Chapter 665 125: Another Bet! The Three Superstars Meet Again, Wenger's Three-Year Strategy, and Arsenal's Fatal Flaw

Take Dortmund, for example.

Were Klopp's tactics grueling? Were they difficult?

Extremely grueling and incredibly difficult!

But everyone worked together with one heart and executed them resolutely!

And what about Barça?

Weren't Guardiola's tactics grueling and difficult?

How much running did technical midfielders like Harvey and Iniesta have to do?

"Wang, to be honest, I've been following you ever since your time at Mainz. I asked Leman about you, and he always recommended you to me. But what truly made me decide were those matches where you wore the captain's armband for Dortmund."

"It was those matches that convinced me you were the one—the leader I've been searching for and waiting for!"

...

Wenger stayed in Mainz for over two hours before quietly driving away.

But he left behind the meticulously prepared file.

"He's very sincere," Shen Qinghe said, looking at the thick file on the table in front of Wang Shuo.

"And extremely well-prepared," Thomas Essien added.

Wang Shuo nodded. "But I'm still a little worried about Wenger and Arsenal's ability to operate."

"Arsenal's image has been terrible these past few years. Who would have thought they were actually sitting on 160 million British Pounds in cash flow?" Shen Qinghe found it almost laughable.

This was the same Arsenal that all the fans talked about—drowning in debt, so stingy they couldn't even scrounge up money for transfers.

"What do you think?" Thomas Essien asked.

"Wenger was very frank. For example, he told us they couldn't sign Modric and that Arsenal already has Wilshere."

Modric was currently playing for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal's North London arch-rivals. It would be difficult for the Gunners to poach him.

Wilshere had performed exceptionally well this past season, so of course, he was a priority for development.

So who could replace Fabregas?

Wenger's most pragmatic choice was Everton's Arteta.

Wang Shuo didn't say anything, but he was thinking of someone else: Bayern's Tony Kroos.

Of course, it would also be extremely difficult for Wenger to pry Tony Kroos away from Bayern.

"Wenger's football philosophy is impeccable. His eye for talent and his ability to develop young players are also beyond doubt. But to be honest, I'm not confident that Arsenal can really commit this much capital to transfers."

As for whether they could become a top team in three years, Wang Shuo wasn't worried.

He had watched game tapes and highlight reels of Hazard in Ligue 1; he was indeed an outstanding player.

He also knew a bit about players like Arteta and Matuidi.

'They might not be as good as Nasri and Fabregas, but they'll have me, won't they?'

"Commission a data firm to research Arsenal," Wang Shuo said, looking at Shen Qinghe.

The last time Wang Shuo renewed his contract with Dortmund, Shen Qinghe had commissioned a data firm to analyze him. She then used that hard data to negotiate with Dortmund's senior management and successfully secured the contract.

Now, Wang Shuo hoped the data firm could help him analyze the current situation.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City...

'Who knows what the future holds?'

"Leave this to me," Shen Qinghe agreed with a nod.

"Thomas."

Wang Shuo looked at Thomas Essien. "For the time being, I need you to keep a close eye on the European Football Scene, especially every move in the transfer market. Stay in touch at all times."

"Got it."

Wang Shuo mentioned a few other things.

Taking out his phone, he sent a message in the "Champions League Semi-final Hat-trick" group chat, tagging Ronaldo and Messi.

"You two, I'm heading home first. See you in China!"

...

In early June, summer in southern China was always exceptionally muggy.

Unlike the dry heat of the north, the heat in the coastal Quanjiang City was humid and sticky.

In the north, a summer rain shower would often cause the temperature to drop sharply.

But in Quanjiang City, rain only made things more uncomfortable.

Wang Shuo, shirtless, was lying in a woven bamboo rocking chair in the living room on the second floor of his house, the main doors wide open. He held a cattail fan, fanning himself from time to time.

He was trying hard to recapture that feeling from his childhood.

But something always felt off.

'Maybe it would be better if I were completely naked?'

Just as this thought popped into Wang Shuo's head, his phone suddenly rang, startling him.

"Hello, Brother Jiandong."

"Xiao Shuo, I just got word that Ronaldo and Messi are coming to China? Is this true?"

"Where did you hear that? Sister Jialin must have violated her confidentiality agreement, huh?" Wang Shuo said with a chuckle.

"Don't give me that. How could you keep something this big a secret?"

After a pause, Zhang Jiandong continued, "I just came from seeing Coach Gao. He's the one who told me. I'm just calling you to confirm—are they really coming?"

"Definitely. I've already arranged it with them. They're coming to attend the finals of this year's provincial school football tournament."

"So all the leaders at every level know?"

"Of course. I can't make the decision on something like this by myself."

"You punk, did you really trick them into coming over with just one bet?"

"How can you call it tricking? I won fair and square. Besides, this is for a good cause. I'm covering their food, lodging, and airfare to give them a free trip to China. They're thrilled about it."

Every time he thought about it, Wang Shuo felt a pang of pain in his wallet.

"Messi's group has seven or eight people, and Ronaldo's has ten. Thankfully, Xiao Hu has been coordinating things in Europe, so their visas were processed in time. Otherwise, they might not have made it."

"Alright, I'll report this to my newspaper's leadership right away. I'll lead a team to Quanjiang City to cover the story. I heard the national television station is also taking this very seriously."