From Arsenal to the Ball God

Next day, Ma’el woke up, washed up, and went downstairs, ready to start his morning training after breakfast.

Today the club is on break, so he can focus on improving his Skill Level and strength at home all day.

He’s not satisfied yet. Before reaching the ultimate goal of a Grand Slam, he needs to work hard and continue enhancing his skills.

Going downstairs, he saw the four team members all sitting on the sofa, smiling as if they were waiting for him.

Yesterday they didn’t meet; he went straight upstairs to sleep as he returned late.

”You’re about to become a Premier League star.”

Safina smiled at him, mentioning yesterday’s match, ”We watched the whole game at home, and you performed really well.”

”Really made us proud.” Her brother Harry gave a thumbs-up and came to Ma’el’s side, offering the first hug.

”Looks like Mendes was right, with you, we really might achieve everything.” Davis was the second to come over, giving Ma’el a high-five and an enthusiastic embrace.

”That’s why I chose you.”

Jose proudly raised his eyebrow, saying few words but making his point clear, he patted Ma’el’s shoulder forcefully, ”Go for it, you can achieve more.”

Safina also came forward at this time, gazing at Ma’el with her beautiful eyes shining like water.

”First to speak, last to come up.” Ma’el opened his arms to her, joking as they embraced: ”Why so reserved?”

”Because I’m a woman.”

Safina separated from Ma’el but kept her face close to his, smiling intently as if about to lean in.

Ma’el felt a flutter in his heart..... This woman is charming at times, but pity she’s a lesbian.

Just as he was about to joke that he sees her as a friend, she anticipated his intent and laughed, saying: ”What if I suddenly change my orientation?”

”Don’t scare me.”

Ma’el instinctively replied, taking a step back with so many people around..... especially her brother is there.

He glanced at Harry, noticing the smile on his face had indeed frozen a bit.

”Just kidding.” Safina laughed cheerfully, flicking her hair back and stepping away.

That’s good, otherwise her brother might fight me..... Ma’el headed to the garage outside the door, took out the Player of the Match trophy and commemorative ball from the car, and placed them on his honor shelf.

His honor shelf already had quite a few items, and their value was gradually increasing.

Now it seems, this shelf, which once felt a bit extravagant, actually has a rustic vibe..... Time to replace it with a new one.

”How much can the most expensive custom-made honor shelf fetch?” He turned to the four team members, hoping they might know.

”I know a place.”

Davis raised his right hand, stepping forward: ”Cristiano had someone in Portugal customize such things, which turned out very luxurious and exquisite, still sitting in his home.

”If I remember correctly, around 40,000 Euros. It’s world-class craftsmanship using the finest materials.”

Ma’el nodded slightly, meaning about 30,000 Pounds, a price he can currently afford.

Not to mention the salary, with the season underway, his bonuses are also gradually increasing.

In yesterday’s Premier League match, he earned a bonus of 60,000 Pounds for his hat-trick, tax-free.

”I’ll need you to help order it.”

”No problem.”

After breakfast, Ma’el followed Davis into physical training. After showing his brilliance, the hard days continued.

......

On August 16th, Germany’s transfer window suddenly updated with the latest player transfer values.

This was a bit unexpected, much later than people anticipated, but Transfermarkt can be quite whimsical with no fixed time.

In this list, people like Messi and Ronaldo at the top experienced another rise of around 10 million Euros, seemingly inflating with the trend of football monetization.

However, their performances are certainly impeccable, with annual goals exceeding 50+60+ or even higher, justifying the rise.

In this update, many UK media actively searched for Ma’el’s name.

The Guardian was about three minutes ahead of other media, posting the first update about Ma’el’s value across major platforms.

”30 million Euros! An increase of 10 million again! Ma’el and Dortmund’s wonder kid Götze are tied as the most valuable players in the Golden Boy Award range!” — The Guardian

30 million Euro!

Top of the ’93 age group!

Tied for first within the Golden Boy Award range!

”Does this mean, this player who rose from the Championship and stunned in the Premier League debut, suddenly became a strong contender for the year-end Golden Boy Award?”

”And it’s a cross-tier competition!”

”Alright, now we have a good show, with two players competing for the Golden Boy Award based on their half-season performances.”

”Are other players out of the running?”

”With their value and performance laid out, who else can they give it to?”

”Then Ma’el is already ahead, right? His Premier League debut with 3 goals sets a higher starting point than Götze.”

”Götze started high. Götze was playing Bundesliga last year with 8 goals and 11 assists; his top-tier league cumulative stats are much better than Ma’el’s. His form this year is surely also good.”

”Ma’el has 40 goals and 27 assists... Does it really not count? Before entering the Premier League, his value was already 20 million, recognized by Transfermarkt, so the Golden Boy Award can’t disregard it.”