Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Hot Winter Transfer Market (1)
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There was a rumor going around that Ban Yeager was joining the U-18 training sessions to personally scout players to bring up to the first team.
Surprisingly, the rumor was close to the truth.
In reality, Ban Yeager's participation in U-18 training wasn't a one-off; it was planned to continue steadily.
The first goal was to identify players with decent talent and build rapport with them in advance.
The second was to prevent them from leaving for other clubs, and the third was to find players good enough for an immediate call-up.
Of course, this was all part of a long-term plan.
Even without that long-term plan, there was a compelling reason he had to visit the U-18 team.
It was one player on the verge of leaving the youth team in just half a year.
"Alright, everyone, warm up! Follow the scheduled sessions for training!"
The training kicked off with a brief introduction.
Today was a day for individual drills rather than team sessions, and he'd come specifically for that.
He could feel the others eyeing him, itching to talk, but the first player he approached wasn't one of the mainstays.
"Hey?"
"Uh... hey..."
"Oh, you speak Korean?"
"Yeah... my mom's Korean..."
Of course he knew that already.
"Nice to meet you. I'm from Korea too."
"I know... you're super famous..."
This shy kid of British-Korean mixed heritage was named
Lucas Cruijff.
He was the biggest reason Ban Yeager had joined the U-18 training.
Six months from now,
Lucas Cruijff would be part of a massive release party and leave the team.
At age 20, he'd make Liverpool's first team, and even in 2038—the last year Ban Yeager had confirmed—he'd be Liverpool and England's starting striker, a world-class talent.
The reason Lucas Cruijff hadn't survived at Manchester United was his shy personality; he never even got a chance to show his talent.
The moment he gained confidence and greed, he'd transform into a world-class striker.
That made him both crucial and urgent—top priority.
"I'll probably come once a week. Let's train together."
"With me...?"
"Yeah. When you make it to the first team later, you'll need to finish my passes. You watched the games, right? There's no one reliable to put them away, so I've been doing it all myself."
This wasn't lip service; it was sincere.
Manchester United needed more consistent goal scorers beyond him.
"Do you think I can do it...?"
"No idea."
"Huh?"
"If you don't know, who would? Anyway, you're a striker, right? Stop worrying about others and focus only on scoring."
"I'll try harder from now on..."
"Yeah, let's start trying right now."
He grabbed the flustered Lucas Cruijff and led him onto the pitch.
Wham—!!
'Yeager, that pass is fierce~'
'Give it so I can control it~~~, you know.'
Watching Lucas Cruijff finish his passes brought back memories of all the humiliation he'd endured so far.
'Luca Luca... hurry up and join us.'
Give this guy some ego, and he could play in the first team right away.
"You've been watching the games closely."
"Thank you."
U-18 coach Clayton Blackmore.
Thanks to Darren Fletcher's recommendation, he always got to chat with Coach Blackmore after U-18 sessions.
"So... was it worth coming all the way down here?"
"Yes. How about promoting one player to the reserve team?"
"Hm? Which one?"
"Lucas Cruijff."
"Ah~ that kid... there are some concerns... a lot of them, actually~?"
The coach hummed a tune, mulling it over, then turned serious.
"I trained with him today, and if his mentality improves, I think he could definitely be useful in the first team."
"Hmm... I rate your skills highly, but judging another player's talent is a different matter... I can't make a rash call based on your word alone."
"Ah..."
Come to think of it, Lucas Cruijff was originally supposed to leave in half a year.
If even Coach Blackmore agreed with that, he clearly didn't think highly of Cruijff right now.
His mentality issues must be pretty severe.
To be fair, all Ban Yeager had seen was training, not a practice match.
But even so, he couldn't deny that Lucas Cruijff had the talent to succeed.
Not after living until 2038 and seeing it himself.
"Things will be different now."
"Oh? How so?"
"I'll personally work with him every time I join training for the foreseeable future."
"Sounds good. Training with you will be a huge help to the players."
"Thank you, Coach."
"Sure~ In return for my help... take care of our club. I mean it when I say I'm watching your games."
The day after joining U-18 training and talking about Lucas Cruijff,
he got a summons from Darren Fletcher.
"Lucas Cruijff... this kid any good?"
"Yes. Word got around that fast?"
Darren Fletcher held a file with Lucas Cruijff's profile.
"I heard about it while coordinating your next schedule with Blackmore. At 6'2" (189cm)... he'll be competing with Sesko."
"He says he'll think it over after seeing more. It'll take time before he joins the first team."
"I know that~ But since you picked him, it'd be nice if you could bring him up~"
"..."
"Haha, just kidding."
With all these frequent meetings, the coach was starting to joke around with him.
"More importantly, I called you to share some news first."
"I see."
It wasn't just about Lucas Cruijff, then.
"Two players from Barcelona are coming soon."
"Pardon?"
Had they finally gotten serious and signed some wingers?
Ramin Yamal? No... with Shea Lacey already there, left winger was more urgent.
Hapinya?! No logic there...
Lucas Balde?!
"Marc Bernal and Madu Murcia will be wearing our kit within the week."
"Ah... I see..."
He was disappointed they weren't wingers, but it was still a solid signing.
The midfield needed bolstering anyway.
Interestingly, Marc Bernal's transfer to United had happened in his previous life too.
He'd thought his insane U-17 World Cup run and signing with United would massively alter the future.
And it had, to some extent.
Yet fate had its ways.
Marc Bernal, who was originally meant to be Sheikh Jassim's—the new owner's—first signing in place of him, was joining late.
"Anyway, here's their profiles. Take a look."
"Thank you."
"As I said before, we see you as a core part of this club. You might not dominate the locker room, but don't let yourself get pushed around."
"Got it."
At 17, he was the youngest on the first-team roster, so the coach was worried he'd crumble under non-football pressures.
That's why the frequent meetings, U-18 access, and early info on incoming players—all those considerations.
Even as the club wobbled, his dedication to the team he loved was pure academy spirit.
Darren Fletcher.
The perfect coach to revive United's glory.
Manchester United's hospitality extended brilliantly beyond football.
They'd helped his dad settle in, connected him with contacts, arranged for his little sister to continue school in Manchester state.
And provided a spacious home perfect for the whole family.
Thanks to that, unless something came up, he could eat dinner with his family every evening.
'In my last life, coming home from training to eat alone was the hardest part.'
Bringing the family overseas together had been the best decision.
And choosing Manchester United, which supported them so well, had been smart too.
"Dad, how's the agent registration going?"
"Smoothly~ Almost done. Still getting a lot of calls?"
"Eh, sort of~ But that's not why I asked."
His dad and sister leaned in, focusing.
His sister pretended not to care but perked up her ears anyway.
"I think we need to hire a manager. I already told the club. We'll need a driver too, and you can't handle everything alone, Dad."
"Sorry, Yeager. Dad hasn't been able to focus on you."
"No! What you're doing now is all for me anyway. I was planning to get a manager regardless."
"Right... The club will help with that, and you'll pick a good one. Just like you chose United."
"Yeah, don't worry. Once your agent registration's done, Dad, you'll have tons to do."
"Hahaha! Alright~ I look forward to it."
This was no empty promise.
He had no plans to transfer soon, and for renewals, handling it himself was safest.
What he'd hand to his dad: charity events and Korea collaborations.
Bound by blood, Dad could never quit.