CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 2: SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW

In the early morning, waking up from the soft bed, Chen Zhong skillfully opened his phone, glanced at the time, and couldn’t help but smile slightly.

Great, it’s another day of waking up before the alarm.

He pulled open the curtains and, seeing the fine drizzle outside, Chen Zhong opted to do some light exercises indoors.

After winning the Spanish King’s Cup, Schuster gave all players a day off. Chen Zhong took out his phone and made a call home, where it was just noon. His father loudly announced, "Everyone be quiet, my son is calling me!"

"The Real Madrid star’s son?"

"Who else!"

Listening to the sounds from over there, images of them toasting and clinking glasses involuntarily appeared in Chen Zhong’s mind. Soon, the phone was in his mother’s hands, as his lovely old father was naturally busy bragging.

After chatting about recent happenings, Chen Zhong ended the call and then turned on the TV.

News of Real Madrid’s victory was being broadcast, and Chen Zhong saw himself on the screen, briefly finding it somewhat surreal.

After the news broadcast, he changed the channel.

Well-dressed experts were analyzing Real Madrid’s transfers this season, and Chen Zhong sat up a bit straighter.

Soon, a chart appeared on the TV screen, showing that Real Madrid had 16 players leave during this transfer window, including Beckham, Woodgate, and Pavin.

"Apart from these 16 players, Cicinho is looking for a new club."

"Schuster is quite dissatisfied with this player."

Cicero-Joao de Cezar, known simply as "Cicinho," showed little presence in either attack or defense during the Russian Railways Cup final against Eindhoven at the Locomotive Stadium.

After analyzing the departures, another chart appeared on the TV, this time listing Real Madrid’s signings this season, and among the long list of names, Chen Zhong saw his own.

"This season, Real Madrid signed 12 players."

"The youngest is only 16 years old, and you know who I’m talking about."

"That’s Chen, who played in both recent finals, and except for the 34-year-old Dudek, none of the other players are over 30, with seven or eight of them in their early 20s."

The transformation Schuster brought to Real Madrid could be felt from one transfer window alone. This summer, Real Madrid spent 120 million on signings, but compared to superstars, Schuster preferred to use young talent, which was clearly reflected in this list.

After discussing Real Madrid’s transfers, the TV show turned to talk about Barcelona.

This season’s Barcelona had far fewer transfers compared to Real Madrid, bringing in a total of four players and promoting three academy players, with the name Bojan among them.

The biggest star among the signings is unquestionably Henry, the "King of Highbury," while the least well-known is Yaya Toure from Monaco.

At the end of the program, experts even analyzed the expected record-high spending of the Premier League and La Liga in the transfer market this season, but this topic didn’t interest Chen Zhong much, so he skipped it.

After watching the TV program, Chen Zhong went to the buffet to eat. During the meal, he vaguely heard someone talking about Raul attending a TV interview. Recently, Raul had been under a lot of pressure, especially since a week ago, when Diario AS called for Raul to voluntarily give up his position to provide more opportunities for young players, which put Raul in a tough spot. Coincidentally, it was Diario AS that invited Raul this time.

After breakfast, Chen Zhong headed to the gym, where he saw Cannavaro. Cannavaro beamed at Chen Zhong and said, "Oh, our little hero is here. Pepe, weren’t you just talking about him?"

"Chen!" Pepe greeted Chen Zhong, and at this moment, Marcelo also made his way into the gym.

He walked up to Chen Zhong and complained, "Why didn’t you wake me up when you got up so early."

"I thought you wanted to sleep a bit more!" Chen Zhong chuckled at Marcelo’s antics, "Want to do some training together?"

"Of course!"

"What else would I be here for!"

Training is a must in Chen Zhong’s daily life. Although it’s no longer possible to enhance his abilities, it helps him maintain his physical condition and improve his understanding and control of his body.

If he doesn’t train for a long time, Chen Zhong’s stats will decrease.

During the training, Cannavaro chatted with the three casually, pointing out some issues with Marcelo and Pepe, while also sharing some defensive tips.

"For a defender, being able to stay calm is a crucial ability."

"You can get angry, use some tricks, but you need to understand why you’re doing it, what effect it will have, and what your goal is."

"In this aspect, Chen does a great job. Whether in training or matches, I’ve seen him remain calm under any circumstances."

Pepe and Marcelo nodded affirmatively, and Chen Zhong listened humbly, pulling out a small notebook from somewhere.

In yesterday’s match, the referee’s decisions inspired Chen Zhong. Each referee’s judging standard and style can vary. If you can record and become familiar with these standards for each referee, it benefits both a player and a team.

While the opposing team is cautiously probing the referee’s limits with their actions, our side already knows everything about the referee, even down to the color of his underwear. It’s during this time that we can gain possession through actions the opponents wouldn’t dare, allowing us to score.

Furthermore, this notebook might be passed on to future generations, leaving behind a tale where "people leave, but the book lives on, passing through thousands of hands."

After praising Chen Zhong, Cannavaro then mentioned Chen Zhong’s shortcomings. He looked at Chen Zhong and said, "Chen, you are a talented player, considered a genius, or even a monster. At your age, I wasn’t as outstanding as you."

"But I want to say, you still have areas that need improvement, and these are what you need to improve most right now."

"Look at your long legs, such a pair of legs, and you only use them for tackling."

When Cannavaro said this, there was a sense of disappointment in his tone: "Your defensive awareness is excellent. I’ve noticed you always appear in dangerous areas, anticipating the ball’s path. If you can properly utilize those long legs, you’d become a nightmare for all attackers."

"I know you probably have ambitions to move forward, and that’s normal, but right now you need to face reality. You will only get playing time as a central defender."

Upon hearing Cannavaro’s words, Chen Zhong made up his mind and chose the badge [Anticipation].

Last night, after earning three badges, Chen Zhong had been conflicted about which one to choose. Compared to being a central defender, he had a stronger desire to move forward.

If moving forward, he felt the [Burly Man] and [Durability] badges would be better than the [Anticipation] badge.

Moreover, there was a bit of fantasy in his heart, wondering whether Schuster might let him play as a forward or a midfielder?

However, Cannavaro’s words were like a needle, piercing Chen Zhong’s unrealistic fantasies.

This is Real Madrid, after all!

After making up his mind, Chen Zhong naturally skipped the flair and weak foot during training, opting instead for the badge.

As a central defender, having a 3-star flair and 3-star weak foot is sufficient, at least at the current stage.

During this period, some people who followed Chen Zhong also saw news about him. Their reactions varied, but the one with the most emotional fluctuation was probably Bojan, who had previously questioned Chen Zhong with soul-searching questions.