Becoming a football god from Arsenal

Chapter 177: Influence Increased! Pressure from Messi and Ronaldo! Hot Christmas! Second Captain + No. 7!
"Football Records" recorded Maher's first moment of winning the award, walking from Etihad Stadium to Turin Conference Center!" - Exclusive interview with Maher by Football Records
That night, despite the extremely high popularity of the event, the news of the exclusive interview on Football Records caused a sensation as soon as it was published.

The first people to click in and watch were the fans who had been following them for a long time and had been waiting for this interview, about several hundred thousand of them.

Their browsing and likes quickly pushed this interview video to the top of the trending search list on major platforms, attracting more fans who are concerned about Maher's news to watch it.

In an instant, the news went viral, garnered over 10 likes, and is still rising rapidly.

"He has scored 20 goals and 9 assists in the league right now. Tell me, who is still a rival under the age of 21?"

"Attack all targets? I've heard him say this more than once. No comment yet, let's see what happens next."

"Maher is already challenging club legend Henry. In my opinion, he will have no problem scoring 30 goals this season!"

"There is no problem with the player's personal data. What he lacks now is honors like the Golden Boy Award, league titles and cup titles!"

"Yes, from his interview, I can feel his desire for honor. This is his only shortcoming, of course, and heading (cleverness)."

"Let's take a look at Henry's statistics. Henry the Great scored 370 goals and 226 assists in 97 games for Arsenal, averaging nearly one goal per game!
"But after Maher's explosion in the past month, he is averaging almost 2 goals per game!"

"This is the best chance for Arsenal to revive! Stop it, Kroenke and Usmanov! Break the salary system, Wenger! Keep him! We want to see a new era coming!"

"He is much better than Fabregas. In just half a season, he has already achieved numbers close to Fabregas' best season, with only 10 assists missing."

Fans from all over the world left comments below, and many compared Maher's statistics with Henry and Ronaldo, and found that Maher's advantage was already quite obvious.

This is an incredible player, a whole new level of player!

All fans will have this consensus. They can now finally confirm that the player did not follow Ronaldo's path, nor Henry's path. He took his own path!

In terms of performance data at the same age, he surpasses Ronaldo.

In terms of overall efficiency since arriving at Arsenal, he would surpass Henry the Great.

All that’s left is the championship!
He has the opportunity to become the best in the history of the Premier League and also the best in the world football!
More people paid attention to Maher, looking forward to his future performance and showing curiosity about everything about him.

At this time, "Football Record" released two major news.

"The 'New Golden Boy Maher's Training Life Record' column will officially open for booking on January 1 and will officially start broadcasting on February 1.

"We will film for three days each month and invite guests to talk about Maher's performance that month. The filming of that month will be broadcast on the first day of the following month.

"The first guests invited are Mr. Mendes and Mr. Wenger, who will jointly launch this column."

"The 'Arsenal's Road to Revival' column is also expected to officially open for booking on January 1 and officially start broadcasting on February 1.

"This column plans to do a series of interviews with all Arsenal players and coaching staff members, and often hold some interesting star events
"However, because various rights issues such as portrait rights are still under negotiation, we are not sure whether it can be broadcast as scheduled. We can only open the reservation first. If it is not broadcast, the full amount will be cancelled."

As soon as these two pieces of news were released, they instantly aroused the enthusiasm of the fans.

But the first thing they talked about was not Maher's column or Arsenal's column.

Instead, it raised a voice that had existed before but had not been taken seriously by people - "What kind of newspaper is "Football Record" and how does it have such good resources?"

"who knows?"

"Does no one question the authenticity of the information in these two columns? Logically speaking, it takes a lot of energy to run these two columns."

"I have no doubts, mainly because Football Record was the first media to interview Maher, and it seemed natural and convincing that they opened a record column on Maher.

"And it's only natural that I can open the record column for 'Mael' and Arsenal, right?"

"Makes sense."

"I have made an appointment!"

"Didn't the appointment start on January 1st? What are you booking now? If it's true, I want to see it too."

"You can follow it first, and then subscribe later."

"I checked and found that the number of subscribers to Football Record's column last year was only over 1, less than 500/ of Sky Sports. Where on earth do they get the resources and energy to suddenly emerge recently?"

"I don't know. I just know that another new star of the newspaper is about to rise. If the two columns are broadcast as scheduled and the quality is good, their subscribers may exceed 30 or even higher."

For a time, the newspaper "Football Record" also received a lot of attention, and the number of followers soared by 23.41 in a single night.

They have already made the leap towards becoming the top media in the UK.

On December 12, at a high-end restaurant in Turin, Turin Sports Daily officially invited Maher and his party to dinner.

At the dinner table, under the guidance of Mael, Vachago shared with Peter and Emilia how traditional newspapers are transforming in the era of streaming media.

"Tuttosport", also known as "Tutankhamun", was founded in 1945 and enjoys a high reputation in the world of football. Of course, it also often causes controversy.

All in all, this is a relatively successful newspaper, and its editor-in-chief, Vachago, is also a celebrity in European football.

"I think football newspapers should focus on one or two teams. This is my personal philosophy."

Vaccargo is happy to share this with people, and after dinner he started talking, "Like us, we focus on Juventus and Torino, and the outside world often accuses us of having serious tendencies.

“But from the company’s perspective, this is a good thing, because you will be tagged by the fans and it will be easier to find your own targeted users.

“People often say that the business of newspapers and magazines will be impacted in the era of streaming media, but I think that a large number of people in Europe are still more accustomed to reading newspapers and magazines by subscription.

“So I think digital subscriptions, advertising dollars, newspaper distribution, magazine subscriptions all need to be managed.

"The first two are self-explanatory, and the last two are actually not difficult to catch. Just print according to the order quantity. There is no risk, and it will only make your user stickiness better."

At this point, he opened a bottle of red wine and glanced at Maher and Mendes. "I saw that Football Record also focused on Arsenal and the French team? It seems to be related to Maher.

"Haha. I won't make any other guesses. Anyway, you have very good development prospects."

Peter and Emilia on the other side nodded. They poured a glass of red wine and leaned close to Vachago to chat about some details.

Maher didn't talk to them about this. He turned to Mendes and said, "I want to open a Hall of Fame near the Emirates Stadium. What do you think?
“I will open it at the Emirates Stadium first, and when I have national team honors in the future, I will use a replica to open one in my hometown of Aix.”

After listening to this, Mendes subconsciously glanced at Clemont and Betty, thought for a while and nodded, "I think it's a good idea. As long as you have this idea in mind, this kind of thing will never do you any harm.

"After all, you have won quite a few honors now. With the Golden Boy Award trophy, no one will think this is an out-of-place exhibition hall."

Maher nodded slightly and simply counted all the honors he had now, including any that came with a trophy.

First of all, when he was at Sheffield United last season, he won the Championship title, the Championship Golden Boot, the assist king, the player of the season, and the best player of the half season.

As well as 5 Player of the Month balls, 19 Player of the Match balls, 2 hat-trick balls and 1 Boxing Day battle ball.

These can all be put into the exhibition room, and there is no problem in arranging them densely in a row.

There is also the Championship trophy in the middle, which is the best summary of that Championship season. The players originally did not have trophies, but they can be restored one-to-one, and many stars will do so.

And these are just the first season, there have been quite a few since coming to the Premier League this season.

He just won the Golden Boy Award, 1 Premier League Player of the Month, 5 Premier League Player of the Match awards, 2 Champions League Player of the Match awards, and 1 League Cup Player of the Match award.

As well as 1 Premier League match ball and international A-level match ball.

That’s really a lot.

Although the Golden Boy Award and the Championship title are the only ones that are valuable, the others do not stand out from the crowd.

In the future, if you slowly win some important honors, you can slowly replace them. That’s it!

"I'll ask Peppino to help you find a place." Seeing that Maher was interested, Mendes took the initiative to say, "You may have to build a cabinet of honor by then, and have someone make a fake copy of all your trophies.

"This is also a kind of collection. No matter how much it is worth to others, it is worth a thousand gold to you. If you lose the real thing, the loss will be huge."

"Yes."

Maher nodded. This was what he had thought from the beginning, to put all the replicas in his real home.

Mendes smiled with his eyelids drooping, then raised his eyes and said, "Don't worry about the rent for the storefront. It's not much. I'll pay for it."

"Ah?" Maher turned around, smiled and shook his head, "No need, Mr. Mendes."

He was interrupted by Mendes before he could finish his words. "I'll just consider it as a favor to you. You know how much I can earn from you. Just this Golden Boy Award is a bonus of 23.4 pounds after tax."

Maher did not refuse and agreed. Then he asked curiously, "When will the bonuses from the three endorsement companies be paid out? I remember I got 133 million pounds?"

They spoke in low voices, as if they were plotting something important, but in fact they were just experiencing the pleasure of being a money-grubber.

"It should have gone down by now."

Mendes leaned in and chuckled, "Go check it out when you get back to London. I remember you said that after this payment, you'll have 450 million pounds in your card."

Maher also smiled and said, "Well, this is the first time that the price is close to 500 million pounds. The acquisition price of some lower-level English League Two teams is also around this, right?"

"Almost, but we still have to consider many factors, such as the team's history, financial situation, etc."

Mendes explained briefly, and then said: "Looking at you reminds me of Maradona and Naples. You don't want to make good money in the early stage of your career, buy a low-level team at the end of your career, and turn it into Naples, right?
"Then use your football skills, wealth, and connections in the football circle to gradually turn that team into a wealthy one and make yourself a legend in the city?"

“Who knows about the future.”

Maher did not give a clear answer, nor did he deny it. He drank a cup of yogurt and said: "In short, it is making more and more money now. Starting from next year, my basic endorsement fee will be 185 million pounds.

"I want to try to increase this number a little bit more by the end of the season, and try to get it to 300."

"Then you have to fight for the league championship." Mendes picked up his red wine glass and clinked it with Maher's yogurt cup. "I believe in you. Go for it."

Maher returned to London the next day. He first went to the bank to check his deposit and found that it had reached '4631233.31', which gave him a great sense of security.

Then, he placed the Golden Boy Award trophy in the honor room of his home and took a group photo with the four members of his team in the villa.

"The person who should make the replica of the trophy should be the one who made the honors display case. As far as I know, Cristiano also made it there."

After taking the photo, Davis held the Golden Boy Award trophy in his hand, looking reluctant to let it go. He said, "It's absolutely trustworthy, and the price won't be too high. This kind of thing has very little handmade content."

"it is good."

Maher agreed, feeling excited at the thought of the Hall of Fame being replicated in North London.

By then, whether it is the Arsenal fans in London or the French fans who come here, they will surely regard it as a check-in spot to appreciate their achievements in the past two years.

It feels good. In addition to that distant hometown, Arsenal Club and France are now also Maher's home.

Xiang Yu once said that if one does not return to his hometown when he is rich and powerful, it is like walking in fine clothes at night. After receiving these honors, it would be a pity if he kept them at home and did not show them off outside to let the people in his hometown feel the glory.

"It's my turn."

Jose saw Davis holding the trophy and walked over to grab it, "Give it to him, give it to him."

Safina and Harry also came over, showing their curiosity about this beautifully designed trophy, waiting to hold it in their hands and play with it.

A group of middle-aged people in their thirties and forties, at this moment, like children, scrambled for this "toy" full of honor.

Maher ignored them and walked over to take a look at the schedule posted nearby.

There are only two games left in the first half, one is against Wolves on Boxing Day, and the other is against Sheffield United at the end of the month.

They are all quite important. Needless to say, the match against Sheffield United on Boxing Day is a bit like "returning home in wealth and glory".

Maher stayed there for a whole year, completed his debut season, and won his first championship trophy. Of course, he has feelings for the club, and the people there do the same for him.

How can it not be considered home?

Life is really wonderful. Last season, returning to Colney Base from Sheffield United was a homecoming of wealth. This season, returning to Sheffield United from here is also a homecoming of wealth.

The only thing that is constantly changing is Maher himself, who keeps climbing higher steps and higher peaks.

What remains unchanged is himself, he never stops.

That afternoon, in Barcelona, ​​Spain, a King's Cup 1/16 final match came to an end.

Barcelona played at home and used a rotated lineup to beat Spanish League B team Ospitalet 9-0, with several players scoring twice.

Fabregas started this game, but he didn't feel that he was a rotation player. He just felt that Guardiola was helping him find his form.

What made him a little depressed was that while rotation players such as Thiago, Cuenca and Tello all scored twice, he himself failed to score a single goal and even had only one assist.

In the locker room after the game, he changed his equipment with a sullen face and threw his shin guards into the trash can nearby.

Pique and others saw his expression and guessed why he was angry, so they stepped forward to comfort him, saying, "It's just a game, it doesn't prove anything.

"You are almost reaching the 10th place this season, what else are you dissatisfied with? There is no need to compare yourself with others."

“It wasn’t necessary.”

Fabregas added, thinking that he was once a golden boy, he felt a little more balanced, "I am a midfielder, this kind of performance is already very good."

However, when he thought of his own Golden Boy data that year and then of Maher's, he couldn't help feeling frustrated. He became anxious about the current situation again and had a gloomy face the whole time.

Messi, Iniesta and others were sitting on the other side in casual clothes. They heard that they were treating the new golden boy as an imaginary enemy and also focused their attention on Maher.

"18 is old."

Iniesta recalled that when he was 18 years old, he had just joined the first team, the Galacticos was only in its first phase, and Ronaldinho had just arrived in Barcelona.

He had a childish face, couldn't hold down a starting position, and would be happy for a week with a goal and an assist. That was his memory of being 18 years old.

But look at Maher, look at his performance in the Premier League at the age of 18, his dominance, and the high spirits when he won the Golden Boy Award. It seems as if he is not in the same dimension as them, as if he is really an alien.

The problem is that as an outstanding representative of La Masia's youth training, he has always been regarded as a genius.

The combination of Havertz and Bailey is famous all over the world. Even a talented player like Fabregas can only serve as their substitute and cannot shake their position.

How could I detect such a strong feeling of inferiority in a rookie?
Iniesta had no choice but to turn his attention to Messi, a player he admired and possessed of historic talent.

As a teammate, he will not feel inferior to Messi, but only admire him. Therefore, if Messi can surpass Maher, he will feel more balanced mentally and have some glory.

But this time Iniesta hesitated. He had experienced Messi's 18-year-old self. Although Messi was highly expected at that time, he was completely different from now.

At that time, he could only score 10+ or ​​close to 20+ in a single season, far from the 50+ goals and 20+ assists he has now.

In other words, if this trend continues, in another two or three years, Maher may become a player who scores 60+ or ​​even 70+ goals in a single season?
Iniesta took a breath, and seeing Messi's gaze, he couldn't help but ask: "Are you feeling any pressure?"

Messi adjusted the hair on both sides of his forehead, looked at Iniesta, and said after a long time: "I will be in better condition. We are in a better team and can get more."

He avoided it. He must be under pressure. Iniesta understood this, nodded, turned away and said nothing more.

This may be the first time that Messi has encountered such a setback since he was a child. He has overcome illness, loneliness, exclusion, lows, and so on.

But he has never met a player with better talent than him. Can he continue to win this time?
At the same time, Real Madrid also defeated Spanish League B team Ponferradina 1-8 at home and advanced to the King's Cup quarter-finals.

In this game, Ronaldo came on at the last minute to warm up his feet and find his form for the next game, and he scored a goal as he wished.

At the post-match press conference, the then coach Mourinho attended with Ronaldo. He first answered a few routine questions, and then was led by reporters to the issue of 'Mael'.

"Mr. Mourinho, does Real Madrid need a player like Maher? Does Mr. Florentino have any idea of ​​buying him?" A reporter asked Mourinho the question.

After his medium-length hair turned white, Mourinho cut it into short hair. At this moment, he showed a few smiles on his face, "I want to say first that we already have Ronaldo, but after that..."

He turned his head and looked at Ronaldo, and they both laughed, as if they both knew what he was going to say next.

"After that," Mourinho waved his hand at the reporters and said firmly, "I must say that there is no team that does not want Maher. Everyone likes him and his contribution to the team is amazing.

"Mr. Florentino did talk to me about the Maher issue, but I can't tell you the details."

"What about Ronaldo?" A reporter threw the question back to Ronaldo and asked: "What kind of player do you think he is? Do you want to be his teammate?"

Ronaldo gave a slightly playful smile, raised his eyebrows and said: "I am happy to be teammates with top players, and he has undoubtedly become a top player.

"The two words '18 years old' and 'top player' are a bit abrupt, but he did it, which means he is different, of course, but after that"

He turned back and looked at Mourinho, and the two laughed at each other, "I have to say to Mr. Mourinho that my contribution to Real Madrid is also amazing, and I hope to score 60 goals this year.

"Even 70 goals is possible? You know, when more and more outstanding players come out, the best player will also have pressure and he will strive for higher goals."

"Ha ha.!"

Mourinho burst into laughter. Ronaldo's answer was just right as it not only praised Mahre but also revealed his own brilliance.

"Mael's goal is to win all the awards and honors. We guess this includes breaking many records." A reporter looked at Mourinho and Ronaldo and asked them this question, "What do you think of his bold words? Will Real Madrid feel pressured when they meet them in the Champions League?"

"will not."

Mourinho first pointed out the second problem, and then said: "It is good for players to have goals, but players without goals cannot compete for the best.

"But 'all' is a bit too big a word. It's difficult. I just hope that Mahel will always be motivated to become better because of this grand goal."

Ronaldo then took over the conversation and said with a faint smile: "My opinion is different from Mr. Mourinho, and you know why."

"Because you want it all, too?"

"Yes."

"Okay, let's end the press conference. I wish you all a happy Christmas, and I also wish Maher in London all the best in his Boxing Day battle, haha."

December 12th, Christmas Eve.

The whole of London was immersed in a peaceful and joyful atmosphere. Christmas trees were set up everywhere on the streets and many Christmas-related activities had begun.

Children write down their wishes on this night, and their families go out to the streets with smiles to buy the gifts on their wish lists, as well as candies and other holiday necessities.

That night, Maher went shopping with his uncle and aunt's family. When they were tired, they had dinner and chatted in a luxurious restaurant.

"Everything is going smooth."

Uncle Clement's face was beaming with joy. This year was almost the happiest year of his life. "The eldest and the second child will take the college entrance examination next year, and they will try to get into a school in London.

"Ava was still young, so we planned to transfer here. With your reputation, we hardly encountered any trouble."

Before Maher could reply, Aunt Betty could not help but said joyfully, "Maerer, you should have seen the expressions of those neighbors and teachers when they got your autographs. That was an enthusiasm we had never seen before.

“Many people invited my family to their homes for dinner, but we declined because we were afraid they would ask for something that would bother us.

“Words cannot express how happy I am this year. Because of you, we are beginning to be respected.

"I have said too many things over and over again, so I won't say any more. Just know how grateful we are."

Maher nodded and buried his head in his food. Although he was wearing a hat today, he was still quickly recognized.

Several female college students at the next table pointed at him and whispered with surprised expressions, pushing each other to come up and chat with him.

Maher glanced at them and didn’t care for the time being, “The Honor Exhibition Room in the city center will start to be renovated tomorrow. This is probably the fourth one in London. It will probably be very popular after it opens.

"When the time comes, I'll need my uncle and aunt to help me with more snacks, take turns guarding the store, and wipe the glass cabinets when you have time."

"Of course!" Betty nodded heavily. "Don't worry, I have always done this kind of work at home very well. This time I will do something more important, so I will definitely take better care of it."

Clemont simply raised a glass of wine, gratitude in his eyes, "I can only express my gratitude again. Without you, we would not be able to live this life in our lifetime."

"We don't need to talk about that." Maher waved at them and saw several girls at the table next to him elect a representative to come over.

"Mael."

She blushed as soon as she came in, mainly because she noticed that Maher was with his family. "I'm sorry to bother you, but my friend wants to take a picture with you. Is that okay?"

"Okay." Maher didn't spoil the fun and nodded in agreement with a smile.

After sitting down and taking pictures with several people one by one, he soon heard a surprised "Ahhh" from the other side, and several girls jumped out of the door.

He smiled softly, this kind of thing is the norm nowadays.

After dinner, he sent his uncle and aunt back to a small villa they had just rented in London. They planned to live here in the future, so now was the time to get familiar with the place.

The annual rent of this villa is 15 pounds. It is located not far from the facade of the Honor Exhibition Hall selected by Mendes and has a good environment. Maher can also stay here when he comes over sometimes.

"Living here, I feel like my life span is much longer." Betty stood by the window on the second floor and sighed as she looked at the scene on the street.

Clemont lay on the sofa, closed his eyes and enjoyed it all. "So we are also considered another kind of 'first generation of rich', right?"

"Ha ha."

The whole family smiled, and Maher said goodbye to them after a while. "Tomorrow we have a club dinner, and the day after tomorrow we will have a game. See you when you are done. Settle the eldest and second child early, and bring Ava over."

"Okay, don't worry about us, just take care of your own business first, that's the important thing."

"Bye, come on!"

His uncle and aunt sent him to the door. Maher looked at their new looks and felt a sense of satisfaction. He waved goodbye to them.

Walking on the streets of London, he wore a mask to avoid being recognized, and felt the joy on the street alone.

Compared to the first year, he has adapted a lot more and feels less lonely.

He seemed to have a lot of good friends and relatives here, and a lot of concerns, and everything was officially on track.

A summary moment of the year?
Perhaps, Maher thought of the emotional highs and highlights of the past year and a smile played on his face.

This year has been good from every perspective. He has stepped from the Championship to the top level, and has also stepped into the mainstream world stage step by step, achieving many goals.

Next year, he will strive to transform from a top player to a superstar in world football!

The next day, Christmas officially arrived.

London's annual Santa Claus Parade has started again, and the charity race that Sheffield held last year is also taking place here, and it seems that everything is no different from the past.

Maher heard the noise outside before he went out that morning. He leaned on the window and watched for a while before going out with the football.

His four team members have all returned home. Today, he plans to practice 'rhythm' alone on the grass field in front of the door, striving to upgrade this skill to level 4!

That must be a further enhancement of his dribbling ability, he will have stronger breakthrough ability!

Moreover, most of the skills that were previously planned to be trained have already been upgraded. Once the 'rhythm' and 'endurance' are improved, the training panel will be officially renewed.

New year, new atmosphere, new training panel, can give him a very special feeling.

"Bang bang bang!"

On the training ground, Maher's two feet touched the ball quickly, either breaking through the marker or the dummy.

He had already mastered the training methods. Jose and Davis also left a detailed plan before they left, and he could train according to the order above.

After a morning of training, Maher went into the house and fried some nutritious meals to replenish his energy. He learned a few tricks from Safina.

I took a look at my proficiency in 'Rhythm' and found that there were only 4 points left. As long as I practiced hard in the afternoon, I would be able to raise it to level 4 before the team dinner at night!

"Merry Christmas!"

Turning on the TV, the news anchor is wishing the viewers a Merry Christmas.

Maher picked up a slightly burnt egg with a fork, took two bites and found that it tasted wrong. Suddenly he felt empty and stood there for a long time.

Just like José said, he didn’t really like silence and always liked to have other people around him but he certainly wasn’t a weak person at heart and he quickly came to his senses and continued eating.

At around four o'clock in the afternoon, after another boring breakthrough training, Maher felt a strange feeling in his legs. To be more precise, it seemed to come from his brain and spread to his legs.

"Boom!"

“Bang!”

He dribbled the ball a few more times and found that his control over rhythm and change of direction had improved significantly.

His feet were much faster and he had a better grasp of the timing of dribbling past the opponent. He quickly put himself in the position of the defensive player and found that he must have become more difficult to deal with.

lv4 is here!

The first lv4 additional skill!
It will surely work wonders!

[Additional Skill: Variation lv4]

[Proficiency: (1/1500)]

[Effect: After a lot of practice, your control over the rhythm has reached perfection. You can often change the rhythm of breakthroughs in a magical way, catching the defensive players off guard! ]

"variation!"

A look of joy appeared on Maher's face, and he put aside the loneliness and boredom he had just felt.

He has many ways to adjust his mood, and many things can make him feel better, such as winning, promotion, goals and assists, etc., which will make his spiritual world extremely fulfilled.

"The only thing left of the old skill is endurance."

He murmured excitedly, called up several skills he was practicing, and looked at the brand new skill panel.

[Skill: Galloping lv4]

[Proficiency: (95/5000)]

[Skill: Violent Door Blast lv4]

[Proficiency: (364/2000)]

[Skill: Endurance lv3]

[Proficiency: (1974/2000)]

[Skills: Fancy passing level 2]

[Proficiency: (519/800)]

[Skill: Heading Timing lv2]

[Proficiency: (289/300)]

[Additional skills: Fancy skills lv1]

[Proficiency: (310/1500)]

"The endurance distance upgrade is also very fast, and the header will soon reach level 3."

Looking at the panel this time, he thought, if all these skills were upgraded to level 4 or level 5, then he would be close to being truly all-powerful, right?
What else is missing?

"Ignore it for now."

Maher didn’t think about it too much. He would look for it on the field later. He decided to wash up and get ready before going to dinner with his teammates.

At six o'clock in the evening, in a cheerful atmosphere, Maher, dressed in a suit, came to a restaurant and walked into the box where Arsenal had a dinner.

"Xuxu~!"

Van Persie has sharp eyes. A top striker has sharp insights. He whistled twice and then said, "Look who's coming?"

This voice attracted everyone's attention. They turned to look at the door and cheered when they saw Maher: "Oh!"

"Ding ding ding ding! I have a friend!"

Sagna stood up as if possessed by a ghost and started to dance. "He was driving a Bugatti on the sidelines and doing the swan dance on the back line!"

German defender Mertesacker stood up, raised his drink and shouted, "Welcome Mr. Golden Boy!"

"Clap clap clap!"

Amidst warm applause, Maher walked into the restaurant with shamefaced manner and sat down next to Van Persie, with Mr. Wenger sitting opposite him.

"Are you training again today?"

Van Persie handed a piece of fruit to Maher and said with a smile: "Why do I feel like there is no moisture on your face, as if it has been drained away."

“You guessed right.” Maher looked like he was having a hard time, and waved his hand, “Don’t mention it. I don’t want to talk about football at dinner after hard training.”

"Ha ha.!"

Van Persie and several people around him laughed. Seeing Maher's expression, they thought of teasing him.

"Mael, you scored two beautiful goals in the last game. You must have practiced volleys a lot, right?" Vermaelen asked in a cheeky tone, and even imitated Mahel's volleying moves.

"What do you think of the 3-4-3 formation? How about 4-1-4-1?"

"I don't know. I should ask Maher first. He's an expert."

"Oh Maher, you must have a deep understanding of football training. Can you teach me how to train my physical fitness?"

Mahel sat there with a bitter look on his face, trying to cover his ears, but he was a little hungry and couldn't stop eating.

When he finally survived this wave of attacks, everyone turned their eyes to Mr. Wenger, ready to tease the lovely old professor.

"Mr. Wenger, have you learned the dance well? I think Van Persie and Maher are really going to lead us to win the championship."

"It's too far. How about jumping one first when you are halfway through?"

"Haha. No, we have to keep our promise. Let's wait until we win the championship."

"Is it tango? Or samba? Or ballet? Hahaha!"

A burst of teasing broke out and everyone started laughing. Maher was also very happy to be immersed in this atmosphere, watching Mr. Wenger join in the fun with others.

Wenger stood up with a smile and a spirited look. He looked very energetic today, wearing a matte grey suit and his usual red tie. "Since you guys said so, how about I dance now?"

"." The players were stunned at first, then realized that Wenger was joking. But of course they would not miss this good opportunity, and immediately clapped their hands and knocked on the table to cheer: "Oh!"

"Pah, pah, pah! Thump, thump!"

"Come one! Come one!"

“No, no, no.” Wenger quickly stepped back and waved his hands, smiling bitterly, “I was just kidding.”

"Haha."

Maher couldn't help laughing when he looked at him. The atmosphere of this dinner party was very good from the beginning and he quite liked it.

When Mr. Wenger finally escaped, everyone's attention turned to Van Persie.

"Robin, Maher has scored 20 goals and you have only scored 16. Do you still want to compete with Maher for the Golden Boot?"

"Yeah, yeah, Maher is almost scoring as many goals as someone your age, why haven't you scored as many goals as someone his age?"

"puff!"

Van Persie looked stunned and laughed a few times ridiculously, but he was not angry. Given the current atmosphere within the Arsenal team, it would be very sad if someone couldn't take such a joke.

Wenger came to Maher at this time and touched his shoulder.

Maher turned around with a smile on his face, and seeing that Mr. Wenger seemed to have something to say, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"After the Golden Boy Award, something has settled in you."

Wenger came to Maher's ear and said with a smile: "I have good news to tell you during the Christmas dinner today. I am going to promote you to second captain."

Second captain?

Second only to Van Persie?

Maher turned his head, thought for a moment and whispered, "Can I have an idea? I want the No. 7 jersey."

The number 7 has a special meaning for winger players. He has always wanted it, but it was not easy to get it when he first came. Maybe now is the time.

Wenger nodded in agreement without thinking too long. He patted Maher on the shoulder and left.

Second captain + No. 7.

Maher's expression showed even more joy. He had indeed done a lot in the past half season.

ps: This chapter is a transition for brothers. The pace of the second half of the season will be faster, because we have already gone through it once, and going through it again will slow down the pace.

Of course, some places that should be written will still be written, and they will not be too sloppy, but will be as detailed and concise as possible.

(End of this chapter)