Chapter 12 – Offer

[Official] Charlton Athletic signs fullback prospect Carl Jenkinson!

[Official] Southampton's young talent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joins Arsenal!

[Official] LOSC Lille's winger Gervinho agrees to move to Arsenal!

After a long silence in the transfer market, Arsenal finally had some much-needed news.

Kai clicked his tongue lightly.

"This hasn't changed at all."

Two signings for the future and one immediate reinforcement.

Did they really think they could fix their defensive issues with a single young prospect?

No matter how he looked at it, the transfer strategy made no sense.

First, Carl Jenkinson, the ambitious signing, simply wasn't Premier League material.

His overall ability was lacking.

Every time he played, he put on a horror show, eventually becoming a player who bounced around on loan.

Kai vaguely recalled hearing that he had ended up in the Australian league, but he didn't remember what happened after that.

"Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a double-edged sword."

An aggressive winger who only focused on offense without contributing defensively.

His football intelligence was low, making him ill-suited for Wenger's system, which lacked detailed tactical instructions in attack.

In reality, he never fully realized his potential at Arsenal, but when he moved to Liverpool, his talent finally flourished.

Thinking about their time together, Kai scratched his head.

He had once called Oxlade-Chamberlain's play frustrating, which led to an argument between them.

Even though Van Persie stepped in to mediate, they never truly became close until the day he left.

"Still, with his work rate and ability to carry the ball forward, he can be a useful asset if used properly."

There was a reason the club had paid £12 million for him—his potential was undeniable.

Kai then moved on to the next signing.

"Gervinho is a good player."

With incredible speed, excellent ball control, and top-class dribbling skills, he had the explosive acceleration and quick direction changes needed to beat defenders.

Over two seasons, he played 47 matches and recorded 15 goals and 7 assists—solid stats.

He was a perfect fit for Wengerball, which thrived on fast and fluid transitions.

However, in the 2011–12 season, Wenger abandoned the quick-tempo approach in favor of a possession-based style.

The reason for this sudden shift was simple.

"Guardiola's possession football dominated Europe."

A pragmatic style of play that focused on controlling possession deep in the opponent's half, minimizing their chances while maximizing one's own.

Arsenal had been helpless against Guardiola's Barcelona.

After that, Wenger tried to incorporate elements of Guardiola's philosophy into his own system.

Since the team would spend more time in the opponent's half, they needed physically strong players and game-changing playmakers.

Unfortunately, Gervinho fit neither category.

At best, he was closer to a playmaker, but he wasn't at the level of Messi or Iniesta—players who could dictate the flow of a match.

"I don't see a way to make him work."

Still, the attack wasn't the issue.

Even if Gervinho underperformed, Arsenal had Van Persie in the 2011–12 season.

When healthy, Van Persie was the best striker in the league.

That season, he scored 55 goals in 48 matches—an insane record.

Considering Arsenal's struggles early in the season, his achievements were even more remarkable.

Alongside Van Persie, Theo Walcott and on-loan Yossi Benayoun also contributed well.

"The real problem is the defense."

Just like the previous season, the backline was extremely unstable.

Given Wengerball's aggressive nature, conceding goals was inevitable, but if they wanted to compete with the top teams, they had to tighten up their defense.

Signing a center-back and a fullback was urgent.

"It would be great if they could bring in Mertesacker sooner."

But there wasn't even a rumor of negotiations.

Just like before, they were probably going to suffer a humiliating defeat before scrambling to make a last-minute signing.

Kai sighed and closed the newspaper, standing up from his seat.

"I should focus on myself."

A youth prospect who hadn't even made the first team worrying about the club?

That was arrogant thinking.

After a quick shower, he changed into his workout gear.

Standing in front of the mirror, he saw a young man who still had a boyish look, grinning with a wry smile.

"I'm about 180 cm now."

His final height would be 185 cm.

He was still in his growth phase.

Since he had slightly reduced his meat intake compared to the last time, his growth might have slowed a bit.

But that didn't matter.

"Height isn't everything in football. As long as I maintain my body's balance, I'll be fine."

He had seen too many players struggle with rapid growth affecting their balance, so he needed to be careful.

"The weather looks nice today."

Looking outside, he saw sunlight shining over the city for the first time in a while.

Ever since moving to England, Kai never trusted the weather.

It could be sunny one moment, then suddenly cloudy and raining the next.

"I hope it stays clear."

Training in the rain was always a hassle.

Just as he was about to leave for training, his phone rang.

"Who could it be?"

He checked the caller ID.

It was Arsène Wenger.

Kai immediately pressed the answer button.

"Yes, coach, this is Kai."

"Ah, Kai. Sorry for calling so early. If you have time, could you spare a moment?"

Kai took off his shoes.

Parker was probably waiting for him outside, but he could afford to be a little late.

Wenger wasn't the type to call casually unless it was something important.

"Of course, I'd be happy to."

"Thank you. How have you been?"

Kai swallowed nervously before answering.

"I've been getting along well with my teammates. I've been helping the new guys settle in."

"Oh? You?"

"I was working with Frimpong before, but since he got called up to the first team, I took over."

"I suppose you must have resented me for taking your friend away."

"Haha! Not at all."

It was actually a good thing.

This was a great opportunity to build relationships with other promising young players.

The small talk didn't last long.

Wenger soon got to the point.

"I originally called your father, but he didn't pick up, so I'm calling you directly."

"Oh, he's probably busy right now. He's preparing ingredients for the store."

"Ah, that's right. I forgot. Hmm, Kai."

"Yes, coach?"

"I'd like to invite you and your parents for dinner tomorrow evening. If that time doesn't work, let me know, and I'll coordinate with the sporting director."

The manager and the sporting director getting involved?

Kai knew exactly what that meant.

A professional contract offer.

They were ready to bring him into the first team.

Kai gripped his phone tightly, took a deep breath, and calmly responded.

"I'll check with my parents and get back to you right away."

"Alright. I'll be waiting."

After ending the call, Kai tilted his head.

Something about Wenger's tone felt off.

There was a hint of urgency and anxiety in his voice.

Calling in the morning was unusual, too.

This wasn't like the Wenger he knew.

Just as he was wondering what was going on, the phone rang again.

"Huh? Dad?"

"Kai, you're still at home, right?"

"I was just about to head to the training ground."

"I'm almost there. Wait a moment. I have something to talk about."

As soon as his father finished speaking, the door clicked open, and Tetsu Arata entered, panting heavily.

Kai handed him a glass of water.

"Thanks."

After quickly downing the glass, Tetsu let out a relieved sigh and sat on the sofa. Then, he handed a stack of documents to Kai.

"Read these."

"What are they?"

"What else? Transfer offers."

"…What?"

A transfer offer?

This hadn't happened in the previous timeline.

Could it be because he had changed the future?

Thinking back, after the intra-squad match, he was supposed to sign a pro contract in a few days and then…

'Ah! So that's why the offers came in.'

Arsenal's prized youth prospect—someone who had dominated the youth league and even made it into the reserves at just 15 years old.

An Asian player who also counted as a homegrown talent.

'And I put on an outstanding performance in the recent reserve-team friendly.'

Yet, his contract had less than a year left, and he hadn't signed a professional deal?

Of course, he became a top priority for recruitment.

Not quite ready for immediate first-team action, but a promising talent worth taking a chance on.

Kai slowly read through the documents.

'There are more offers than I expected.'

A total of nine clubs had made transfer offers.

Four from the Premier League.

Two from La Liga.

Two from the Bundesliga.

One from Serie A.

In the Premier League, the Big Four had all submitted offers.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and even Manchester City, bolstered by oil money and now a title contender.

Kai carefully examined the contract terms.

All of them were professional contracts, guaranteeing at least 15 first-team appearances if he joined.

The wages were in line with what top-tier young prospects earned, and the bonuses were best at Manchester City, unsurprisingly.

Manchester United and City included loan clauses.

If he performed well on loan, he'd be promoted to the first team the following season.

The number of guaranteed appearances also increased to 25.

But Kai clicked his tongue.

At first glance, the deals seemed appealing, but they were really just safety nets for the clubs.

Long story short—stealing a prized prospect from a rival academy was already a win.

This was Arsenal's rivals trying to weaken them.

Tetsu Arata added an explanation.

"Manchester United wants to send you on loan to Royal Antwerp in Belgium. City has a similar plan."

"I'm not interested in going out on loan."

"What about the other clubs?"

Kai glanced at the offers from non-Premier League teams and nodded.

Barcelona and Real Madrid were on the list, but he ignored them.

"I have no interest in leaving England."

"I agree. It'd be a disadvantage. Unlike England, other leagues don't allow professional contracts for under-18s."

"Right. By the way, when did you receive all these offers?"

Tetsu Arata stretched and rubbed his tired eyes.

"Since last night until this morning."

"So that's why you called me."

"Did Wenger call you too?"

"Yeah, just a moment ago."

Tetsu Arata tilted his head in curiosity.

"How did he find out? Did the club get inquiries?"

"My contract has less than a year left. Of course, other clubs would have reached out."

"True. Well, we can throw these all away. You're staying at Arsenal and continuing the challenge, right?"

"I was about to talk to you about my contract. The manager invited us for dinner tomorrow with the club's director."

Tetsu Arata's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Yes."

For a moment, he had a blank expression.

Then, suddenly, he burst into laughter and shouted.

"Haha! That's my boy! Of course, we should sign! Don't worry about negotiations, Kai. With these offers as leverage, I'll get you the best possible contract!"

"I'll trust you, Dad."

"Do you have any specific conditions you want? Tell me everything."

"I'll think about it a little more."

"Alright! Haha! If things go well, I might see my son playing in the Premier League this season!"

Kai grinned.

"I'll become famous and make Dad's restaurant famous too!"

"Ah… that's a bit of a problem."

Tetsu Arata made a troubled face.

Seeing his father's reaction, Kai chuckled like a child.

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15 Power Stones :- 1 Bonus Chapter

30 Power Stones :- 2 Bonus Chapters

50 Power Stones :- 3 Bonus Chapters

100 Power Stones:- 5 Bonus Chapters