Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 471: The Future Stars Both Belong to Manchester City!

"You actually managed to buy Mbappé?"

Lin Quan found it incredible that Guardiola had signed Mbappé at the last moment of the winter transfer window. He had thought Monaco wouldn't let him go so easily, given the growing attention Mbappé was attracting in France. But on further thought, it made sense. Mbappé was still raw, and although his talent was evident, Monaco couldn't predict the future and be certain he would fully develop.

In football, many young talents fade quickly. Messi and Ronaldo are exceptional not just for their skills and goals but also for maintaining peak performance over a long career. Maintaining over ten years at the top is extremely rare. Therefore, clubs are cautious with young players, avoiding significant risks.

Selling now would secure Monaco a solid 40 million euros. Waiting could mean losing this opportunity to injury or poor performance. Hence, they were hesitant and didn't immediately respond to Manchester City's offer.

"No response means there's a chance! Mbappé isn't untouchable!" Guardiola deduced. Clubs usually outright reject offers for their prized players to deter other clubs. Manchester City had done the same with offers for Lin Quan, rejecting all without a second glance, showing their firm stance. Despite this, clubs still made annual offers, increasing each year.

Monaco's hesitation indicated Manchester City's offer was close to their expectations. Should they increase the bid?

"Let's wait and settle other transfers first," Guardiola, with his experience, decided. He knew Monaco would continue to observe. Raising the offer without a clear response would give Monaco the upper hand, leading to higher demands. Thus, Guardiola decided to play a psychological game with them.

Guardiola had ample transfer funds left, amounting to 130 million pounds, due to limited spending during the summer transfer window. If needed, he could request more from the generous owner, Mansour. With such financial backing, Guardiola made bold moves. He first bought Jesus from the Brazilian league for 30 million euros, followed by Schalke 04's winger Sané for 40 million euros. Next, he made an offer to Roma for winger Salah. These moves caught the attention of the Premier League and the entire football world.

Manchester City seemed to be strengthening their frontline significantly, aiming for a third consecutive Champions League title. Monaco closely monitored City's activities. They worried when City signed a young forward from Brazil, fearing they might lose the 40 million euro opportunity. Their anxiety grew when City bought Sané, a prized talent from Schalke 04, for the same price offered for Mbappé.

Realizing City's strategy of offering similar amounts to multiple clubs and choosing the first to agree, Monaco regretted their hesitation. Sané was two years older than Mbappé, with more attention in the football world. City had previously made an offer for Sané, bringing him into the spotlight. Almost 20, Sané was a more immediate asset compared to Mbappé, making him a suitable backup for City.

This led Monaco to think they might have benefited by accepting City's 40 million euro offer. However, they missed the chance. As the transfer window neared its end, no other clubs showed interest in Mbappé, deepening Monaco's regret. Initially, they hadn't intended to sell him, but City's offer planted the idea. Now, they lamented their hesitation.

On January 31st, as Monaco wallowed in regret and the transfer window closed, City submitted their third offer, identical to the second. This time, Monaco welcomed it eagerly, fearing the deal might slip away again.

The same 40 million euros now seemed like a treasure. Upon learning about the accepted offer, Mbappé was stunned.

"What? A small-time player from Ligue 1, worth 40 million euros, bought by one of the top teams, Manchester City? Is it April Fool's Day?"

Once assured it wasn't a joke, Mbappé was overjoyed and quickly prepared to move to Manchester. His excitement stemmed from the chance to play alongside his idol, Lin Quan. The thought of playing at the Etihad Stadium with his hero filled Mbappé with immense joy!

"You really bought Mbappé?"

Lin Quan was amazed that Guardiola managed to sign Mbappé at the last moment of the transfer window. He had thought Monaco wouldn't let go of him so easily, given the growing attention in France. But on further reflection, it made sense. Mbappé was still young, and while his talent was apparent, Monaco couldn't foresee his future with certainty. Many young talents fade quickly in football.

For Monaco, selling now would secure a solid 40 million euros. Waiting could mean losing this opportunity to injury or underperformance. They were hesitant and didn't immediately respond to Manchester City's offer.

"No response means there's a chance! Mbappé isn't untouchable," Guardiola noted. Clubs usually outright reject offers for their prized players to deter other clubs. Manchester City had done the same with offers for Lin Quan, rejecting all without a second glance, showing their firm stance. Despite this, clubs still made annual offers, increasing each year.

Monaco's hesitation indicated Manchester City's offer was close to their expectations. Should they increase the bid?

"Let's wait and settle other transfers first," Guardiola, with his experience, decided. He knew Monaco would continue to observe. Raising the offer without a clear response would give Monaco the upper hand, leading to higher demands. Thus, Guardiola decided to play a psychological game with them.

Guardiola had ample transfer funds left, amounting to 130 million pounds, due to limited spending during the summer transfer window. If needed, he could request more from the generous owner, Mansour. With such financial backing, Guardiola made bold moves. He first bought Jesus from the Brazilian league for 30 million euros, followed by Schalke 04's winger Sané for 40 million euros. Next, he made an offer to Roma for winger Salah. These moves caught the attention of the Premier League and the entire football world.

Manchester City seemed to be strengthening their frontline significantly, aiming for a third consecutive Champions League title. Monaco closely monitored City's activities. They worried when City signed a young forward from Brazil, fearing they might lose the 40 million euro opportunity. Their anxiety grew when City bought Sané, a prized talent from Schalke 04, for the same price offered for Mbappé.

Realizing City's strategy of offering similar amounts to multiple clubs and choosing the first to agree, Monaco regretted their hesitation. Sané was two years older than Mbappé, with more attention in the football world. City had previously made an offer for Sané, bringing him into the spotlight. Almost 20, Sané was a more immediate asset compared to Mbappé, making him a suitable backup for City.

This led Monaco to think they might have benefited by accepting City's 40 million euro offer. However, they missed the chance. As the transfer window neared its end, no other clubs showed interest in Mbappé, deepening Monaco's regret. Initially, they hadn't intended to sell him, but City's offer planted the idea. Now, they lamented their hesitation.

On January 31st, as Monaco wallowed in regret and the transfer window closed, City submitted their third offer, identical to the second. This time, Monaco welcomed it eagerly, fearing the deal might slip away again.

The same 40 million euros now seemed like a treasure. Upon learning about the accepted offer, Mbappé was stunned.

"What? A small-time player from Ligue 1, worth 40 million euros, bought by one of the top teams, Manchester City? Is it April Fool's Day?"

Once assured it wasn't a joke, Mbappé was overjoyed and quickly prepared to move to Manchester. His excitement stemmed from the chance to play alongside his idol, Lin Quan. The thought of playing at the Etihad Stadium with his hero filled Mbappé with immense joy!

"You really bought Mbappé?"

Lin Quan was amazed that Guardiola managed to sign Mbappé at the last moment of the transfer window. He had thought Monaco wouldn't let go of him so easily, given the growing attention in France. But on further reflection, it made sense. Mbappé was still young, and while his talent was apparent, Monaco couldn't foresee his future with certainty. Many young talents fade quickly in football.

For Monaco, selling now would secure a solid 40 million euros. Waiting could mean losing this opportunity to injury or underperformance. They were hesitant and didn't immediately respond to Manchester City's offer.

"No response means there's a chance! Mbappé isn't untouchable," Guardiola noted. Clubs usually outright reject offers for their prized players to deter other clubs. Manchester City had done the same with offers for Lin Quan, rejecting all without a second glance, showing their firm stance. Despite this, clubs still made annual offers, increasing each year.

Monaco's hesitation indicated Manchester City's offer was close to their expectations. Should they increase the bid?

"Let's wait and settle other transfers first," Guardiola, with his experience, decided. He knew Monaco would continue to observe. Raising the offer without a clear response would give Monaco the upper hand, leading to higher demands. Thus, Guardiola decided to play a psychological game with them.

Guardiola had ample transfer funds left, amounting to 130 million pounds, due to limited spending during the summer transfer window. If needed, he could request more from the generous owner, Mansour. With such financial backing, Guardiola made bold moves. He first bought Jesus from the Brazilian league for 30 million euros, followed by Schalke 04's winger Sané for 40 million euros. Next, he made an offer to Roma for winger Salah. These moves caught the attention of the Premier League and the entire football world.

Manchester City seemed to be strengthening their frontline significantly, aiming for a third consecutive Champions League title. Monaco closely monitored City's activities. They worried when City signed a young forward from Brazil, fearing they might lose the 40 million euro opportunity. Their anxiety grew when City bought Sané, a prized talent from Schalke 04, for the same price offered for Mbappé.

Realizing City's strategy of offering similar amounts to multiple clubs and choosing the first to agree, Monaco regretted their hesitation. Sané was two years older than Mbappé, with more attention in the football world. City had previously made an offer for Sané, bringing him into the spotlight. Almost 20, Sané was a more immediate asset compared to Mbappé, making him a suitable backup for City.

This led Monaco to think they might have benefited by accepting City's 40 million euro offer. However, they missed the chance. As the transfer window neared its end, no other clubs showed interest in Mbappé, deepening Monaco's regret. Initially, they hadn't intended to sell him, but City's offer planted the idea. Now, they lamented their hesitation.

On January 31st, as Monaco wallowed in regret and the transfer window closed, City submitted their third offer, identical to the second. This time, Monaco welcomed it eagerly, fearing the deal might slip away again.

The same 40 million euros now seemed like a treasure. Upon learning about the accepted offer, Mbappé was stunned.

"What? A small-time player from Ligue 1, worth 40 million euros, bought by one of the top teams, Manchester City? Is it April Fool's Day?"

Once assured it wasn't a joke, Mbappé was overjoyed and quickly prepared to move to Manchester. His excitement stemmed from the chance to play alongside his idol, Lin Quan. The thought of playing at the Etihad Stadium with his hero filled Mbappé with immense joy!

"Yes, that's right! I will definitely defeat you!" Mbappé confidently faced off against Son Heung-min. However, after just a few rounds, he was completely defeated. When Son Heung-min attacked, Mbappé couldn't defend against him at all. A simple feint would leave Mbappé off-balance, allowing Son to easily get past him and score.

When Mbappé was on the attack, Son's positioning and physical challenges sent Mbappé flying, unable to hold onto the ball or complete an attack.

"You cheated! Try not using your body against me!" Mbappé felt utterly frustrated. His strengths lay in his speed and explosiveness, but Son didn't give him any chance to accelerate, making all his skills useless.

"Are you kidding me? On the pitch, that level of physical contact is nothing. Defenders will use all kinds of tactics—pulling, dragging, pushing, shoving, tackling—to stop you. Do you think they'll just let you speed past them so easily?" Son Heung-min looked at Mbappé incredulously. How could a professional player be so naive?

Football isn't a game for kids where people go easy on each other. Opponents will use every means possible to stop you from attacking. Mbappé, still not convinced, decided to challenge the younger Sané, who was only three years older than him. Sané wasn't as experienced as Son but wasn't a fool either. He mimicked Son's tactics and easily handled Mbappé, who couldn't compete in physical confrontations and failed miserably.

After two consecutive losses, Mbappé felt deeply frustrated. Though still unwilling to concede, he had to admit his weakness in physical duels.

"Take your time; don't rush. At seventeen, your body hasn't fully matured yet, so it's normal to struggle with physical confrontations. Don't focus too much on that right now. Work on your technical skills, and you can build physical strength as you grow," Lin Quan handed him a towel and offered some comforting advice, sharing his own experience.

"Okay, I will, Lin!" Mbappé, initially very upset, brightened up after Lin's encouragement, his face breaking into a smile. "Just as everyone says, Lin is really kind. Joining Manchester City was definitely the right decision!"

A one-on-one duel might not fully showcase a player's abilities, so Guardiola arranged a practice match within the team to let Mbappé display his skills in a real game scenario. Wearing the main team's blue vest, Mbappé was thrilled to play alongside Lin Quan. Guardiola, noticing the young player's eagerness, nodded in approval.

To recover quickly from the earlier defeats without losing confidence showed Mbappé's good mental strength, suggesting he might become a player with a strong mentality. Mental strength is crucial for professional players; some excel in practice but underperform in real matches due to psychological pressure. Others thrive under pressure, performing even better in crucial games.

Before the practice match, Guardiola instructed Lin Quan and De Bruyne to pass to Mbappé frequently to assess his performance on the field. The main team, being stronger than the substitutes, gave Mbappé many attacking opportunities. While he squandered most of them, he did manage to seize a few chances, even scoring a goal from a brilliant pass by Lin.

Mbappé celebrated exuberantly, sliding on his knees, only to be scolded by Guardiola for five minutes. Sliding celebrations can be dangerous, especially for young players, as they can injure their knees. Guardiola was most concerned about avoiding injuries for Mbappé.

Despite scoring, Mbappé's weaknesses were glaringly obvious—his footwork was crude, his shooting technique and decision-making were poor. Compared to the technically gifted and intelligent players around him, Mbappé's rough skills stood out. However, Guardiola also saw Mbappé's strengths: his explosive power, speed, flexibility, and coordination were exceptional. While his physical maturity was lacking, these aspects could be developed over time.

Talent determines a player's ceiling, and hard work sets their floor. Mbappé's innate talent indicated a high ceiling. With proper training and effort, his future achievements could be substantial. Guardiola decided to invest time in nurturing this talent.

After the practice match, Guardiola personally took Mbappé to report to the youth team. Handing him over to the youth training director, he glanced towards another training ground and asked, "How are those young lads performing lately?"

He was referring to three promising players in Manchester City's youth academy: Foden, Sancho, and Haaland. All born in 2000, they were not yet 16 but had shown remarkable talent and skill in youth matches, drawing significant attention from fans. Guardiola had been closely monitoring their progress, confident that they would become the backbone of Manchester City in the future.

(End of Chapter)

Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.

You can also buy the book if you are only interested in reading the novel.