I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 195: Chapter 71: Transfer Rumors, the World’s Three Strongest Players

Plus, from the news just received via Granero, De La Red has already reached an agreement with Real Madrid for next season and will return to Bernabeu.

Real Madrid’s midfield is already very saturated.

In fact, to a certain extent, De La Red’s return is related to Chen Zhong, because it is precisely Chen Zhong’s outstanding performance that led to fans, media, and legends collectively protesting for more opportunities for the club’s homegrown players.

This led the team to start buying back those outstanding ”homegrown players.”

This also means that the returning players will have a bit of gratitude towards Chen Zhong.

The two chatted a few words, and Granero finally said: ”Chen, when I have the chance to return to Real Madrid, perhaps you’ll be the leader of the locker room, please don’t bully me then!”

”Hahaha!”

”By that time, you might have to clean my shoes, serve me tea and water. Just one wrong word, and I’ll rally the locker room to isolate you.”

...

Santiago Bernabeu Stadium

The white handkerchiefs waved in the stands, the 0:1 score on the scoreboard glaringly conspicuous.

Schuster stood at the sidelines with a grim face.

Getafe, without Granero and De La Red, actually won the match at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Yes, they actually won the match.

”The game is over!”

”Getafe ended Real Madrid’s 18-match winning streak across seasons.”

”18-match winning streak!”

”Before the match, no one could have imagined, Getafe missing two key midfield players could actually defeat Real Madrid.”

”A dramatic scene occurred in the 64th minute where Getafe launched a rapid counter-attack, forming a 4-on-2 situation at the front field.”

”Passing from Casquero, Manu Moral delivered a diagonal pass before Real Madrid’s penalty area, Uche struck from 10 yards into the lower left corner.”

”0:1”

”They won the match, ending Real Madrid’s victory.”

”Real Madrid has once again lost a league match without Chen Zhong on the field.”

”Perhaps as many reports have suggested, Real Madrid has developed a dependency on Chen Zhong!”

”Without Chen Zhong, their defense is not stable, and their midfield lost its dominance.”

Getafe seemed to have gained experience from the encounter between Rome and Real Madrid, and also adopted the ”bus parking” tactics.

With tenacious defense and a bit of luck, Getafe finally scored during a counter-attack.

Guti stood on the pitch, sweat dripping down his cheeks onto the grass. He looked around at the waving handkerchiefs in the stands, feeling suddenly dejected.

Over the past month, every match he started seemed to end in defeat.

And in any match where that young man played, the team always managed to win.

”Have I... grown old?”

Guti raised his head, a trace of bewilderment flashed in his eyes, but soon he reaffirmed himself, looking towards the VIP area and finally spotted the young figure.

Guti reminisced about the last match, and the silent understanding between the two of them at the final moment.

Reflecting on the post-match photo of the two, referred to by the media as the ”Guti-Chen connection.”

Guti: Next time, if Chen isn’t playing, could you please not let me be on the field? We can’t win, it’s impossible...

...

After this match, Real Madrid’s public opinion took a rollercoaster turn. Previously, they praised Real Madrid for finding the right way to win, claiming that having Chen Zhong was akin to Barcelona possessing Messi or Manchester United having C. Ronaldo, firmly grasping their future.

But now, they began to ferociously criticize the team’s ”achilles heel,” believing that Real Madrid seemed incapable of playing soccer without Chen Zhong.

Just at this time, the UK’s ”World News” reported that Real Madrid is preparing to spend 67 million Euros this summer to acquire Liverpool Team’s captain Gerrard.

This also led to some division among the fans.

And just at this critical moment, Messi won last season’s EFE Best La Liga Latin American Player award.

After this match, Messi received the award and accepted an interview from EFE.

Talking about everything happening currently, he first expressed his happiness for his achievements.

”I am happy about everything that happened last year, I like winning awards, but my greatest wish is still to win championships with the club and the national team.”

Since last year, Messi has gradually become football’s brightest new star, just like this season’s Chen Zhong, quickly establishing his foothold in the team with an impressive speed and performance.

In just one short season, Messi not only gained reputation but also surpassed his good friend Ronaldinho in the hearts of many fans.

This compelled Messi to issue a statement saying: ”I have never talked about, nor thought about such matters. I am only concerned about whether I can improve every day; I will not speculate what the future holds.”

Messi’s remarks were quite genuine as he always sought Ronaldinho on the pitch, aiming to coordinate with him.

Even when Eto’o was better positioned at times, he would stubbornly pass to Ronaldinho, causing many to criticize him.

Messi’s style of playing resembles Ronaldinho’s in that it is highly entertaining. His long sprints with the ball have consistently been a dazzling scene at Camp Nou over the years. Yet, while some are captivated by this, others have criticized Messi, claiming he is too individualistic, delaying the team’s attacking opportunities.