On August 5th, Mendes's vacation in Portugal came to an end. He arrived in London and, that evening, facilitated Maël's official endorsement deal with Ferrari.
The contract term was for 3 years, with a total value of £10.5 million. Ferrari wasn't as quick to raise the price as Dior and Emirates Airlines, sticking to their initial offer of £3.5 million per year.
However, they showed their sincerity in the bonus clauses, offering a full-fledged honor-based bonus system similar to Dior's.
"Ferrari's philosophy is speed and passion, elegance and innovation. We are always pursuing high performance and aesthetics."
The representative said with a smile during the dinner, "Therefore, we will sign a player whose style matches ours and recognize his achievements in the football world, willing to pay high bonuses to the player.
"He can bring glory to this brand, and we are very happy to see that happen."
Mendes raised a glass of red wine to toast with him, nodding with a smile, "Excellent players and excellent brands always coincide. I am very honored that my player can gain the trust of many big brands."
Maël picked up a glass of juice, gestured to the representative, and then took a sip.
He is probably the only football player who has signed with Ferrari. Previously, Ronaldo had rumors with this supercar brand, but the deal ultimately fell through.
As far as he knows, Ferrari's latest endorser is Fernando Alonso, a two-time F1 world champion, and the brand's global ambassador is the racing legend Schumacher.
Giving up on finding another racing athlete and instead finding a football player is enough to prove that everything he has now has been widely favored by the cross-industry brand market.
After the signing, he and Mendes left the dinner venue.
The payment from the other party will not be very quick. They will wait until his 'Maël Company' is established before transferring the money to the public account.
There's no rush, and he's not short of money at the moment. He can just wait for the process to complete.
"They will send a brand new Ferrari 458 in the next day or two as your signing gift."
Mendes and he got into the business car heading home and to the hotel, and then added, "Next March, they will have a limited edition Ferrari LaFerrari for sale, and I can help you order one in advance."
"LaFerrari?" Maël's eyes lit up. He was indeed a bit interested in this car.
After signing with Ferrari, he would have to use other brands of cars less often, or even avoid them altogether. If he wanted to choose a cool, high-end supercar at this time, the LaFerrari would definitely be a good choice.
"Help me order one, talk to them about it later."
He took the initiative to express his needs, asking Mendes to confirm it for him.
"Okay." Mendes nodded, then turned his gaze to the window. After hesitating for a long time, he suddenly said, "Maël, have you considered meeting with Florentino and Guardiola? I don't mean anything else, and I'm not giving you any advice, just asking.
"They have contacted me many times, and sometimes when I'm the only one mediating, I not only bear unbearable pressure, but also can't really solve the problem."
It was clear that he had been suffering from this for a long time, but because he had previously made an agreement with Maël not to transfer, he had been carrying it himself.
Player transfers, as the most important transaction in the football world, have always been very serious.
Sometimes it seems very simple, and sometimes, especially when a wealthy team is determined to make a big deal, it can seem very complicated.
At this time, it's not something that Mendes can solve with a simple and neat refusal, and when facing the helmsmen of super-rich teams, he must also consider the impact and cannot appear too indifferent.
Maël considered for a while and nodded in agreement, "Okay, but it has to be done secretly. I don't want to see rumors in the media after the meeting.
"Just go to meet them, politely dispel their ideas, and nothing else."
"I understand." Mendes breathed a sigh of relief, "Leave this to me, I will use all means to make the people involved in this meeting voluntarily conceal this contact."
Maël looked at the buildings flashing past outside the window, his face thoughtful. Being invited by one of the two best football people in the world was originally something to be happy about, but now it has become a small annoyance.
Perhaps as one slowly ascends to greater heights, experiencing things that once seemed to be yearned for and glamorous evokes a completely different state of mind.
"How did things go after the Community Shield Cup match?" He looked at Mendes and said, "There are still many endorsements and commercials these days, and with the championship approaching, I don't want to be distracted."
Mendes raised his eyebrows in agreement, "That's perfect, anyway, there's still some time before the transfer window closes."
"One more thing." Maël recalled something and asked, "You said before that when players reach a certain level of achievement, the main sponsoring brand will make some concessions. Do you think I'm there yet?"
Mendes leaned back tactically. He knew Maël was talking about Puma. "I think so, do you have any new ideas?"
"Isabella is preparing to merge Primacy into the 'Maël Company', and I'm planning to take it over."
Maël took a box of ice water from the car refrigerator, took a sip, and said, "Don't change the name, but build it as my personal brand, using all my image rights and influence to support it.
"Not only making clothes, but also slowly getting involved in many other fields, just like Ronaldo's CR7."
Mendes looked surprised. He certainly knew Isabella's brand. "If I remember correctly, her brand is already well-known in the British Isles, right? Just merging it with you like that?"
"I asked yesterday, and the company's annual profit since 2010 has reached £1.8 to 2.15 million, with an estimated market value of between £12 and 15 million."
Maël told Mendes the approximate value of the company, then smiled and said, "She said she wanted to give it to me, but we don't have a marital relationship yet, so how could I be so embarrassed to take such an expensive gift empty-handed.
"I will buy most of her shares with money, and then merge it into Maël Company, and operate it with her.
"Anyway, investing in sports-related industries is worthwhile for me, and it's basically impossible to lose money. I can support it."
Mendes smiled and nodded to show he understood, then said, "She's really good to you, and you're doing very well too. Actually, as long as she's willing to merge the company, it's giving you the best gift."
"I think so too." Maël and Mendes are always on the same wavelength and can understand each other.
"I'll communicate with Puma, you just prepare for other things."
Mendes took over the matter after understanding Maël's meaning, and then joked, "I'm optimistic that you two can achieve a good cooperation, and I'm also optimistic that you can achieve a positive result."
Maël smiled faintly. He hadn't thought much about it for the time being, but it was obvious that as the contact deepened, he would at least not reject Isabella on this point.
The two parted ways and went home, and reunited the next day to complete the final signing with Emirates Airlines and attend the celebration banquet held by the Emirs.
So far, Maël's four basic endorsements after the European Cup have been signed for three, and nine commercials have been completed, and it will soon be finished.
Huge amounts of money flew into his pocket every day, gradually giving him a numb feeling, but occasionally there was a kind of intoxicating and chaotic enjoyment, which could be regarded as enjoying it.
It was also on this night that the transfer news of European football once again ignited the entire fan base.
"Chelsea sign Belgian star Hazard! It is reported that the transfer fee reached 35 million euros!" ——British 442
"Heavy! Abramovich spends a lot of money again, French forward Frank Ribery joins Stamford Bridge, and will set off a gold dollar storm in the new season! His transfer fee is as high as 55 million euros!" ——British The Guardian
"Guardiola raises money to make a final bet on Maël? Abramovich spends over 200 million pounds, determined to bring the Premier League title back to the team's honor vault? The Avengers Alliance hotly discussed by fans is completed!" ——Romano
"Deal done! French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris joins Arsenal! The team has completed the optimal reinforcement of the goalkeeper position!" ——London Evening Standard
"Congratulations! There are too few choices in the goalkeeper position in today's football world. Lloris is indeed the optimal solution for Arsenal. His competition with Szczęsny will make the team better!" ——Team legend goalkeeper Seaman's social media
"Lloris was also snatched by Arsenal... Then there are no good goalkeepers on the market. If there are any, they definitely won't let them go. I'm worried about Tottenham's defense." ——Tottenham legend Mullery's social media
"There are people in the backcourt, will the frontcourt be far away (evil smile) (evil smile)?" ——Henry's social media
"According to reports, Levy, after hearing Arsenal's latest round of offers, priced Bale at £90 million. This is a transaction offer that has never been seen in football and may scare off Arsenal and Real Madrid." ——Romano
"I don't think Kroenke will withdraw from the competition. The team has been holding back in the transfer market for many seasons. In addition, the Financial Fair Play Act will be released in 2013, and they won't be able to spend money lavishly at that time, so they will definitely spend enough this year." ——The Times
"Support! Arsenal has brought in many strong reinforcements this season, but they urgently need a superstar to summarize this summer window's highlights in the transfer market! To make their entire operation perfect!" - L'Équipe of France
10:03 PM, Arsenal fans who hadn't gone to sleep yet noticed a piece of news and were instantly drawn to it.
"Bale arrives at Colney Training Base!! He has already met with Mr. Wenger, and the signing seems to have reached the final stage!" - A rumor from a no-name magazine spread quickly through the Arsenal fan community, exciting every Arsenal fan.
"Really?"
"If Bale can come, that would be great. We can truly be called star-studded in the new season!"
"Yeah, if he joins, we'll be the strongest attacking line in name and in fact!"
"I don't think it's very likely. How could Levy let two people come to Arsenal!"
"Let's wait for the news. Anyway, the transfer window hasn't been closed for long. Maybe we'll see it when we wake up one day."
"..."
For Arsenal fans, although they hate Tottenham to death, they really covet Bale, ever since he kept dominating Maicon, who was the world's number one right-back at the time, in the Champions League.
What's not to love about such a desirable player coming to the team, and also weakening their deadly rival's combat power in the process?
At 11 PM, Maël, on his way home by car, also saw this rumor in a headline repost. He didn't quite believe it until his phone suddenly 'dinged'.
It was a long text message from Mr. Wenger, which read: "I hope you can come to the base tomorrow morning. Bale's joining is imminent. I need you, Ramsey, and Gilbert to make a final invitation to him to increase the success rate.
"You are the team captain, Ramsey is his good partner in the Wales national team, and Gilbert's agent, Barnett, is also his agent.
"The three of you together will easily eliminate the last trace of hesitation in his heart.
"This is an important signing, the most expensive and with the highest initial expectations in the club's history."
Is it really happening soon?
Maël's expression shifted. Bale had once promised him that if he could win the European Cup, he would definitely join the team.
He originally thought that the gentleman's agreement was destined to be just a joke in the unpredictable and cruel transfer market, but he didn't expect there to be a reversal.
Is a transaction of the largest amount in world football history about to be staged before his eyes? - "Okay."
He replied, preparing to see Bale at the training base tomorrow.
August 7th, Colney Base.
In the head coach's office, Mr. Wenger stood by the window, while Maël, Gilbert, and Ramsey sat on the sofa on the side.
While waiting for Bale and his agent to arrive, they also chatted idly about recent gossip and important events.
"The value is about to be updated, you know? Transfermarkt is expected to update the value within 3 days."
Gilbert turned his gaze to Maël and asked with a smile, "The miracle player who created the myth of North London player value increase, from 8m to 105m, how much do you guess your value increase will be this time?"
"Who knows."
Maël smiled and said to his good brother in a show-off way, "Anyway, it's over 100 million, but it's just a number. Unless I rise to number one in the world, I won't feel anything."
"Tsk." Gilbert turned his head away with a look of contempt. Ramsey and Mr. Wenger couldn't help but chuckle on the side, but they didn't let Maël see it.
"Maël."
Wenger quickly turned around and instructed, "Do you remember? When the new signings joined the team last season, I had you and Van Persie take them around London.
"This season, there are also many new signings joining the team, so you two have to make another trip to help them quickly familiarize themselves with the city and develop a sense of belonging to London and Arsenal."
"No problem." Maël nodded in agreement. As the captain, this was originally his responsibility.
They chatted about other things for a while until Wenger saw two figures walking over through the window, and his expression became serious. "They're here. Prepare yourselves well. To reiterate one last time, don't mention the contract. There are specialists talking to them about that. We'll just have a casual chat."
The three nodded and sat up straight. Soon, they saw Bale and Barnett, a famous agent in England, stride in, flashing smiles at everyone.
Gilbert stood up to greet his agent, then bumped fists with Bale. "Glad to see you here. Barnett often says you're the best player he has, and I agree."
Bale gave a slightly awkward, shy smile, then turned his gaze behind Gilbert, looking at Maël.
Maël also walked towards him, making eye contact from a distance, the smile in his eyes seeming to question the content of their previous phone call.
Bale noticed this and shifted his gaze, but one could see complex emotions such as helplessness and embarrassment on his face, as if he couldn't make all the decisions alone in such a massive transfer deal.
However, Bale was definitely not one to avoid things. After adjusting himself, he once again met Maël's eyes, this time with a smile. "The first European Cup champion I've seen this season, congratulations."
Maël certainly didn't have any intention of blaming him. Seeing him take the initiative to start a conversation, he replied with a smile, "There are still four European Cup champions in the team. You can get to know them well later."
"Please sit down." Wenger invited Barnett and Bale to sit on the sofa opposite them, and called an assistant to make tea for the two.
"Thanks to Gilbert, I often run into Maël, but unfortunately, I've never had the chance to talk to him this closely."
Barnett started the conversation, avoiding an awkward silence. "It's my honor to have this opportunity today. I enjoy sitting with the best players in the Premier League.
"Of course, my players Bale and Gilbert both have the absolute ability to compete for the title of the best player in some league in the future, which is why I work with them."
They certainly knew what they were here to talk about today, but they were just starting with an icebreaker.
Maël smiled and nodded at him, steering the topic back on track. "Since Mr. Barnett says there are two strong contenders for the best player in the league at Arsenal, why not all three? Only by working together can excellent players defeat all strong enemies, win the highest honors, and even bring glory to the English Premier League in the European War."
Barnett raised his eyebrows and smiled. "We've been looking for such an opportunity, and this is undoubtedly the best time. However, it's hard to say for sure until many things are settled. We can only say we'll strive for it together."
"What about Bale?" Maël saw that he was like a piece of chewing gum, so he turned his head and kicked the ball to the simpler-minded player.
"Ah." Bale crossed his legs, giving himself some time to think, then said seriously, "Actually, I've never forgotten my promise to you, and I'm working hard.
"As long as everything is right, I will join Arsenal. My inner inclination is already very clear."
As Bale and Barnett made eye contact, Maël also exchanged a look with Wenger diagonally opposite him. He saw affirmation and confidence in the latter's eyes.
It seemed to convey that Arsenal would definitely be able to give Bale suitable salary and signing fee treatment, so there was no need to worry about that aspect.
He felt much more at ease. The attitude of the two opposite him, coupled with Arsenal's willingness to spend on Bale's transfer, was slowly pushing everything towards a successful outcome from every angle.
It seemed like there was nothing else he could do to help. He could only say that through this private contact, he could let Bale meet and get to know them in advance, and stimulate his weak sense of belonging to the club through his recognition of the club's players.
Sometimes, this is quite crucial, and it will make Bale more decisive when making key decisions.
"Captain."
A meaningful voice rang out, attracting the attention of many people, including Maël and Bale. Everyone looked at Ramsey in unison.
It was only when Maël turned his head that he realized that the other party was probably calling Bale, his captain in the Wales national team.
Bale was obviously stunned by this sudden shout. After reacting, he raised his right hand and scratched his chin, as if to relieve the intense emotional changes in his heart.
"Since I skipped grades into the U17, we've always been national teammates in the Wales U-series."
Ramsey looked at Bale, playing the emotional card, though it might also be his genuine feelings, "Later, in 06-07, you and I both completed our first-team debuts, and you also wore the captain's armband this year.
"Do you remember? Since we were young, our goal has been to lead this team to the European Cup, to the World Cup, and to the knockout stage.
"We talked about many fantasies back then, dreamed many dreams together, our eyes full of longing."
Maël secretly observed Bale's expression, noticing a clear change, as if he had stirred up some memories.
"I've wanted to play football with you for a long time, truly day and night."
Ramsey looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, "I think, if you and I usually practiced our teamwork at the same club, wouldn't we have fewer regrets in the World Cup qualifiers and European Qualifiers?
"Do you remember Andy King? That talented young man from Leicester City, Mr. Wenger said he is also one of the potential targets.
"Think about that picture, Wales' number 10, 11, and 8 playing for the same club, spending every day together, Wales would become incredibly strong then."
Wenger glanced at Ramsey, the muscles on his face twitching slightly, but he didn't show anything.
Bale put his right leg down from his left leg, took a deep breath, in his heart, the status of the Wales national team is definitely very important.
If he could follow Ramsey's vision, it would undoubtedly be the best for the national team, and he had to admit that this was a big temptation for him.
In fact, it doesn't matter whether or not to add that slightly mediocre Andy King, it would be great to be able to play football with Ramsey, who was once known as the Welsh Gemini.
"Mr. Barnett."
Gilbert also launched an attack at the right time, persuading the agent, "I think if Bale and I both play for Arsenal, it would be a very happy thing for you.
"Arsenal will become your stronghold, and many young players in the excellent youth training system will also be influenced by us and give priority to signing with you."
Barnett laughed, never expecting that the usually taciturn young man could one day sit across from him, seriously advising him to make an important decision.
It seems that their love for Arsenal, their desire to do good for the club, is really sincere.
Moreover, it must be said that Gilbert is right, when he has a club's direct youth training player and a foreign superstar, Arsenal's young players will indeed be influenced and more inclined to sign with him, which will help his career development.
This is attractive to him, the Gunners' training camp can produce players for the top five leagues almost every year, and there is no shortage of super international superstars like Maël.
"Be proactive."
Maël had no kinship with Bale and could not deliver a game-winning goal, but he still added, "Let's all be proactive in promoting some things, I think things will have good results soon.
"I look forward to working with Bale, and I also look forward to us accomplishing a great career at Arsenal."
After saying this, he turned his gaze to Wenger and suggested, "Why don't we take advantage of Bale being here, and today I'll take Van Persie, Gilbert, Ramsey, and the new recruits to take a stroll around London?"
Wenger's eyes moved, and after thinking of something, he quickly nodded in agreement, "Okay, I'll have Philip contact them now."
This is a good opportunity to win over Bale, and he must take the opportunity to cultivate their relationship.
"I" Bale and Barnett smiled at each other, just wanting to say that they live in North London and are very familiar with it.
But Maël reacted faster, stood up and interrupted him, inviting, "It's okay, let's go, let's go, even if it's to get familiar with your teammates in advance."
Barnett hadn't gotten up yet, but Ramsey and Gilbert quickly walked to Bale's side, helped the latter up, put their arms around his shoulders, and led him out the door, with the momentum of taking him away by force.
"Mr. Barnett."
Mr. Wenger also stopped Barnett, pressing his advantage, and said, "Don't you think now is the best time to confirm the players' contracts? Little Kroenke and the Sporting Director are both at the club."
Barnett watched as the situation spiraled out of his control at an extremely fast pace. By the time he realized it, he couldn't change it. He had to compromise and said with a smile, "Yes, I also think this is a good opportunity for negotiation."
"Please."
"Please."
The two went to the Sporting Director's office together. Mr. Wenger also quickly contacted Little Kroenke to come over, and at the same time asked Philip to contact the players to help Maël lead the new players' tour of London smoothly.
Half an hour later, the Arsenal players, driving their respective luxury cars, gathered at the entrance of the base.
Podolski drove his gray Ferrari F430, carrying Cazorla, with some anticipation for this short afternoon vacation. It was also a good experience.
Bale drove his Lamborghini, carrying his national teammate Ramsey, and the two talked in low voices.
"Buzz buzz!" Maël quickly drove his brand-endorsed Ferrari 458, a brand-new red car, with Thiago Silva, who had just joined the team.
As for his F430, he gave it to Gilbert to drive, letting him carry João Pereira.
Van Persie, Lloris, and Giroud rode in an Audi driven by a club driver, following behind everyone.
"Let's go!"
At Maël's command, everyone smiled and followed Maël. A group of people swaggered through the city and soon arrived at the Thames River, passing through the London Tower Bridge.
"Buzz buzz!"
"Whoa! Come on!"
The roar of the cars and the joyful shouts of the players were intertwined. Everyone cherished this event and wanted to take this opportunity to get closer.
Before long, they slowly drove out of the city and headed towards Primrose Hill, a nearby high point.
As the sun set, the group arrived in the quiet and beautiful mountains. They parked their cars in one place and walked along the asphalt road, also observing the whole view of London through the branches of the trees.
"This is an intoxicating city, and it also has the best football market in the world."
Compared to last year when Van Persie introduced it to everyone, this year it was Maël who introduced it to them, "It feels great to live here, especially when you perform well on the field.
"The fans will treat you like gods, give you the treatment of kings and monarchs, and let you experience unprecedented enthusiasm.
"I don't know about the others. If you want to know about enthusiastic London girls, Van Persie will enlighten you. I can't, my girlfriend is a Sheffield Person."
"Haha!" Everyone laughed together as they walked along, like an outdoor team on an outing.
"Van Persie!"
"Is that Maël? God!"
Many old couples and young couples sitting on the lawn quickly discovered the group, ran up in shock to ask for a group photo, and some people showed surprise after seeing Bale appear in the team.
"There are so many enthusiastic London girls, I can't count them all."
After the fans left, Van Persie began to lecture under the expectant gazes of everyone, "But as long as you often attend parties, with each of you worth over ten million euros, are you still afraid that no one will take the initiative to pursue you?"
"What if you don't like parties?" Thiago Silva asked with a smile. He was a disciplined person.
"Simple." Van Persie pointed at him with his finger, "As long as you make a name for yourself in London, you don't have to worry about not getting the favor of girls in your daily life. You will be sought after just by walking on the street.
"Back when I first joined this team, I went shopping with Clichy one day. In just a few hours, 13 girls asked to follow me on social media and kept in touch regularly.
"Oh, right, only 3 people added Clichy, which was just a fraction of mine.
"So, I suspect Clichy's move to Manchester City had something to do with it. His ego must have taken a hit."
"Haha...!" His narcissistic joke made everyone laugh again. Ramsey couldn't stand it anymore and frowned, "How come I remember a different version, where 32 people approached Maël and only 4 approached you in the afternoon?"
Van Persie's face immediately turned green, and Gilbert beside him also looked uncomfortable, as if recalling some 'tragic' memories on Cherry Street.
The group walked and stopped, soon arriving at a high point where they sat or lay on the grass.
"Maël."
Van Persie suddenly felt a surge of heroic emotion and turned to ask Maël, "Last year, do you remember what you said around this time last year?"
"I remember." Maël was also reminded of the past and said with a smile, "This is a football city, and nothing else matters. Only becoming the King of London is worth boasting about."
"Did you succeed?" Portuguese defender João Pereira asked a silly question, and even he himself laughed after asking it.
"Of course."
Maël looked at the grass under his feet, the dense forest in front of him, and the distant international city of London, and felt a sense of openness from standing on high and looking far, "Who would deny that I am now the King of London?"
"Boo!" His statement caused a chorus of teasing boos, but people couldn't refute it.
They looked at Maël's back, recalling the goal he had set last year today, and then comparing it to everything he now possessed... In fact, from the bottom of their hearts, they felt that he was truly remarkable, and saying he was just a London player was a bit of an understatement.
"What's the King of London?"
When a group of big men are together, they inevitably play some awkward games without restraint. Maël smiled and pointed into the distance, "Wait and see, next year and the year after, I will become the King of the entire world.
"People will no longer sing about Sean Long and Graham, nor will they sing about Agüero and Suárez, but they will sing about Ronaldo and Messi. Be careful, Maël is catching up from behind!"
"Hahaha!" Everyone's laughter grew louder, and some people cheered and whistled, "Yeah~~!!"
"If there's the King of London and the King of the World, then what kind of king am I?"
Van Persie pretended to be jealous and said, then remembering something, he patted his chest with a smile, "I've got it, I'm the King of the People!"
"Haha, tsk...!" He attracted another round of ridicule, but he didn't seem to care much, as this was just to liven up the atmosphere.
Amidst the laughter, the distance between everyone was rapidly closing.
After that came the fixed event: they drove to the villa estate where Maël lived.
This time, as they slowly drove into the small road of the small park in front of Maël's house, a completely different scene from last year unfolded.
"Shit."
"You live here at such a young age?"
"Is this his house?"
"Yes."
There were still players like João Pereira and Giroud, who had not had high salaries before, who were shocked by Maël's residence, but the feeling of astonishment was much less.
"Is there a problem? He is a hundred-million-dollar man, one of the most watched people in football today, and a single post can sell for £1.35 million."
"It's nothing, just envious."
"Haha, let's work hard, and I hope we can all succeed at Arsenal and live in houses like this."
Amidst a chorus of sighs, Maël led the group into the house, telling Safina and Isabella to hurry and prepare a feast, while he got some drinks out first.
"It's out, it's out!"
Soon, João Pereira came running out of the bathroom, holding his phone, his face full of anticipation. "Transfermarkt's valuations are out! There's a bonus video, wanna watch it? It should be the official announcement!"
"Let's see!" Van Persie was also looking forward to it, feeling that he had some room for growth.
João Pereira placed the phone on the table and clicked play. Everyone gathered around, watching with the anticipation of opening a blind box.
Of course, the title stated that it was about the top ten most valuable players in world football, and most people knew that it had nothing to do with them.
"10, Van Persie, Arsenal, latest valuation 52.5 million euros!"
As soon as the video started, Van Persie's face appeared, with a downward red arrow next to his valuation, indicating a decrease in value.
"Hey?!" Van Persie immediately jumped up, dissatisfied. "So many players performed poorly in the European Cup, why did they lower mine so much?"
The others immediately patted him on the back to comfort him, and he quickly calmed down, continuing to watch, muttering under his breath, "This season I'll score another 30 goals and get myself to 80 million euros!"
"9, Falcao, Atlético Madrid, latest valuation 55 million euros!"
"8, David Silva, Manchester City, latest valuation 55 million euros!"
"7, Agüero, Manchester City, latest valuation 57.5 million euros!"
Van Persie spread his hands again and began to complain, "David Silva's impact is strong, his stats are high, and he reached the European Cup final, so I can understand his high valuation.
"What's up with Agüero? Is it because he didn't participate in the European Cup? So he maintained his valuation?"
"Alright, alright, let's wait for Maël's latest valuation, stop complaining." Ramsey pulled him back. Everyone gathered here, definitely wanting to see where Maël, the European Cup champion + record holder + four-time best player, ranked.
Van Persie stopped talking, staring at the screen, hoping his good brother's valuation could soothe the imbalance in his heart.
"6, Fabregas, Chelsea, latest valuation 62.5 million euros!"
"5, Rooney, Manchester United, latest valuation 68 million euros!"
"4, Iniesta, Barcelona, latest valuation 75 million euros!"
"3, Ronaldo, Real Madrid, latest valuation 110 million euros!"
"..."
"Oh!" Seeing Ronaldo ranked only third, everyone's eyes widened as they looked at Maël, celebrating their team captain surpassing the Portugal captain with cheers.
This was actually a natural progression. Maël was much younger than the Portugal superstar and the Argentina superstar, with a longer potential career and greater potential!
Even if his stats hadn't truly surpassed the two, it was very reasonable for him to rise on the valuation list!
The reason why age wasn't added to the evaluation criteria before was because Transfermarkt was still relatively fair and serious, considering whether a player's long-term data was stable and not arbitrarily giving a newly debuted player too high a valuation.
But two consecutive seasons of excellent performance, coupled with Maël's explosive form in the European Cup and accumulation of honors, allowed Transfermarkt to gradually relax in this regard, giving him a valuation that was more in line with the truth for him.
"Number Two And Number One! Leon Ma-ehl And Lionel Messi!!"
The values of the first and second place were announced together. At this moment, everyone already knew that Maël had reached the shared first position.
World number one!
"135m!!"
Maël and Messi, who scored over a hundred goals last season, each occupied a screen, the images showing cutouts of them celebrating on the field.
135 million euros! This was Maël's latest value. He didn't encounter a bottleneck after his miracle breakthrough of 100 million, but instead surged forward, increasing by another 30 million!
"Yeahhh!" Arsenal's old and new players all raised their hands, congratulating their young captain. Even Van Persie forgot about his own declining value.
Safina and Isabella hurried out of the kitchen, both anxiously asking, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"
José, Davis, and Harry also quickly came out of their rooms, staring at the frolicking players.
"Maël's value, one hundred thirty-five million euros, tied for world number one with Messi!"
Someone explained to them. Subsequently, the entire room erupted in cheers, with not a single quiet corner. "Aahh! That's great! Will he surpass Messi next time?"
"It's a bit difficult to surpass that monster without a major tournament, but maintaining Maël's level shouldn't be too hard!"
"Yes, Messi has gone through several seasons of accumulation and stable performance, and this season his data exploded again. It's too difficult to keep up with him, but from today onwards, the captain is someone who has reached the top spot in the world!"
"Hahaha!"
Among the group, Gilbert's emotions seemed particularly excited. He kept clapping his hands, his eyes searching around the doorway.
Soon, he saw the value card that Joelson had made for Maël early on, as well as the two value card gifts he had given to Maël for his first Champions League appearance.
Thinking about it now, that was a long time ago. The value on the highest value card wasn't even a fraction of Maël's current value.
While marveling, he also had the idea of redoing several value cards for Maël.
He wanted to make all of Maël's value cards for 30-45-70-105 and 135 million, commemorating his rise to world number one, and display them in his good brother's house, to record it for him, and also to record his own witness.
In the center of attention, Maël was also smiling brightly, but his tone wasn't too excited. "Why don't any of you believe in me? My value has never dropped.
"The one who should be feeling the pressure isn't me, but the Argentine superstar far away in Barcelona.
"If he can't produce any more impressive achievements, the next update will likely see me leading the way!
"Just watch, a 19-year-old will soon be sitting alone at the top of the value chart. Maybe I'll be the first player in world football to break through 200 million euros."
"Hey, hey, hey!" The room resounded with noisy voices again, everyone teasing Maël with laughter.
These new recruits had also accompanied their captain through an important moment, integrating into the circle of Arsenal's core players.
"What about Arsenal's total value?" Van Persie asked curiously, "This is also crucial. Let's see if the Kroenke family's investment has paid off."
"620 million euros, up 130 million!" Thiago Silva held up his phone in front of everyone. "I guess it's because of the new players joining, and also because the value of several French Team internationals has increased."
Van Persie's face lit up, but after seeing the ranking, he shook his head slightly dejectedly. "Still ranked third, Real Madrid and Barcelona are really too difficult to surpass."
"What's the rush?" Maël also saw the ranking, and he had a very positive attitude. "There's only a 25 million difference with Barcelona, and a 61 million difference with Real Madrid. If we work hard, we have a chance to surpass them this season."
"That's right."
Ramsey recalled the last time all the players' values increased significantly at the end of last season. "If our performance is excellent, and our values all rise again, surpassing Barcelona is really a piece of cake."
"Once we reach the second position, everyone will definitely be full of confidence and launch a full-scale assault on the first."
"Then, just like Maël said, the ones under pressure will be them, not us who have the advantage of coming from behind."
"No..." Giroud, with a blank expression, poked Ramsey. "Once Bale joins, won't our total value directly surpass Barcelona and approach Real Madrid?"
He had just sneaked a peek at Bale's Transfermarkt value, currently at 45 million euros, ranking around 15th.
This made him secretly sigh at the madness of the transfer market. Everyone clearly acknowledges that Transfermarkt is the most official and fair platform, yet some players are overpriced and have no market, while others are snapped up at double the price.
He couldn't help but wonder, after this update, would it become more difficult for other clubs to try and buy Maël? After all, with Transfermarkt at 135 million, it seems difficult without 200 million euros in cash. "That's right!!"
Everyone else was also stunned, and after realizing this, they clapped their hands and turned their eager gazes towards Bale. "Gareth, you don't want us to always be suppressed by Barcelona, do you?
"You must also want to experience the road of climbing upwards, not just sit back and enjoy the benefits of being in first place, right?"
Bale sat on the sofa and spread his hands in confusion, not understanding why everyone had suddenly turned their attention to him.
But honestly, after a day like this, he really had started to think of himself as an Arsenal player.
It seemed like it would be unreasonable not to join this club.
Maël then took a comfortable breath, went to the refrigerator to get a drink, and after turning around, he belatedly chuckled to himself.
135m, this is the value he deserved after the European Cup, but it's just the beginning of setting sail in the new season... He hopes that he will be the one to officially usher in the era of football players with a Transfermarkt value of 200 million euros.
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