AahhOh!"

The game started at 7:30 in the evening of the same day. Arsenal's main players were all out and they did not dare to be careless on the road.

Maher faced off against former Manchester United player O'Shea in this game, an experienced defender who had played for Manchester United.

In fact, Sunderland's defense line was almost moved from Manchester United. Three of the four players have played for Manchester United. This team can be regarded as the successor of Manchester United's new and old players, following behind to pick up old players.

"Bang bang bang!"

As soon as the game started, Maher kept getting opportunities to advance with the ball, attacking the aging O'Shea and Richardson on the same side.

They were able to occasionally succeed in defense with their excellent experience, limiting his breakthroughs, passes and shots.

But most of the time, we can only rely on fouls and small tricks.

In the 18th minute of the game, Richardson next to O'Shea received a yellow card and his defensive actions became restrained.

In the 34th minute, O'Shea himself received a yellow card, which suddenly increased the defensive pressure on this side.

Sunderland had no choice but to send more people to assist in defense, but this was just robbing Peter to pay Paul, and soon gave Walcott on the other side a chance.

"Bang!!"

In the 61st minute of the second half, Walcott broke into the penalty area and made a cross pass. Ramsey, who came in from the front, fell to the ground and shoveled the ball into the near corner.

One to zero!

Be the first to score!

"Oh!"

However, just 9 minutes later, Sunderland scored a sudden goal from a corner kick to retaliate.

One to one!

Arsenal's set-piece defense has always had some problems, and this problem has not been alleviated after Mertesacker's arrival.

There is really no way to do this, as set pieces are an important way for weak teams to score against strong teams.

They have weekly training sessions on set-pieces and have mastered this scoring method to perfection, so scoring goals through it is not surprising.

"receive!"

Sunderland, who equalized the score, quickly retreated and set up a solid defense at the front of the penalty area.

With O'Shea and several veterans in command, their defense seemed very solid and did not allow Arsenal to create any good opportunities.

The score remained tied until the 89th minute. When the game entered the 90th minute, Van Persie, who had performed well this season, finally picked up his "key man" script.

"bang bang bang"

"Oh!"

On the wing, Maher was double-teamed by three people after getting the ball. He cleverly got rid of them and made a short pass to Van Persie in the middle, then turned and inserted himself behind the opponent's defense line.

Van Persie was ready to pass the ball to the ribs, but for some reason he paused and put down his left leg.

When he folded the ball again, he exerted force from his calves and ankles, changed direction and pushed the ball towards the far corner of the goal.

Sneak shot!

“Bang.”

The football flew out from under his feet, bounced in the penalty area and then rolled towards the goal. The speed of the ball was not too fast, but it was too sudden, leaving no time for the goalkeeper to react.

By the time Belgium's second goalkeeper Mignolet fell to the ground to save the ball, it was too late.

The football bounced and rolled into the far corner, completing the crucial shot in the most ordinary way.

Lore!

1 point becomes 3 points!
"Ahght!"

The goal may be ordinary, but everything after the goal could never be ordinary. The Arsenal expeditionary team at the Stadium of Light jumped up and down in the stands, swinging their arms and celebrating the winning goal crazily.

21 wins are coming!
Van Persie spread his arms like a roc spreading its wings, with a faint smile on his face, looking very cool.

"You boy!"

"Pretty!"

"We are so lucky to have you and Maher. We are not far from the 03 wins of the 04-26 season!"

"Five wins in a row!"

The Arsenal players ran towards him together, Alexander Song and others quickly jumped onto his back, and everyone suddenly huddled together.

Maher also ran towards him, unexpectedly he could get an assist so easily.

So comfortable.

As long as we can win!

He came up to Van Persie, stretched out his hands and high-fived him with a smile.

"Just be happy that I'm here." Van Persie laughed and joked, imitating the way he spoke in the last game.

"Beep! Beep! Beep--!" The game ended quickly. In the end, thanks to goals from Van Persie and Ramsey, Arsenal went one step further!
21 wins and 5 draws!
"Oh! Oh! Oh!"

After the game, everyone returned to the locker room and celebrated wildly. They took off their clothes, swung their clothes and danced, shouting the most familiar melody in the football world.

Wenger and Philip walked into the locker room together, stood aside, applauded and chatted in low voices as they looked at them.

"It's 68 points." Philip said with a smile, "It's almost 70 points. It's really close."

Wenger nodded slowly, smiling, and said: "We played very well this month, winning all four Premier League games and getting 4 points.

"If we can get another 12 points next month, we might be able to win the championship in mid-April.

"But this should be difficult, it's just a beautiful fantasy, haha."

Philip smiled bitterly and shook his head, looking like he was used to hard times. "I dare not think about it. I really dare not think about it."

Wenger looked at the team that was gaining momentum, heaved a sigh of relief, and finally made a firm decision, "We need to streamline the team. I don't want any major problems to affect the momentum.

"We must continue to move forward steadily and strive for our double crown!"

"That's how it should be."

Philip nodded, thinking of what happened between Kroenke and Usmanov, and his face showed longing, "If the deal is really done this time, we will definitely have money at the end of the season.

"When the time comes, we will strengthen a few positions and buy some useful substitutes.
He smiled, as if he couldn't close his mouth just by remembering what he was going to say. "Next season, maybe we can try in the Champions League, or even compete on multiple fronts."

Wenger didn't say anything, but there was a strange glint in his eyes and his breathing slowly became heavy.

On February 2, Maher was told that he would not play in the fifth round of the FA Cup. He asked Van Persie and others and found that they had also received the notice.

"It's time to let go."

He knew Wenger had made a decision, so he didn't think any more about it. He just increased his training volume and took advantage of this time to improve his strength.

“Pah, pah. Pah!”

That afternoon, after practicing fancy skills for two hours, at a certain moment he felt that his legs and ankles had become much more nimble, his body seemed to be lighter, and his affinity with football had improved.

When I opened the proficiency panel, I saw that my fancy dribbling skills had indeed increased.

[Skill: Fancy Breakthrough lv3]

[Proficiency: (1/2000)]

[Effect: After a period of practice, you have mastered some fancy dribbling skills, and you have a chance to use them to break through on the court, but it seems that you are still far from being truly elegant. ]

"call!"

Mahel suppressed the excitement in his heart, dribbled the ball forward, continuously pulling the ball with his left and right feet, sometimes connecting inward steps with outward steps, and sometimes picking up the ball and shaking his ankles in the air to change direction.

"Pah pah pah!" His frequency was fast to begin with, and his legs became more flexible, so doing these movements was already a bit dizzying.

This is not something that only defensive players can feel, he himself can also feel it.

Sometimes, before he even figured out what move to make, his legs were already moving rapidly, his body's center of gravity constantly shifting, his whole body twisting this and that, even his hair flying.

It was a feeling of doing whatever he wanted, although it was only elementary, but he had already felt it. When he held the ball, the football seemed to become a part of his body.

The combination of man and ball has improved!
Increased flexibility when dribbling the ball!

This is the lv3 style!
After stopping dribbling the ball, he couldn't help but look forward to the effect of this skill after it reached level 4.

Many football players' favorite star is Ronaldinho, for no other reason than that the agility and elegance he displayed on the field are abilities they want but cannot obtain.

After mastering the basic skills, improving their physical strength, and accumulating a lot of experience to enter the top arena, they work diligently and try their best every day.

At this time, when they see someone defeating others as if it were a game, as free and easy as an elf, and able to achieve tactical goals, of course they will be envious.

However, this kind of ability is mostly related to talent, and they cannot learn it even if they want to.

Maher is okay. Not to mention that his level 4 moves can be comparable to Ronaldinho's, but it should be no problem to be % or % similar, right?
If the additional skill 'Fancy Techniques' is also raised to level 4, then it will be almost the same.

Going further, lv5 is a step beyond, a step towards reaching a new level.

"Look at other skills."

He glanced downwards and took a look at the upgrade progress of other abilities.

[Skill: Galloping lv4]

[Proficiency: (382/5000)] [Skill: Violent Door Blast lv4]

[Proficiency: (631/2000)]

[Skill: Heading Power lv3]

[Proficiency: (401/800)]

[Additional skills: Fancy skills lv1]

[Proficiency: (602/1500)]

What follows may be a difficult period of improvement, as the closest ability to upgrade has a proficiency of 400 points.

But it’s okay, wait for the next upgrade and a truly all-round shooter will appear!

Level 4 header will allow him to approach those top header masters, and even surpass them with his explosive bounce and coordination in the air.

After that, his fancy skills will reach level 2, and he may be able to master some small skills and occasionally produce miraculous effects.

"Long shots are coming soon."

Maher murmured, and suddenly felt that the future was promising. After turning off the panel, he went home with the football.

He trained at the doorstep today, and after entering the house he lay directly on the sofa, waiting for Safina to feed him.

On February 2, the fifth round of the FA Cup kicked off, with Arsenal's rotation squad heading to Sunderland's Stadium of Light to take on the team they had just met on other fronts.

Maher originally planned to watch the game at home, but he received a call from Kevin Strome and learned that the negotiator from Facebook had arrived in London.

He looked at the time and thought that he might be very busy in the next few days, so he contacted the man and made an appointment to meet at a cafe in the city center.

More than twenty minutes later, he arrived at the cafe and walked towards the private room.

"Mael!"

"It's him!"

"what!"

There were quite a few people in the cafe, and many of them were surprised when they saw him, but no one stood up. Everyone seemed to be waiting for the first brave person.

Mahel smiled and nodded at them, then without giving them a chance to surround him, he quickly walked into the box and closed the door.

"Ross, a British investment banker, is negotiating with you on behalf of Facebook."

A white-haired middle-aged man in a black suit stretched out his right hand to him, and next to him were two men wearing glasses who looked like consultants.

This was actually a very high-profile acquisition. If it weren't for the fact that Maher was short on time and was only 18 years old, they would never have chosen such a hasty way of talking.

With this in mind, the three men looked closely at Mahel curiously as they shook hands.

It seems that he wants to see what kind of person can hold shares worth 18 million US dollars at the age of 1.

"Hello."

Maher shook hands with them as a formality, then sat down and waited for them to speak.

Ross exchanged glances with a consultant wearing gold-rimmed glasses, nodded once, then looked at Maher and pulled out several documents from his bag.

“This is our acquisition plan.”

Ross was very polite. At least on the surface, he put Maher on the same level as himself. "It has detailed markings. You can take a look first, and then we can talk."

At the side, another slender consultant smiled and said, "I admire Mr. Maher's achievements in the football world very much. We all know your potential and future. You have an enviable life.

“Moreover, everyone in the investment banking circle was surprised to learn that you really held 10% of the shares of INSI and had made certain contributions to its development.

“There is a French investment banker who just managed the Nestlé acquisition case and is also a big shot. He wanted to negotiate on our behalf this time.

"But Facebook suspected that he had already contacted you, so he chose us in the end. Well, it seems that the investment banker is not going to do this anymore and is going to enter politics."

Maher probably knew who he was talking about. He nodded to the man and then glanced at the contract in his hand.

There's nothing special about it, just some analysis and data comparison, as well as the basis on which they calculate the market value and so on.

He quickly handed the document back, "I've read it, um. It's well written."

There was a moment of silence. Ross put the documents back into his briefcase, then sat up straight and put his hands together on the table. "We have learned about this before, and you don't seem to be reluctant to sell your shares in Instagram.

"As an Arsenal player, you must know what happened between Kroenke and Usmanov, right?

“Both of them want to buy the team in full, make it their own, and then invest in and develop it.

"If they can't acquire the company in full, they will always have some concerns, and we have probably all seen what this concern will lead to."

Ross took a sip of coffee, staring at Maher with sharp eyes, "Back to us, if Facebook cannot fully acquire Instagram, then everything will go in a bad direction.

“This acquisition may not happen, and even if it does, Mr. Zuckerberg will not be able to freely devote resources to it.

“By then, the shares that you originally wanted to keep and sell at a higher price may become worthless, or even impossible to sell.”

Ross shrugged and spread his hands, looking regretful. "So, we still hope that you can be a little more flexible, and then we can negotiate the price and other related issues."

The consultant with gold-rimmed glasses added, "Kevin Systrom wants you to sell your shares because their negotiations with Facebook are almost over.

"Originally, he was supposed to have internal consultations with you, but he seemed embarrassed to bring this up with you.

"We all understand the reason. He feels that you have made a great contribution in this process and he really shouldn't sit at the negotiation table to meet with you.

"I think if he cares so much about your feelings, you should also consider his opinion."

Mahel listened to what the two of them said, nodding his head in approval.

After they finished speaking, he smiled firmly and said, “I understand the pros and cons of this, but I still stick to my choice. I am not going to sell my shares in ins.

"terribly sorry"

The reason for rejecting these investment bankers this time was the same as the reason for rejecting Kevin last time. He felt that now was not a good time to sell his shares ins.

First of all, this 10% stake definitely does not reach its due value; secondly, he is not in a hurry to use the money now, so there is no need to sell the shares in a hurry. He has plenty of time to wait.

Wait until he needs the money and the items are worth a little more, and then sell them all off.

As for what they said, if he does not sell his Instagram shares, the acquisition may not be completed, Zuckerberg may not be able to invest fully, and the 10% may depreciate or even become a waste of money.

He is not worried about this at all. The fact that Instagram has grown to this scale in a short period of time has already proved how good its model and creativity are, and how strong its hard power is.

Silicon Valley elites such as Zuckerberg must be able to see this, otherwise they would not have proposed a price of $15 billion.

Can they treat ins like Kroenke and Usmanov did to Arsenal?

This is a huge joke. It is something that will never happen and the investment banker is just using it to scare him.

It's a pity that they couldn't guess that he actually knew how big Instagram would become, and knew that Zuckerberg would never give up the other 10% for his 90%.

There was a silence, and Ross and the other two consultants looked back and forth, unsure of what to say.

Just when they had thought of a new way to deceive and were about to speak, Maher suddenly picked up his phone, looked up at the sky and sighed helplessly, "Fuck, how come we are already 0-2? Are we going to lose?"

"Hiss." He touched his heart, pretended to be sad, and waved his hands at the three people, "Anyway, we have almost finished the discussion, and both sides have exchanged opinions. I will go home first.

"I'm sorry, I've always had this problem. My heart feels uncomfortable when I lose a game. I need to rest."

He pretended very well, but no one would believe him. It was just a decent way to express that the negotiations had broken down.

After Maher left, the consultant wearing gold-rimmed glasses sneered a few times, "He feels uncomfortable when he loses, so he keeps winning, right?"

"Haha." Everyone laughed dryly and looked a little embarrassed.

Ross made a phone call and told the other party with a heavy face that the first attempt had failed, and also roughly described how determined Maher's attitude was.

After a long time, a voice came from the other side, "I will acquire 5% of Kevin Strom and others in May. If you can negotiate before May, I will pay you a commission of 90% of the purchase price.

"If the deal is concluded in the second half of the year, I will pay you a 2% commission. If it is next year, the cooperation will end."

After hanging up the phone, Ross's eyes showed greed. He waved his hand at the two of them and said, "Let's go back and discuss countermeasures. If this deal goes through, we can get 450 million US dollars."

The other two's faces immediately brightened. They followed Ross, one on the left and one on the right, like the two generals beside the vanguard general Ross.

In the game that ended that day, Arsenal finally lost 0-2 to Sunderland, ending their FA Cup journey this season.

The news that Maher suffered from "heart discomfort" after the team lost was somehow known to the British Daily Mail, and the report was hotly discussed by fans on the Internet as a joke.

"This is naked revenge. Someone wants to harm me."

During training the next day, Maher complained to his teammates while running, but did not say what happened.

He was full of energy and extremely active in all kinds of training, fearing that someone would really think he was mentally fragile.

"Ha ha."

His appearance caused laughter from many players, and everyone thought he was quite interesting.

The days went on one by one, and on February 2, the day before the team set off for the first leg of the Champions League round of 22, Wenger gathered everyone together.

"Everyone already knows that our opponent in the round of 16 is AC Milan, a giant in Serie A, and we also know that we have to play away first."

He stood there holding a small tactical board, “The schedule is very difficult for us. If we go all out, the whole team will definitely be very tired.

"In order to avoid affecting the League Cup final on February 2, some of the starters will not appear in this game, some of the starters will only play one and a half, and the rest will be handed over to the substitutes."

Although the words were said in a euphemistic way, the meaning was very clear: the team was going to give up the Champions League this season.

The match against Milan will not be a fight for victory, it will only allow the core players who did not play against Sunderland to warm up their feet and find their form for the final to avoid resting too long and not being able to keep up with the rhythm.

At this point, the trajectory of Arsenal’s remaining games this season becomes clear.

After this Champions League match, their elite forces will only be used on two fronts.

After the League Cup final at the end of the month, the team's elite players will concentrate all their energy and make a full effort to challenge the Premier League champions!

"come on! Come on!"

“Fight for the championship!”

Maher and the team's players applauded and encouraged each other. Everything has been confirmed, and now it's time to launch the final charge towards the goal.

"MilanMilan!!"

On February 2, in Milan, Italy, the San Siro Stadium, which can accommodate more than 24 spectators, was crowded with people and the singing resounded through the sky.

The stadium's attendance rate exceeded 98%. From a distance, it looked like a dark mass. There were also giant fan tifos laid out on multiple stands, which was extremely intimidating.

Maher saw all this during the warm-up and felt the hot atmosphere on the scene. He still felt a little shaken in his heart.

San Siro Stadium should be the first stadium with more than 8 people that he has walked into. It really feels different.

It must be an unforgettable experience to play against AC Milan, which has won 7 Champions League titles and 18 Italian top league titles!

He has long wanted to visit the home stadiums of major football clubs around the world, and today he has visited another one.

Unfortunately, the team is not ready to compete for the Champions League this season, and he will most likely not be able to take away a victory here.

But having come here and experienced it once was a great encouragement for him.

When he comes here again in the future, he will definitely defeat these powerful clubs and pursue the dream of winning the Champions League with Arsenal!

"Beep!"

The referee blew the whistle, signaling the players of both teams to return to the locker room and get ready for the starting lineup.

Maher ran back to the locker room, put on his shin guards and came to the player tunnel. He soon saw a group of familiar faces and a group of new faces in AC Milan's lineup.

The cycling king Robinho, the great Ibrahimovic, the legendary midfielder Seedorf, the umbrella man Van Bommel and so on.

These people who used to live in legends will face him on the green field today!
Having been in the Premier League for too long and being familiar with many top players, Maher sometimes loses some subtle feelings, but he found them again today.

It’s amazing and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity and the ability to compete with these people.

We must seize the opportunity and adventure of this lifetime, and strive to defeat these legendary players and top stars in the future and leave our own story in the UEFA Champions League.

"Beep!"

The referee blew the whistle, and the players from both teams walked out of the court and stood in a row for the exit ceremony.

"Thump, thump, thump, thump. Thump, thump, thump, thump!"

When the heavy melody sounded at the San Siro Stadium, all the fans in the stadium quieted down and listened quietly to the prelude of this great war song.

"Die MeisterDie Besten!!"

When the chorus sounded, more than 70,000 Milan fans suddenly began to sing loudly, and the warm atmosphere of the entire stadium instantly reached its peak, "Les grandes équipe The champions!!"

Maher stood in the center of the field, closed his eyes and enjoyed it all. The game had barely started, but he was already getting excited.

After doing all this, he came to his position and stood, waiting for the game to officially start. They kicked off first in the first half.

Looking at the configuration of the opponent's midfield, he suddenly realized something and came to Arteta, "Go tell Van Persie to pass the ball from the center circle to you. I want to try a kick-off tactic."

"What?" Arteta looked at the opponent's backcourt with interest, wanting to hear what ideas Maher had.

"The opponent's midfield was very fragile and their defensive ability was very weak. After the kick-off, I ran directly between the back line and the midfield line."

Maher pretended to look away and chatted with him, "After you get the ball, fake it backwards so that they think you will pass it back and let their guard down. Then suddenly turn around and pass the ball to me."

"Then what?" Arteta looked at him, not quite understanding. It seemed that there was no special technical content.

"Then I shot." Maher glanced at the opponent's goalkeeper and smiled: "It was just the beginning, he must not be in the right state and couldn't react.

“As long as the quality is good, there’s a chance we can get in.

"Come on, San Siro is very hot, let me try to shoot first, and then slowly organize the ball from the backcourt to send it up, the opponent's defender has already blocked me."

Arteta thought about it and nodded, "You will probably be in that position. I will try to pass the ball directly without observing after turning around. This can save time and increase the success rate."

Maher's answer was simple, "Near the penalty area, the area for long shots by right-footed players, you know."

The two of them exchanged glances, then turned to each other and walked towards their own seats.

"Beep!"

At 16:8 p.m. local time, the referee blew the whistle to start the game, and the first round of the Champions League round of officially kicked off at the San Siro Stadium.

"CCTV, CCTV! What you are watching now is the UEFA Champions League quarter-final match between Arsenal and AC Milan!"

In the live broadcast studio, CCTV commentator He Wei wore a headset and said, "Let's first take a look at the starting lineups of both teams. For the home team AC Milan..."

On the field, Van Persie kicked the ball to Arteta, who received the ball, turned around and pretended to kick it towards the full-back.

Milan forwards Robinho and Ibrahimovic quickly rushed across the half court and put pressure on Arsenal's backcourt.

The running route they chose was to the left and right sides of Arteta, obviously they thought Arteta would definitely pass the ball backwards.

"Snapped!"

A moment before passing the ball, Arteta suddenly pushed the ball backwards, turned around and left the two men behind.

"Bang!!" Then he kicked a half-high ball with a slight arc.

It's not that the pass was wrong, but that the pass was faster and more convenient for Maher to receive the ball. If it was a long pass, the opponent's defender's header would not be a pushover.

In the frontcourt, Maher adjusted his position while watching the ball coming in, lifted his left foot to take the ball off, and then dribbled towards the front of the opponent's penalty area.

"Defender."

In the commentary booth, He Wei was forced to stop just after saying the goalkeeper's name, "Arsenal designed a kick-off tactic! Arteta made a long pass to Mahel, what was Milan's midfielder doing?

"Now it's Maher, Van Persie and Walcott's attacking team facing Milan's back four!

"It was a dangerous attack but Seedorf kept chasing back and he got to Maher."

"."

At the top of the penalty area, Maher took a look at Milan's goal, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Seedorf following him.

He dribbled the ball to the side in a slight arc, then folded his right leg and suddenly jumped out, heading towards the middle and bottom of the football, trying to make a quick shot with little arc.

"Bang!!"

As the shot sounded, Milan center back Thiago Silva jumped up and tried to block the shot, but the ball flew over his shoulder.

Goalkeeper Abbiati was dumbfounded. He had just jumped and hit the crossbar twice to get ready, but how come the opponent's shot came in the blink of an eye?

He took two quick jumps to judge the shooting angle.

"Swish!" Who would have thought that as soon as he saw the football, it had already hit the net on his right side, leaving him no time to react.

"Yeah!"

At the top of the arc, Maher rushed past the confused Seedorf and Thiago Silva, spread his arms and rushed to the sidelines.

"Come on!!"

Under the silent gaze of 70,000 fans at San Siro, he slid down passionately on his knees and drew three long stripes.

Opening goal!!

he made it!

The 6th goal in the Champions League!
Even though this was his farewell match in the Champions League this season, he still left a deep impression on the field.

Next year, he will come back here and lead the team to win the Big Ear Cup, which symbolizes the club's highest honor, with one goal after another!
"Oh!" The cheers of Arsenal fans came a second or two late. The fans held their heads, unable to believe what they saw.

The players were all smiling silently. They didn't expect that Mahel would score against Milan right at the start.

Except for Arteta, most of them didn't even touch the ball, and they were going to celebrate together?

What's this?

"Weirdo!"

"It really worked! Yess!"

"Damn it, I'm so jealous!"

“Is this the fastest Champions League goal?”

"should be!"

Van Persie and others rushed towards Maher, among whom Arteta was the fastest.

They celebrated together in the corner flag area of ​​the San Siro Stadium, enjoying the experience of celebrating a goal in the Champions League for the last time this season.

"The ball goes in! Oh. Roar.!"

In the commentary booth, He Wei was stunned, his voice trembling, "In the first attack, the first time he had the ball, Maher actually knocked on the Milan team's goal with a long shot!
"It's amazing! I don't know if it took more than 10 seconds, but if it took less than 10 seconds, it could very well be the fastest goal in Champions League history!
"The record holder is Makaay, who played for Bayern Munich in the 07 season. He scored a goal against Real Madrid in just 10.2 seconds.

“I think there was, I just introduced the defenders, and then I saw Mahre rush into the Milan backcourt and end the battle with a heavy shot.

"The camera was on Seedorf, who seemed a little dissatisfied and complained to Thiago, as if he was telling him to score the goal earlier!
"There's nothing we can do. Everything has been decided. Maher's goal helped Arsenal lead 1-0! The San Siro Stadium was silent. Allegri, is there any way to fight back?"

After saying this, he took off his headphones and eavesdropped on the commentary from other countries next door.

"Gooooaaaallll!!"

"Absolutely! Genius!!"

There are South American commentators who draw out long tones, and there are British commentators who use simple interjections but shout with full emotion.

He smiled, put on his headset, and heard a voice coming from the headset, "7.6 seconds, this goal was scored in 7.6 seconds, undisputedly the fastest goal in the history of the Champions League!"

He Wei nodded excitedly, took a deep breath and continued: "The result is out, 7.6 seconds, Maher's goal made him the holder of the fastest goal in the history of the Champions League!
"Looking at Arsenal's lineup today and considering their future schedule, we once speculated that Wenger might choose to give up the Champions League this season.

"If this is the case, then Maher has successfully completed this season's Champions League journey and said goodbye to those who like him in other parts of the world. See you next year!"

I feel very uncomfortable today. I sat down all day and wrote 1.2 words. Sorry, I will write the rest tomorrow. I will finish writing the League Cup final tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)