Chapter 788: Dream Start! Domain Skill: Stabilizer! Stepping Stone to Superstardom! Arsenal's Strategic Opportunity

“So exhausting!”

“I’d rather play three football matches in a row than deal with these people!” Wang Shuo spoke his mind.

Shen Qinghe nodded with a smile, well aware of Wang Shuo’s personality.

“But isn’t this exactly how a superstar builds their social status and influence?

“Do you know? During the two-plus hours you spent at the banquet tonight, I received exclusive interview requests from four or five heavyweight media outlets, including the BBC.

“As for this banquet you despise so much, from what I know, many people fought tooth and nail just for a ticket and still couldn’t get one. Even Rooney and Beckham couldn’t get in.”

Why could Wang Shuo attend when those domestic stars couldn’t?

Being a FIFA promotional ambassador was his stepping stone!

“Times are completely different now. If you only focus on playing, your influence will ultimately have a ceiling, no matter how many Golden Ball Awards you win.

“Why is the World Cup so extraordinary?

“Because it’s a ‘war’ between nations! That’s why it can break through cultural barriers and social circles, transcending borders entirely!”

Wang Shuo nodded.

Why was he unwilling to join Germany, the United Kingdom, or any other country? Was it because he didn’t want to play in the World Cup?

No!

It was exactly as Shen Qinghe said: the World Cup was a war between nations! He couldn’t fathom a future where his parents, family, relatives, and friends were all in China, while he wore another country’s jersey and potentially played against the Chinese team!

He could never accept that, no matter what.

Early the next morning, the front pages of major newspapers across the United Kingdom featured photos of Wang Shuo presenting his jersey to the British Prime Minister. These images were quickly picked up and republished by media outlets worldwide.

At exactly 8:00 a.m.

Wang Shuo arrived at the Colney Training Base in his Citroen Picasso. If there was one thing he was completely dissatisfied with since joining Arsenal, it had to be this car! It wasn’t that he had anything against Citroen, nor was it because the car was cheap. He simply thought it was ugly.

But there was nothing he could do. It was provided by the sponsor, so he just had to drive it. Outside of his trips to the Colney Training Base, Wang Shuo drove his Porsche almost exclusively.

Since moving into Wennington No. 9 Villa in Hampstead earlier that year, he rarely had to head out early. His villa had a gym and an indoor practice pitch in the basement, allowing him to do his extra training right at home.

During the winter, Arsenal’s morning training sessions started at 11:00 a.m. Players generally arrived around 9:00 a.m., but Wang Shuo always arrived an hour earlier than that.

As the team captain, he needed to communicate with the coaching staff beforehand, primarily regarding the team’s operational schedule. He also had to discuss the players’ current situations—for example, if someone’s form had noticeably dipped, if their training performance was mediocre, if they lacked passion during matches, or if there were any injury concerns.

At present, Arsenal didn’t have any major issues; it was mostly just trivial matters.

However, Sad Fossett did bring something to Wang Shuo’s attention. During the two-week gap between the 20th round of the Premier League on the 2nd and the 21st round on the 14th, Sad Fossett implemented a “fitness fast-charging” program. As the name implied, the goal was to recharge the players’ physical reserves mid-season. Since it was their first time running this program, the actual results remained to be seen. Sad Fossett reminded Wang Shuo to pay close attention to the players’ feedback and keep an open line of communication with him.

After finishing their usual morning briefings, everyone headed to the cafeteria for breakfast.

This was another major change for Arsenal this season. Ever since Sad Fossett took charge of the Gunners’ athletic performance, he had made it mandatory for all players to eat both breakfast and lunch at the club. Dinner was impossible to enforce, as the players typically clocked out and headed home around 4:00 p.m. In other words, the players were at the Colney Training Base from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

According to feedback from the Gunners, the well-balanced dietary plan was indeed having a positive impact on their athletic performance.

For years, Arsenal had a persistent habit of performing brilliantly in the first half of the season, only to collapse in the second half. The primary culprit was stamina. That was why Wenger and Sad Fossett had decided to use the early January gap—when the FA Cup and League Cup matches were scheduled—to give the team a temporary physical recharge.

During breakfast, the conversation flowed casually. Wenger and the others spoke to Wang Shuo with clear envy about the banquet at No. 10 Downing Street the previous night.

“That old man Ferguson didn’t even get an invite. He must be fuming!” Wenger grinned from ear to ear. Wang Shuo being invited reflected well on him too.

Wang Shuo really wanted to record this and send it to Ferguson, just so he could hear Wenger trash-talking him.

“Is Bridge really on the transfer market?” Wang Shuo asked casually.

“Yes, but we aren’t considering him for now,” Wenger replied.

Wang Shuo thought about it and had a vague idea why. Bridge had struggled for consistent playing time over the past few years, and he was already thirty-one. Signing someone like him wouldn’t do much for Arsenal at this stage.

In truth, fans often suffered from a form of informational survivorship bias. They always felt as if massive, big-money signings were happening everywhere. But in reality, many clubs disliked splashing huge sums of cash. Clubs like Bayern, Manchester United, and Arsenal were prime examples.

However, in recent years, the rise of wealthy clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City, combined with the continuous big-money moves by Real Madrid and Barça, had thrown the entire transfer market into chaos. Player valuations were skyrocketing. Manchester United had recently spent a fortune signing several domestic players who ultimately delivered mediocre performances, placing Ferguson under immense pressure.