Alendra

After hanging up with his parents, Arghana still felt his mind full.

He needed another perspective, someone he could have a deeper discussion with.

Without hesitation, he opened his contacts on his phone and searched for a name he was very familiar with—Alen.

Alendra, or Mas Alen as he was affectionately called, was Arghana's cousin and childhood playmate.

The four-year age gap between them didn't stop them from being close.

Alen's house was not far from Arghana's family home, so they grew up together in many ways.

As children, they often spent time on the football field near their houses, playing until the sun set.

However, their paths in life began to diverge as they got older.

With his intelligence, Alen managed to secure a scholarship through the LPDP program to continue his studies at the University of Oxford in business administration.

Currently, he was going through his program in England.

Although he didn't have a background in professional football, Alen was always considered a well-informed person in the family.

For the extended family, if there was something they didn't understand, they would just ask Alen—he would surely know the answer.

Arghana smiled faintly as he remembered this.

In his family, Alen was often considered a walking encyclopedia.

However, Arghana knew well that his cousin also had his limits.

Still, he felt more comfortable talking to Alen than anyone else.

He pressed the call button, and it didn't take long before the familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hello, Ghaa! How's it going, bro? Long time no call this late," Alen greeted him cheerfully.

Arghana exhaled before responding. "Mas Alen, I need to talk.

There's something I have to decide, and I need your opinion on it."

The voice on the other end became more serious. "Wow, sounds important. Okay, what's going on?"

Arghana then started explaining about the contract offered by Go Ahead Eagles, his doubts, and what his parents had said earlier.

He knew Alen might not have deep knowledge of professional football circumstances, but he still wanted to hear his perspective.

On the other end, Alen listened attentively, occasionally murmuring softly as he processed the information Arghana was sharing.

Even though this wasn't his field, he understood how big this decision was for his cousin.

And as an older brother and friend, he wanted to help as much as he could.

===

After chatting with Mas Alen, Arghana finally made his decision.

The next morning, after his morning training session, he signed the contract with Go Ahead Eagles.

The contract was for three years with a monthly salary of 3,300 euros.

Additionally, he would receive a bonus of 150 euros for each win, 200 euros for each goal, and 50 euros for every assist he made.

Although the bonuses weren't as large compared to his monthly salary, Arghana realized that this was part of his career journey.

De Vries' words were indeed true, but he still wanted to prove that he could compete in Europe.

===

In the next training session, the team's atmosphere became more competitive.

The return of the main striker meant that the coaching staff's attention was no longer solely on Arghana.

He was placed as a backup player during the tactical drills.

It was here that he realized the vast gap between his abilities and those of the main strikers like Lion Kaak, Guyon Philips, and Xander Houtkoop.

Physically, he could match them, but in terms of technique, experience, and sharpness in front of goal, he still lagged behind.

Eric Ten Haag and assistant coach Dennis Demmers often held discussions after training to determine the best formation ahead of the upcoming play-off matches.

In the latest decision, they chose to keep Arghana and Marnix Kolder in the main squad, while young winger Cas Peters was sent back to the reserves.

Additionally, striker Viana was expected to recover from injury within two weeks, giving the coaches more options in the forward line.

Although he had scored six goals in the last five matches, Arghana wasn't automatically the first choice.

The coaches observed that all the goals he scored came after the 80th minute, so they decided to make him a "super sub"—a player brought in during the second half to take advantage of his stamina and speed as the opposition began to tire.

Though slightly disappointed, Arghana was determined to make the most of his new role and continue to improve.

===

Meanwhile, in Oxford, Alendra sat in his room thinking about his conversation with Arghana.

Although he wasn't an expert in professional football law, the discussion had sparked his interest in football business.

He began to wonder if he should take a football agent course.

Not only could he help his cousin, but he also saw great potential in the industry.

Football in England wasn't just a sport; it was a massive business with a complex ecosystem.

If he could understand the system well, it was possible that he could build a new career in this field.