I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 393: Chapter 48: Sideline (Pulling Strings) (Part 2)

1.5 million Euros for a 5-month loan, equal to 300,000 per month, not to mention the salary provided for Fobei, which means spending nearly 100,000 Euros a week on a benchwarmer.

This business deal is simply a complete loss.

Under such circumstances, the newly appointed Juan de Ramos began looking for new options in Castilla, hoping to find another Chen Zhong.

However, Calderon had already emptied Castilla once before.

He could only focus his attention on Shao Luyi, who had joined less than two years ago.

Although, according to the rules, because it’s been less than two years since his joining Real Madrid, he must occupy a formal spot and also has limited appearances, Ramos still decided to include him in his list.

The reason is simple, this 21-year-old, 1.93 meters tall player is good at aerial duels and has decent foot skills, and is even dubbed as the ”new Ibrahimovic” in Castilla.

Plus, with Huntelaar, the ”winter window king” unable to register, players like Shao Luyi are very likely to become key forces for Real Madrid.

Moreover, Shao Luyi’s resume is quite impressive.

Born in 1987 in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, he trained at the domestic powerhouse Upjest and quickly became a minor star in Hungary.

At 18, he was taken by the Bundesliga team Stuttgart, where in the German U19 cup final, Shao Luyi scored the winning goal, helping Stuttgart’s youth team defeat Bochum to lift the trophy. Afterward, then Stuttgart’s coach Trapattoni called Shao Luyi into the first team but did not arrange for him to play.

In the summer of 2007, during a national youth team invitational, Real Madrid scouts noticed Shao Luyi’s performance, despite the fact that he could barely speak any Spanish at the time.

However, after a comprehensive assessment, Real Madrid B team’s technical officials believed that Shao Luyi, with his height, strength, and excellent footwork skills, had shades of Ibrahimovic.

Although Shao Luyi’s idol is Van Nistelrooy, but in 2007, wasn’t Van Nistelrooy exactly playing for Real Madrid?

So he promptly came to Spain.

During his two-year stint in Castilla, the striking partnership with Bueno showed its power, accounting for 70% of B team’s goals.

Shao Luyi quickly integrated into the Real Madrid Youth Team, many people evaluated Shao Luyi this way.

”If you just look at his big frame, you would never imagine him to run so fast.”

And speed also became one of the important reasons Ramos chose Shao Luyi, because Huntelaar, the ”winter window king”, due to speed issues, could not integrate into the team’s tactical system.

After all, Ramos’ strategy was counter-attack based, and for Shao Luyi with speed specialties, it was simply a God-sent tactic for him.

At that time, Shao Luyi’s heart was full of lofty aspirations, after seeing 16-year-old Chen Zhong manage to secure a main position in his first season, he always believed that he just needed one chance to shine brightly.

Unfortunately, until the end of the season, he did not get the opportunity to appear for the team.

And into the new season, Real Madrid’s main positions were held by Negredo, and Benzema, Higuain, Morata, and other players directly left Shao Luyi with no chance to even enter the first-team roster.

Recently, Shao Luyi received dual notices from his agent and the club, indicating a strong possibility of being loaned out in the winter window to ensure his development.

Shao Luyi had already resigned to his fate.

But yesterday, Chen Zhong’s arrival made Shao Luyi see hope again, and the experiences of his ”old teammates” like Nacho, Callejon, Parejo alongside Chen Zhong made Shao Luyi feel a tinge of delusion and regret.

Initially, because of hearing that Chen Zhong’s relationship with Van Nistelrooy was not good, Shao Luyi didn’t have much impression of Chen Zhong either.

But later, as Chen Zhong’s relationship with Van Nistelrooy improved, plus with teammate, club, and media brainwashing, Chen Zhong suddenly became a ”heroic” and ”role model” figure.

In Sports City, everyone envied Chen Zhong, everyone wanted to become Chen Zhong.

Naturally, Shao Luyi was no exception.

However, when he wanted to get along well with Chen Zhong, Chen Zhong was loaned to Milan, and he himself entered Real Madrid’s big list.

At the start of the new season, because he felt that, although Morata’s strength was formidable with a potential to surpass, he, after all, came first, already made into Real Madrid’s roster once, even entered the Champions League roster, so he was somewhat ”reserved” in his heart.

But eventually, all those chosen were players with good relationships with Chen Zhong.

This made Shao Luyi realize the reality.

And this time, seeing Oscar Garro even taking over first-team training, Shao Luyi was tempted, wanting to see if he could earn a chance to appear for Real Madrid through this contact.

”My story?”

”Oh oh oh!”

”You are a player of Castilla!” Chen Zhong looked at Shao Luyi and said: ”Adam! I know! After Alvaro left the team, you did well, and Alberto, the striking duo of you two is indeed impressive.”

Alberto Bueno, Adam Shao Luyi.

After Chen Zhong left Real Madrid, Castilla’s top striking partnership, in some sense, Shao Luyi is Chen Zhong’s junior.

Truly a junior.

After all, Chen Zhong entered the first team in 2007, while Shao Luyi joined Real Madrid’s youth training in the same year.

At this moment, Chen Zhong somewhat understood how Raul felt when he looked at him back then, and recalled what Raul said to him in the car, seeing his juniors inevitably stirred emotions.

”Have you heard of my story too?”

Shao Luyi appeared very excited, looking at Chen Zhong with eyes full of expectation.

”I have, Nacho mentioned it to me.”

”Right.”

”Are you here?” Chen Zhong asked Shao Luyi with a smile: ”Did the head coach promote you to the first team?”

Since Chen Zhong ”set things right”, there have been many rumors outside, saying Chen Zhong is the real ”coach” of Real Madrid, while Pellegrini is just a figurehead.

In reality, Chen Zhong continued to back Pellegrini, who transitioned from a goal setter to an executor.

The goal also shifted from securing a league title to trying for all titles...

”No.”

”Not at all...”

”I am just here to help Oscar move some things.” Shao Luyi glanced at Oscar Garro, hesitated for a moment, then spoke: ”The club intends to loan me out in the winter window.”

Oscar Garro took a look at Shao Luyi, silently left the spot to give Chen Zhong some space.

Shao Luyi stood somewhat anxious, though being older than Chen Zhong by some years, yet he was not confronting an 18-year-old junior brother, rather Real Madrid’s ”King Without a Crown”, no, he’s already wearing the crown, he’s now the king of Real Madrid.

If he could speak up...

Perhaps he could become a member of the first team.

As long as he got the chance to perform.

Then!

A bright future would be waving at him!

Young people always think this way, holding beautiful expectations for their future, believing that their performance on the field would surely be better than others, fantasizing about one shot for fame with some benefactor supporting them.

”Very good.”

”What?” Shao Luyi looked at Chen Zhong confused, Chen Zhong’s eyes carried a coolness as if they saw through everything.

”I said very good.”

Chen Zhong repeated.

”Alvaro, Juan, I...”

”Most Castilla players have been loaned out.”

”As long as performing well, they can naturally return here.”

”Being loaned out is not a bad thing.”

”What do you want?” Chen Zhong asked Shao Luyi with a scrutinizing look: ”Want me to speak a word to keep you here? Get you into the first team?”