From Arsenal, Forge the Path to Football God

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"Alright, Maël!"

On the sidelines, Hans stood up again, clenching his fist and waving it in the air.

Three to three, a draw!

This was somewhat surprising. Could their trial lineup really match Liverpool's strength?

This would mean that their Arsenal Youth Academy was already far ahead of Liverpool.

"Mr. Wenger, what do you think of him?"

After the celebration, Hans hurriedly asked Wenger for his opinion, his voice filled with anticipation. "Although I also want to recommend those who have been with me longer, you saw his performance today."

Sometimes, it's not just about being prepared and building a strong foundation; you also need an opportunity to showcase your abilities to someone who can elevate you.

Maël was lucky; his first performance left everyone in awe.

More importantly, this 'everyone' included Wenger, the current Arsenal First Team manager!

However, from the fact that Mr. Wenger had been paying attention to him for a while, you couldn't purely attribute it to luck. It seemed that Wenger came to watch the match specifically to see him.

"That shooting conversion rate is indeed impressive, and he has physical strength."

Wenger nodded and then added, "I assume you will offer him a Youth Academy contract, and you're asking me if I will promote him to the First Team.

"It's not an easy decision to make. I can't give you an answer now; this is the first time I've seen him play."

However, Wenger seemed to remember something and turned his head to look at the corner of the stands, where a few people with serious expressions were writing something down.

They didn't celebrate; they were meticulously recording, standing out from the surrounding fans.

They were the scouts, who had witnessed Maël's performance and would evaluate him based on their standards.

"Outstanding long-range shooting ability, far exceeding his peers in shooting power and accuracy! Shows the potential of a powerful striker."

In the stands, the scout from Sheffield United quickly wrote in his notebook, "Physical strength is excellent in matches at his level, with potential for development.

"Weaknesses: seems to struggle with delivering key passes and dribbling past opponents. At least two times he lost possession while dribbling and two times he lost the ball with poor passes, but his fundamentals are solid, and he doesn't show fear on the field.

"Potential Rating: B+, on par with Arsenal U17 captain Gilbert, with a chance to adapt to the Championship League in the future."

After finishing, he paused, his gaze fixed on Maël, who was celebrating.

He wanted to judge from his teammates' reactions whether Maël was a contracted player or a trialist for Arsenal.

After all, these two identities represented vastly different levels of difficulty in acquiring him!

"Interested?"

Beside him, a scout from Burnley approached, mocking, "After Sheffield United's failed promotion last year, many Premier League-caliber players left. The remaining players are just trying to avoid relegation.

"Do you have other plans?"

The Sheffield United scout ignored him and continued writing in his notebook.

Last year, in the 09-10 season, they had made it to the Championship Play-offs and reached the final, with promotion within reach.

Unfortunately, they lost the final, leaving a lasting regret and a loss of confidence throughout the club.

And their final opponent was none other than Burnley!

Given that the two clubs often competed in the Premier League and Championship, it was natural for them to be rivals.

"Don't worry, we won't compete with you."

Seeing that he wasn't responding, the Burnley scout turned away, disinterested. "Premier League teams naturally need better players. The ones we reject will naturally be left for Championship teams like yours."

The Sheffield United scout still ignored him and turned to the Leeds United scout beside him, hoping to strike up a conversation.

Seeing the other scout also writing, the Burnley scout finally realized he should focus on his own task.

He took out his notebook, thought for a moment, and wrote a series of notes.

"Arsenal, Number 31.

"Excellent long-range shooting ability, excellent physical strength, but no other standout features. As a winger, lacks a good crossing ability, and no outstanding ability to cut inside or penetrate the box.

"Does not have the potential to play in the Premier League. If he can be signed for under 40,000 pounds, recommend the club to acquire him and place him in the youth or reserve team to gain experience. In the future, he can be sold to Championship or League One clubs for 100,000 to 500,000 pounds."

After writing this, he shook his head slightly, looking disappointed.

He had hoped that Wenger's presence would lead to the discovery of more promising young talents, but it turned out there was only one Number 31 who didn't have Premier League potential.

"What a waste of time."

Losing interest, he focused on showing off his superiority as a Premier League scout, behaving differently from the others, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Sometimes, when a person realizes they can't achieve their original goal, the frustration leads them to find compensation in other areas of advantage.

"Beep! Beep! Beep—!"

Soon, with the referee's three long whistles, the match officially ended.

The score: three to three!

Arsenal, with their trial lineup, managed to draw with the visiting Liverpool at home, a result they could certainly accept.

"No holiday this week. Go back and reflect on your performance!"

The Liverpool manager left with a look of anger, sternly reprimanding his players, "Why did the opposition still have fighting spirit after conceding goals? Why was their shooting conversion rate so high while yours wasn't?"

Seeing his expression, the Arsenal players felt even more elated.

Often, the sense of achievement and joy in competitive sports comes from comparing oneself to the opponent.

Maël was excitedly high-fiving his teammates, feeling the thrill of turning the tide and realizing the value of his abilities in a competitive match for the first time.

"Staying on is definitely not a problem. Congratulations in advance."

Captain Gilbert hugged him, congratulated him, and then joked, "Mr. Wenger has noticed you too. If you make it to the First Team in the future, don't forget us."

"How could I?"

Maël smiled, patted his back, and then separated. He turned his head and saw Carl, whose expression was complex.

Carl had come to the team with him, and just a few days ago, they had lamented the difficulty of staying on the team.

But since that day's shooting practice, everything had changed.

"Back then, I should have trained with you."

Carl gave a self-deprecating smile, as if he could already foresee his future. "Unfortunately, I couldn't get up and couldn't drag my tired body to extra training after daily practice."

"Try some Ligue 1 or Ligue 2 clubs when you return to France."

Maël reined in his joy, unsure how to comfort him. "There should still be a chance."

Professional football is this cruel. Behind every successful and glamorous player, there are countless others who have sacrificed their youth but only ended up with regret and sorrow.

Carl shook his head, not saying more about himself, and forced a smile. "You will definitely continue playing at Colney Training Ground. Keep working hard, and I hope to see you play professionally one day.

"If you make it to the French National Team and win the European Championship and the World Cup, I'll have something to brag about when I return. I'll hang your posters all over my house and tell my children and grandchildren, hahaha..."

He laughed loudly twice, trying to hide his sadness and envy, but it was too late.

Maël hugged him, patted his shoulder, and felt his body trembling slightly, his breathing uneven.