Super Wingstorm

Three days after meeting Van Gaal, Yang Yang received a call-up from the first team.

The whole process was simple. Before the afternoon training session, first-team assistant coach Luther Carroll came to the second team’s training ground and muttered something to Van Basten and John van Schip.

After that, Van Basten called over Yang Yang, who was warming up, and told him to go directly to the first team with Luther Carroll. He didn’t even need to pack his things. Officially, it was just a loan, and he could be sent back at any time.

Babel and Demuer had joined the first team the same way, but it wasn’t long before they were back with the second team.

And so, under the envious gazes of all his second-team teammates, Yang Yang followed behind Luther Carroll to the first team.

Even though they were both at De Toekomst, Yang Yang wasn’t familiar with the first team.

He knew the first team was star-studded, with players like the veteran Litmanen, Van der Vaart, who had just won the inaugural European Golden Boy Award, and Sneijder, who he had teamed up with during the talent selection day...

Seeing Yang Yang arrive at the first team, the happiest were none other than Ibrahimovic, Vermaelen, and Maxwell.

His three close friends immediately came up to greet him, with Ibrahimovic even letting out a few cheers.

Head coach Ronald Koeman clearly had no intention of letting them reminisce. He quickly introduced Yang Yang to everyone formally. Yang Yang took the opportunity to observe his new teammates. Everyone’s attitude was different; some were indifferent, some were welcoming, and some were filled with hostility.

This was normal. As a newcomer, Yang Yang’s arrival in the first team would inevitably affect the interests of certain people, so it was natural to be met with animosity.

But to Yang Yang’s delight, besides Ibrahimovic and the other two, Sneijder also gave him a smile. The captain, Van der Vaart, also smiled and welcomed him, which put Yang Yang at ease.

He had long heard that Ibrahimovic and Van der Vaart didn’t get along and was worried the team captain might resent him because of it. But clearly, Van der Vaart didn’t do that, which improved Yang Yang’s impression of him quite a bit.

However, Yang Yang noticed that the right-back Talabesi, who was supposedly ”suspended” by the team under the guise of an injury, wasn’t at the training session. This surprised him a little. ’Could it be that the Tunisian full-back is refusing to train to force a transfer?’

But Yang Yang didn’t have much time to worry about such gossip, because his first training session with the first team started soon after.

Since the team was in the middle of the season and competing on two fronts, the training intensity wasn’t high. It was more focused on recovery and adjustment, which wasn’t difficult for Yang Yang. However, the level of training in the first team was clearly higher than in the second team, and the drills were scheduled more tightly. After all, everyone present was a high-level, famous star in Europe.

Being able to train on the same field with such stars was a very rare opportunity for Yang Yang.

......

......

While Yang Yang was beginning his first training session with the first team at De Toekomst, in the technical director’s office at the nearby Amsterdam Arena, Van Gaal was meeting with Talabesi and his agent.

The first thing the agent, sharply dressed in a suit and looking quite polished, said upon meeting Van Gaal was, ”I hope Ajax will give serious consideration to the offers from other teams. I am currently in contact with Chelsea and Arsenal, and they are both very sincere.”

The agent, who was around forty years old, seemed very confident.

Clearly, he interpreted Technical Director Van Gaal’s initiative to arrange the meeting as a sign of weakness and compromise.

But unexpectedly, a sharp glint flashed in Van Gaal’s eyes. He casually picked up a document and, with a THWACK, slammed it onto the desk in front of them. ”This is a contract extension. Take a good look at it.”

”I think you’ve misunderstood, Mr. Van Gaal. My client has no intention of renewing his contract with Ajax,” the agent said, shaking his head.

But just as he was about to push the document back toward Van Gaal, the Ajax technical director stood up from his seat. His eyes were like lightning, staring directly at the man who was all bark and no bite.

”I don’t have time to waste on your nonsense, and I’m not giving you a choice. You say you’re in contact with Arsenal and Chelsea? Did you get our club’s permission for that? No? That’s great. Arsenal and Chelsea secretly approached our player without our club’s consent. This isn’t over. I’ll report it to UEFA.”

As soon as Van Gaal counterattacked, the agent became flustered.

An agent privately contacting other clubs had always been a gray area that skirted the rules. If Ajax got serious, neither Arsenal nor Chelsea would risk antagonizing Ajax just for Talabesi. The result would undoubtedly be the two Premier League clubs issuing swift denials, leaving him, the agent, to face the music.

As for what would happen to Talabesi then, the answer was self-evident.

So, after hearing Van Gaal’s words, the Tunisian right-back’s expression changed instantly.

”I think...” The agent felt his palms start to sweat and forced a stiff smile. ”I think you’ve misunderstood, Mr. Van Gaal. What I meant... I was just trying to say...”

”I told you, I don’t have time for your nonsense,” Van Gaal cut him off again bluntly.

The two had been in contact many times over the past six months, and Van Gaal had long grown tired of this agent. His attitude had always been cold, but never as aggressive and blunt as it was now.

”Let me just tell you a simple fact,” Van Gaal said, staring at Talabesi and his agent. ”Your contract with Ajax has six months left, plus a clause for an automatic two-year extension. We can keep you here for two and a half years.”

”Yes, that’s right. You can choose not to sign after six months, but it doesn’t matter. I guarantee that even if you don’t sign, you absolutely will not be leaving Ajax. I believe that no matter who is sitting in this chair in the future, myself or someone else, no one will let you leave Ajax this way. No one!”

Van Gaal’s tone grew increasingly heavy, intending to put immense pressure on the two men opposite him.

In fact, from the very beginning, Talabesi had been well aware of his weak position and the disadvantages in this transfer situation. But they had chosen to apply pressure, hoping Ajax would compromise and let him transfer during the winter break for a lower fee.

But now, it was clear that Van Gaal’s stance was incredibly firm.

”I’m giving you two choices now. First, sign this contract extension. The club promises to let you transfer in six months, but only on the condition that the other party offers a sincere transfer fee. Second, you can continue to hold your ground. That’s fine. Your contract has six months left, and I guarantee that for these next six months, you won’t play a single game. You’ll be sitting right on the bench for me.”

”As for what happens after six months, we can take our time with a lawsuit. I’m confident that with this contract in hand, it’s a lawsuit we’re guaranteed to win. And when it really comes to that, I can’t guarantee what the club might do.”

This resolute speech from Van Gaal left Talabesi completely aghast. He looked at the technical director in disbelief. ’Is he really prepared for mutual destruction?’

”Mr. Van Gaal, can I interpret your words as a threat?” the agent asked.

”You’re mistaken. This isn’t a threat, it’s a fact. We have that right, don’t we? Besides, I can’t guarantee that any team would be willing to pay up for a player who hasn’t played in six months, especially if it means antagonizing Ajax to get him.”

Van Gaal’s voice lowered, but the sharp edge in his words became even more intimidating.

Talabesi and his agent both found it hard to counter. Over the past period, the player had indeed not been getting any game time. This was clearly a deliberate arrangement by the club, aimed at forcing him to submit.

No player is bigger than the club. No team would antagonize Ajax for Talabesi, because they couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t need to cooperate with Ajax someday. Besides, Ajax was also a member of the G-14.

”I’ve said my piece. What you do now is up to you.”

Talabesi and his agent looked at each other, both seeing the helplessness and unease in the other’s eyes.

With things having reached this point, they had been forced into a very awkward position. Ajax had also suffered significant losses. In contrast, the big clubs that had contacted them remained detached, as if it had nothing to do with them. This infuriated Talabesi.

But he was also very clear that at twenty-six, this was his last chance to join a major club. If he missed it, it was gone for good.

”Mr. Van Gaal, can you guarantee you’ll let me leave in six months?” Talabesi asked, speaking for the first time.

”We can write it into the extension,” Van Gaal said flatly.

......

......

When Yang Yang’s first training session with the first team was about halfway through, Talabesi suddenly returned to the training ground.

None of the players knew why he was late, but head coach Ronald Koeman didn’t stop him, letting him rejoin the training directly. He obviously knew the situation beforehand, so everyone kept their confusion to themselves.

Talabesi just buried his head in training, but you could tell he was somewhat absent-minded. This led many to guess it was probably related to his contract renewal with the team, especially since he hadn’t been able to play in any matches for a while.

As the training session was about to end, Technical Director Van Gaal also suddenly appeared on the first team’s training ground.

When he saw Yang Yang from a distance, he was clearly a bit surprised, but then he gave Yang Yang a smile.

He knew Koeman intended to call Yang Yang up to the first team, but he hadn’t known it would be today. Watching Yang Yang train with the first team, Van Gaal felt a wave of emotion. Even he didn’t know where the Ajax battleship was headed next, or whether he, as technical director, would even last until the end of the season.

But in any case, Yang Yang making it to the first team was, ultimately, a good thing.

Thinking back, Van Gaal was astonished by Yang Yang’s progress.

In just over half a year, he had transformed from a reject on the verge of being cut by the Almere Youth Team into the rising star of the Ajax Youth Team. Now, he had entered the first team, with his debut on the horizon. The speed of his ascent was like a rocket, truly shocking.

’Perhaps he’ll continue to surprise people,’ Van Gaal thought to himself.