บท 11: The Gamble
"Who? Wenger?!"
Inzaghi's eyes widened in surprise.
"What's wrong, uncle? Is there anything strange?" Louis asked.
"Strange? That's Arsène Wenger. He called you personally. Can I not be surprised?"
"He specifically asked for me. He said as long as I don't get injured, I can get at least 20 chances to play this season!"
Louis stretched out two fingers, emphasizing his point.
Inzaghi sighed with emotion, a smile spreading across his face. "It seems Mr. Wenger really wants you to join Arsenal. That's great. By the way, you don't have an agent yet. I'll recommend one. He's my agent and represents many big names in Italy, including Pirlo."
Inzaghi's agent, Tulio Tinti, is a well-known figure in Italy. His agency represents many Italian international players. Unlike another infamous Italian agent, Mino Raiola, Tulio Tinti has a good reputation with most top clubs. He balances the interests of players and clubs, ensuring players get a good image and career prospects.
Louis naturally chose to trust his uncle.
The meeting with Arsenal representatives took place in a private room of a high-end Chinese restaurant in Milan. Louis was accompanied by Inzaghi and Tulio Tinti, who had just signed on as his agent.
The two parties finalized the contract details. For Louis, the salary Arsenal could offer wasn't the main concern. The only stipulation he insisted on was a high goal bonus.
With Louis agreeing to move to Arsenal, transfer documents were quickly exchanged between AC Milan and Arsenal. They needed to complete the signing before the transfer window closed to avoid any last-minute issues.
On September 2nd, the last day of the 2012 summer transfer window, all major media outlets closely reported on transfer trends in major European leagues. Last-minute big-name signings were a staple of every transfer window.
In England, Arsenal fans eagerly awaited news of a big-name signing to replace Van Persie. However, at five o'clock in the afternoon on September 2, just before Arsenal's transfer department staff left for the day, all of Louis's transfer documents were signed.
Arsenal announced on its official website and social media accounts:
"The club has signed striker Louis Dupont from AC Milan. Welcome to Arsenal, Louis!"
The English media were bewildered. Arsenal fans were equally confused. Louis Dupont's name hadn't appeared in any transfer rumors.
After examining Louis's resume and information, the English media concluded that Arsenal had simply signed a youth player—not worth much attention.
Until...
Some media outlets uncovered Louis's transfer fee.
"Who is Louis Dupont? Only seventeen years old and worth two million?!"
"Arsenal's last-minute signing in the transfer window?!"
"Is he Van Persie's replacement?"
The English media, known for their sensationalism, didn't care about the pressure their headlines placed on a seventeen-year-old player. They only cared about traffic and views.
Fans, expecting a big-name forward, were disappointed to see their club spend two million euros on an unknown player. The famous Arsenal Fan TV (AFTV) channel immediately released a live video.
In the video, AFTV host Robbie Lyle showed a naive expression and held up the microphone to interview the famous "angry Arsenal fan" DT.
"Hey, DT, the transfer window is over. Let's evaluate Arsenal's summer window this season."
"Shit! A bunch of shit! It's all shit!" DT said angrily.
"I can't understand why we sold Van Persie to Manchester United! Why? He still had one year left on his contract, right? One year! So what if we didn't sell him? It's only twenty million pounds! Why sell him to a rival like Manchester United? All I can say is, shit!"
DT gestured to the camera with the number "1".
"He still had a one-year contract. Why not keep him? It's only twenty million pounds! Even if he had to leave, why sell him to a competitor like Manchester United?"
The angry DT responded with a thick Cockney accent. The program resonated with many Arsenal fans, who also shouted "shit" in unison.
"Then we have introduced a few forwards, right?" Robbie Lyle said. "For example, Giroud and Podolski."
"Shit! Do you expect Giroud or Podolski to replace Van Persie? Can they score 30 goals in a season?" DT said, shaking his head.
"What about Louis Dupont?"
"Ha!"
DT sneered.
"No offense," DT looked at the camera, "Louis Dupont? or whatever you call him, I have no ill will towards you. But he's only seventeen. At the last moment of the transfer window, Wenger buys Dupont? We haven't scored in three consecutive league rounds! Three consecutive rounds!"
"Do you expect this seventeen-year-old kid to score goals for Arsenal?"
"He's still a kid! Maybe he hasn't even finished growing!"
The audience behind Robbie Lyle burst into laughter.
"Isn't it? We need real stars!! Damn it!!" DT yelled at the camera.
AFTV, an online channel, has been popular among Arsenal fans in recent years. With Arsenal's recent poor performances, the "angry mad dog" style of AFTV resonated with many fans who wanted to vent their frustrations.
Louis, who hadn't yet arrived in London, became famous overnight.
"Do you expect a seventeen-year-old kid to replace Van Persie?"
On the Internet, fans of other teams ridiculed Arsenal fans.
Louis, still on the plane, was confused when he heard the system's notification.
"Ding! [Football Bond System] is triggered. You have obtained a new module. Please check the fusion training plan!"
Louis opened the system.
__________
Competitor Bonds: What? The seventeen-year-old guy is actually Van Persie's replacement?
Obtain module: Van Persie volley module
Fusion Difficulty: A
Fusion progress: 10% (stop the ball? What is the ball stop?)
Estimated time for complete integration: 5-13 days (if you don't train hard, you may never fully integrate)
The first phase of the integrated training plan:
__________
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