Chapter 734 - 135: Three-Game Winning Streak! Unstoppable! Shocking Blowout! Overwhelming Victory! Top-Tier Defensive Midfielder and Winter Break Signings!

He wasn’t stupid either. Getting involved in Alexandre Song’s contract renewal out of nowhere meant that a single misstep could leave him alienated by both sides.

"You’re the team captain. Although you have no right to participate in the negotiations, maintaining the stability of the locker room is your responsibility," Wenger said. "Besides, I can tell Alexandre Song respects you a lot. He’ll listen to what you have to say."

"But I can’t lie to him," Wang Shuo replied.

"I’ll go talk to Gazidis. If our results are good this season, we’ll give him a lucrative contract. At least double his current wages. The better our results, the higher the offer."

Wang Shuo thought for a moment. "Start the negotiations in the summer of 2012, and guarantee it gets done before 2013 arrives. You have to promise him this personally."

"Deal!" Wenger nodded.

It was clear that the manager was under a certain amount of pressure regarding this matter. Arsenal truly didn’t have much money right now. Of course, that had nothing to do with Wang Shuo. He knew he was fully earning the salary Arsenal paid him.

"I’ll give him a call later and ask him to meet up for a chat," Wang Shuo said.

Wenger nodded. Suddenly, he recalled Wang Shuo’s assessment of Alexandre Song just now, which brought his mind to Pogba and De Bruyne. Wang Shuo had very high opinions of these players, especially when it came to their technical characteristics and details.

"Do you remember Benatia?" Wenger asked.

"Benatia?"

"The Udinese center-back we faced during the Champions League qualifiers."

Wang Shuo frowned in thought before it clicked. "It’s him. What about him?"

"What do you think of him?"

Wang Shuo immediately understood what Wenger was getting at, wondering if the manager was planning to make moves in the winter transfer window. Catching Wang Shuo’s expression, Wenger chuckled. "It’s hard to say. I definitely want to bring in reinforcements during the winter break, but it requires negotiations. There are still many variables."

"He can’t be cheap, right?"

"Around ten million British Pounds. Aside from him, there’s also Verthongen from Ajax. Have you played against Ajax before?"

"I remember him. He’s a Belgian center-back. Very strong, very aggressive, and loves to push forward."

"I’m considering selling Djourou and Squillaci to free up some wage space and squad room, and then bringing in a center-back."

The current situation at Arsenal was that the starting center-backs were Vermaelen and Subotic. This was the pairing they had been building chemistry with throughout the preseason. However, Vermaelen had suffered an injury—a rather serious one at that. Koscielny was quite good and full of potential, but he still wasn’t reliable enough. Djourou was already twenty-four and had yet to truly break out, while Squillaci was thirty and struggling to get any playing time. Because of this, Wenger wanted to sign a center-back who was both relatively young and highly capable.

"Benatia from Udinese, Verthongen from Ajax, and the youngster Mustafi from Everton—these three are our primary scouting targets, though we’re mostly focused on the first two," Wenger explained. "Mustafi is the cheapest. If Ajax fails to advance from the Champions League group stage, Verthongen could transfer over and still play in the knockout rounds, just like Benatia, who only played in the UEFA Europa League."

Wang Shuo felt that the two were actually quite similar in both age and market value. If there was an advantage, it was that Verthongen could also play on the left flank. This naturally brought up Arsenal’s glaring weakness on the left side.

Gibbs was currently the young player the Gunners were heavily grooming. He had even been called up to the England national team and would be a highly valued prospect at any club. Traore’s abilities, on the other hand, were relatively lacking. Thus, the Gunners’ left-flank deficiency was obvious. Gibbs was still simply too young.

The issue was that there weren’t any standout left-backs available on the transfer market right now. If they bypassed the open market and tried to poach one by force, how much would that even cost?

Wang Shuo also brought up the new medical center at the Colney Training Base. Arsenal had invested millions of British Pounds into this facility, bringing in plenty of advanced instruments and equipment while bolstering the medical staff. Yet, it still hadn’t been officially put to use. The Gunners’ high number of injuries this season was partially tied to the ongoing transition and handover of the new medical center.

Later that day.

After finishing his talk with Wenger, Wang Shuo arranged for someone to drop off a few things at Alexandre Song’s house. Meanwhile, he called the man himself, who had just returned to London, to set up a time to meet.

Wang Shuo relayed Wenger’s intentions, explaining that the manager was willing to fight for his contract renewal, but the prerequisite was that he had to finish out this season first. As for Alexandre Song’s family matters, Wang Shuo didn’t pry too deeply, merely offering a word of caution. Continuing like this really wasn’t a sustainable solution! No matter how high his salary was, how much longer could he carry that burden?

"A professional footballer’s career is short-lived. How many more years can you really play? If you don’t save some money for yourself, what are you going to do in the future?"

Alexandre Song had admittedly never thought about this in his earlier years. Now that he was getting older, his mindset had matured, and he naturally knew that Wang Shuo was looking out for him. Ever since Wang Shuo had helped him resolve the Douala incident before the season, Alexandre Song had been extremely grateful to him. This time, he took the advice to heart.

As for how exactly to resolve it, it certainly wouldn’t happen overnight. With Wang Shuo and Wenger stepping in to mediate, Alexandre Song felt much more reassured.

After returning to team training, Wang Shuo brought him to meet Wenger to discuss the contract renewal. Wenger had also secured a promise from Gazidis. And so, the matter was settled.

Perhaps influenced by this, Alexandre Song put on an incredibly fierce performance during the Premier League’s eighth-round match held at noon on October 16. Right from the opening whistle, he took the ball in the midfield, shook off the harassment from the Sunderland players, and delivered a long pass over the top.