Manchester United's heir apparent, but can't play football.

Chapter 128 Acquaintance in humble beginnings (Daily Transition)

The sounds of renovations at Old Trafford drifted in from outside the window: in preparation for the Crown Prince's return, the uniformed staff were also striving for 'decency'.

Knock knock knock!
A blonde, voluptuous uniformed staff member gently knocked on the door: "Boss, the person has arrived."

Van Gaal, without even looking up, said, "Come in!"

The light is very dim.

The setting sun could not penetrate the closed, leaf-covered window.

The large office was so quiet that the only sound could be the clatter of pens on paper.

De Bruyne was a little nervous. This atmosphere reminded him of his experience when Chelsea was abandoned: Van Gaal was also a bit mentally unstable and had a very strong personality.

“I don’t like your decision, Belgian midfielder. Manchester United’s management bought you back, and unfortunately, you’re not in my plans for the new season. You’ve been misled by your agent. Be careful, he might run off with your money one day.”

"I'm sorry, Mr. Van Gaal, but I'd like to play football with Lee."

"Hmph, stupid, you hardly ever had a chance to play with Lee at Manchester United."

Van Gaal stood up and pulled out his tactical board: "Let's put aside our identities and have a chat."

Snapped!
clap clap clap!
The small magnetic flags were repeatedly slapped onto the board.

“You gave up better treatment and a key position at Manchester City, but I won’t be moved by that. You hurt yourself. If you had joined Manchester City, Pellegrini would have treated you like his own son.”

"He has devised a very reasonable development plan for you. David Silva, Yaya Toure, and Fernandinho will cover up all your shortcomings! You will be able to comfortably adapt to the Premier League in your first season and will not have to experience the feeling of being abandoned like you did at Chelsea."

"But you gave up a high salary and tactical position to come to Manchester United? Manchester United's tactical resources are limited and will only be focused on Li."

"You understand the issue of tactical resources, right? There's only one football on the pitch; the Premier League and the Bundesliga are different."

"Alright, let's get back to our roots. Welcome to Manchester United, Kevin!"

Van Gaal stretched out his chubby hand and revealed a kind and gentle smile.

De Bruyne took a deep breath: "Thank you, Mr. Van Gaal, I will."

"You're welcome. Go report to the reserve team."

De Bruyne walked out of the Manchester United manager's office, dejected.

Feeling a little down.

It seems like he's going back to the bittersweet period of his Chelsea career; making the right choices is definitely the most important thing.

Followed by.

I consoled myself by thinking: talented players like Falcao and Di Maria were also relegated to the reserve team by Van Gaal.

He silently opened the envelope Van Gaal had given him.

[Lack of motivation in training.]

[Under high pressure, the first touch lacks stability; the player habitually uses the outside of their right foot to handle the ball, making them easy to predict and exploit.]

[Positioning too far forward, often ignoring the rhythm, rushing to advance, rushing to deliver the decisive pass, leading to loss of possession, and frequently neglecting the midfield passing points.]

[Weak defensive positioning and insufficient average defensive tracking distance.]

These flaws might not be so obvious in the Bundesliga and Europa League, but they are different in the Premier League and Champions League, often proving fatal. You need two and a half months to correct these bad habits before the new season starts in order to return to the first team.

During the holiday, I assigned the best physical trainer and assistant coach, Giggs, to the reserve team.

Take a deep breath.

De Bruyne's gaze hardened.

"Thank you, Mr. Van Gaal."

"Li must be training hard right now, right?"

In Lower Saxony, along the Weser River, a gentle early summer breeze blows.

The heron plunged into the water, and when it emerged, it had a small, wriggling fish in its beak. Then, it flapped its wings and flew towards the increasingly dense reeds in the distance, dotted with a few pale purple wildflowers.

gradually.

Night falls.

The riverside open-air café became lively, and the chirping of insects rose and fell from the grass.

The riverbank under the dim streetlights.

"Meow~"

"Woof woof woof! Li! Over here!"

It was the same old code, the same familiar tone.

A graceful figure emerged from the shadows of the trees. The Chanel heiress was dressed casually tonight, her blonde hair loosely tied back, with a few stray strands brushing against her cheeks in the evening breeze.

Her emerald eyes, filled with moonlight, accentuated her delicate features, making her appear even more beautiful, like someone who had stepped out of a painting.

"Let me smell you~~ Do you smell any other girls?" She leaned closer, bent over, pretended to sniff with her nose, and smiled slyly, her eyes crinkling.

"of course not."

Li Luo took two steps back, his expression unchanged: "I will only ever meet you, a Dutch girl." Lauren's cheeks flushed slightly, as if she had heard the most touching words of love. Suddenly, she realized: "Aren't there girls from other countries too?"

"Nonsense."

Li Luo suddenly raised his hand and handed over a shiny object: "This is for you."

It is the UEFA Europa League champion's medal.

The Dutch girl's eyes lit up instantly, filled with undisguised joy, but as soon as her fingertips touched the medal, she gently withdrew them and waved her hand: "No, Li, this gift is too precious. It's something you fought so hard to win."

"It's not that precious."

Li Luo smiled, stuffed the medal into her pocket, and said confidently, "Next season, I'll show you the Champions League medal."

Lauren looked at the bulge in her pocket, clutched the medal to her lower abdomen as if it were a hidden treasure, and her eyes reddened slightly: "You make it sound so easy, but you've actually given me your most precious medal. I'll keep it safe for you. From now on, what's mine is yours."

"Is it that precious? I don't think so."

"You're unwilling to admit it?"

"Lauren, wait a minute, don't touch me."

The Dutch girl's tone immediately turned aggrieved: "Are you already tired of me? What will you do when you return to Manchester United, win more and more honors, and meet more beautiful girls? Won't you forget me very quickly?"

Really good at reading people.

Li Luo quickly composed himself, his expression serious, and his tone solemn: "We met before we became famous, before we realized our talents, and before we received any honors. In Chinese terms, we met when we were still unknown."

"We met when we were both nobody? I've heard that phrase before!"

"Wait a minute, Lauren, let go of my hand first."

"."

"."

"Li, once you return to Cheshire, will it be difficult for us to see each other again?"

"We can meet, but don't let the Manchester United guys see us, they'll shoot."

Manchester United's offices.

Giggs hesitated: "Boss, it's not good to put De Bruyne in the reserves."

Van Gaal scoffed dismissively.

"Foolish. If we don't put him in the reserves, the agents of those guys in the locker room will have already jumped up and down. De Bruyne's salary is actually not low. Now, everyone else will definitely mistakenly think that his experience will be the same as Di Maria's and Falcao's."

"I'm protecting that silly Belgian."

"In short, this season, we need to maintain Manchester United's wage structure."

"Once Li leads the team to win a championship, the situation will be very, very stable, and no monsters will dare to cause trouble."

"By the way, no one is allowed to lead Li astray! Anyone who dares to introduce Li to any young models, female celebrities, or rich heiresses will be relegated to the reserve team!"

The last sentence was particularly emphasized.

Giggs nodded seriously.

Public arena.

Tens of thousands of fans had tears in their eyes as they sang the team song, their voices filled with reluctance to part.

An LED screen in mid-air replayed highlights from last season.

Li Luo, De Bruyne, and Maranda stood beside the three championship trophies, waving goodbye to Wolfsburg fans.

The cries from the stands grew louder and louder.

Crashing.

Black Gold leaned on the railing, looking melancholy and a little reluctant. Recalling the past few moments, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and said, "The summer transfer window has another 9000 million euros in transfer funds. I really don't know how to spend it."

at the same time.

The press conference at Old Trafford.

Morata, wearing the number 9 jersey for Manchester United, looked serious and spoke in a solemn tone:

"I fell in love with this red color when I was very young. On April 21, 1999, when I was 7 years old, I saw Manchester United for the first time in the stands at the Bernabéu. The moment I saw the club's crest, I knew that I would definitely play for this club when I grew up."

"My childhood dream was to join Manchester United!"

The vast venue fell silent for a few seconds.

Followed by.

Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!
The applause was thunderous and lasting.

Many representatives of Manchester United fan organizations shed tears of emotion at the scene: the Dream Number 9 - Morata - will surely become an important piece of the puzzle on the road to revival.

Premier League journalists were writing furiously.

Manchester United's DNA, left behind in the Iberian Peninsula: The Red Devils' new number 9!

(End of this chapter)