Bab 13: The First Steps at Arsenal
Gary Neville's opinion reflects the common view among England's football legends and experts. "Van Persie's replacement" is a media gimmick. It's used to attract attention and isn't true.
But in China, many media outlets are following the English press in hyping the concept of "Van Persie's replacement."
[Van Persie's replacement is actually him!]
[The genius of China lands in the Premier League! Is he the next Dong Fangzhuo?]
[Worth two million at seventeen, surpassing the national team's total worth]
For a while, public opinion in China was fierce. Fans were either excited, ridiculing, regretful, or sighing over Louis's Italian heritage.
Louis became famous not only in England but also in China.
This sudden media spotlight wasn't entirely good for him.
Wenger was frustrated by the media's irresponsible remarks, worried they would put too much pressure on Louis. But upon seeing Louis at the training base, those worries disappeared.
Louis's physical report showed significant improvements in strength, speed, and explosiveness. Wenger was satisfied, noting that Louis's training over the past two months had been effective.
In the scouting report, Louis's previous football style was detailed. Growing up in Milan's academy meant all information was complete. Wenger knew about Louis's height issues and transformation over the past six months, making him even more interested.
A player who could adapt so quickly wasn't just reliant on speed and explosiveness. Wenger valued Louis's football intelligence and attitude, including his resilience after setbacks.
During training, Wenger observed Louis closely. He saw a player who trained seriously and hard. In training matches, paired with youth players, Louis still showed his characteristics.
Wenger turned to his assistant, Steve Bould, an Arsenal legend. "Steve, did you notice?"
Bould, surprised, replied, "This kid seems to have two good feet!"
"His left and right feet are very balanced!" Wenger said excitedly.
Louis's performance on the training ground earned him recognition from some Arsenal first-team players, especially midfield bosses Arteta and Cazorla. Italian goalkeeper Mannone also took care of his compatriot.
Louis's English wasn't fluent yet, but his Spanish was good enough to communicate privately with teammates. On the training ground, he insisted on using English to integrate quickly into the team.
Wenger was very satisfied with Louis's performance. After seeing Louis receive a through ball from Cazorla and score, Wenger said, "His ability to handle one-on-ones is strong. He can be included in the squad for the next game."
Bould expressed some concerns, "The next game is at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City. It might not be the best debut opportunity."
"I know. Let him go to the bench first. I'll find the right moment," Wenger replied.
Integrating a youth player into professional football was like releasing a small fish into a raging river. Timing was crucial.
There was an exclamation from the stadium. "Beautiful!!" Bould shouted.
Wenger quickly turned to see Louis, wearing the number 19 jersey, celebrating his goal with open arms.
The number 19 wasn't a main player's number but was better than higher numbers like 39, 47, 69, or 96.
Wenger knew it was Louis who scored. Unfortunately, it was a training match, so he couldn't see the goal video yet.
"Volley! Did you see that, Arsene? This kid scored a volley!" Bould was excited.
On the field, Cazorla, Arteta, and Mannone rushed forward.
"Beautiful!!"
"Oh! This ball! It's so beautiful!!"
"Hahaha, at some point, I actually saw Van Persie."
"Can you not mention him?"
Everyone surrounded Louis, who was also excited. He had just fully integrated the [Van Persie Volley Module]—it only took five days! And Cazorla's cross came just in time. Louis instinctively volleyed with his left foot.
The volley was beautiful, with tricky speed and angle. Substitute goalkeeper Fabianski was helpless.
This goal boosted Louis's confidence. For a striker, confidence was key to maintaining form.
Wenger watched the goal replay on a staff member's tablet. He saw Louis's lateral run, fishhook turn, and left-footed shot.
"It's really good!" Wenger thought of Van Persie again but quickly dismissed the negative thoughts. "It seems this kid has integrated well!"
Louis ended the celebration and returned to the field, opening the system in his mind.
__________
[Football Bond System] has been upgraded to level 2.
[Basic shooting training module], [Basic dribbling training module], [Basic passing training module] have been loaded! Please check carefully!
__________
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone