Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Transfer to Real Madrid?
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Shea Raishi's substitution immediately paid off.
Not quite on Van Yeager's level, but he showed influence comparable to Lucas Cruijff.
Newcastle's defensive wall, already struggling to hold off Van Yeager and Cruijff, completely crumbled with Raishi's addition.
The Newcastle players started playing like soldiers with their backs against the wall after the fortress fell.
But while those soldiers truly had nowhere to retreat, Newcastle's squad was different.
Their goal was like a fortress that rebuilt itself no matter how many times it was battered down.
Newcastle kept conceding, and the scoreboard just kept piling up in real time.
"Stop it..."
"Haa... damn it..."
80th minute of the second half—only 10 minutes left in regular time.
The gap was far too wide to dream of a comeback.
Newcastle had definitely been the stronger side on paper.
They'd entered the pitch full of confidence that they'd win.
But the result was anything but.
United already had the momentum and energy edge, and Old Trafford's intimidating presence only amplified it.
Newcastle's fans did their best to fight back, but without the players stepping up, even the supporters had their limits.
In the end, the Newcastle United fans watching the match started leaving the stadium one by one.
They just couldn't bear watching their team collapse any longer.
After that, Van Yeager delivered the final nail in the coffin with a dagger goal in the 90th minute, putting an end to the game for the remaining fans.
Doping tests start with urine samples, escalating to blood if needed.
Blood tests are practically mandatory for majors like the World Cup or Champions League, but not for this FA Cup.
Having to pee in front of the tester sucks to prevent swaps, but you get used to it.
No rush, so I finished the urine test quick and headed straight to the MOM interview.
"Mr. Van! Nice to meet you."
"Great performance today too. Congrats on the team win and your standout play."
"Thank you."
The interview kicked off with simple greetings before diving right in.
With so many goals and highlights, there was tons to talk about.
I had to mention my best on-pitch partner, Lucas Cruijff.
"Lucas is a great friend and partner. His whole body is a goal-scoring weapon. His addition has helped me a ton."
Not a lie, but since he'd hyped me up big time before the FA Cup rounds, I put extra effort into praising him back.
As the interview wrapped up...
The reporter paused dramatically, then asked with a serious face.
"Now that you've reached the FA Cup semis, the other qualifiers are Tottenham, Chelsea, and Manchester City. Which would you prefer to face?"
This question was inevitable.
They'd asked the other teams who they'd want in the semis too—especially City about whether they'd prefer United or Newcastle advancing.
The desired answer was obvious.
But I went one better.
"More than the semis, there's a team I'd love to face in the final."
"...Which team would that be?"
"If we meet in the semis, no choice, but it'd be a shame if they dropped out early on their own."
"A Manchester derby to cap the FA Cup final sounds perfect."
BanYe and the viewers watching Van Yeager's interview were buzzing with excitement, already hyped at the thought of a potential Manchester derby.
*Ding—*
It might seem sudden, but Van Yeager transfer rumors popped up whenever there was a gap.
His Manchester United contract was just one year long.
United and Yeager had agreed to discuss renewal post-season, and there'd been no official word from either side yet.
Big clubs worldwide were eyeing him hard.
Real Madrid was the most vocal.
The situation painted a picture-perfect setup for Real to snag him.
Real's Galactico policy plus targeting a high-upside player with an expiring contract fit perfectly.
Van Yeager had the highest, most reliable potential among Southeast Asian players.
Plus, Real's lack of attacking mids.
With Arda Güler's transfer and Jude Bellingham's long-term injury, they desperately needed a creator in the middle—and up pops the ideal Van Yeager.
Unaware he'd rooted himself at United, Real fans were half-convinced he'd join.
Manchester United fans couldn't ignore the mounting sentiment.
No matter how loyal Van Yeager seemed, careers often trumped that.
Even David Beckham, who truly loved United, left for Real.
And with the club's current state, they had even less to say.
The glory days? Forget it.
They'd plummeted to League Two, barely scraping by without even promotion hopes before Yeager arrived.
These worries plagued United fans, Yeager fans alike.
And Van Yeager's family—his sister Van Yerin—felt the same.
The Ban family dinner ritual every night since moving to England, unless something came up.
Clink— clink—
Dinner was done, but oppa wasn't starting the convo today, so she scraped her bowl, waiting for the moment.
Clink...
"Want more rice?"
"Ah, no..."
"Okay?"
He glanced briefly, then back to his food.
No choice—she mustered her courage.
"Oppa."
"Yeah, me? What's up, lil sis! Something wrong?"
His energy visibly spiked with joy.
Seeing that, Yerin felt shy but emboldened, blurting out her burning question.
"Oppa, going to Real?"
"What?"
"Are you transferring to Real Madrid...?"
...
"Is our Yerin worried I'll become a City fan?"
"Ah..."
She got hit with the cheeky jab of being labeled a City supporter trying to troll United.