SWR: Chapter 1261/1265

Chapter 1261: From Now On, Follow My Rules

From the center of Paris, take the A14 motorway west for 23 kilometers and you'll arrive at Poissy.

Heading south from the highway exit, on the west side of the road are the Poissy municipal government offices and the fire station.

Just across the intersection lies the site of Paris Saint-Germain's new training ground.

The land, sold in 2016, covers more than 1,000 acres and will, after development, be shared by Paris Saint-Germain's football, handball, and judo teams.

But for now, it's still an overgrown plot of land. Flat as far as the eye can see.

Blanc had the driver pull over. He and Gao Shen got out of the car to take a look.

"We've already started the design phase and plan to begin construction next season. At that point, we'll need help from you and your team," Blanc said.

Looking out across the land with great anticipation, he added, "We hope to build a modern training base like the AXA Centre at Leeds United, full of cutting-edge technology. The initial budget is 300 million euros."

Gao Shen couldn't help but click his tongue in awe.

This is the difference between old money and hard-earned success.

Damn it, 300 million just for a training base, and that's just the starting point. Judging by the tone, if that's not enough, they'll just throw in more.

Unbelievable.

"Then we need to be involved from the design stage. Our AXA Centre was planned from day one," Gao Shen replied.

"Of course. We'll pay a consulting fee," Blanc said with a smile.

Since they're working with a professional team, fees must be clearly outlined.

Neither of them needed to get bogged down in details. Their subordinates would handle that. Blanc wasn't spending his own money, and for the Middle Eastern owners, this amount was negligible.

Three parties working together, each getting what they wanted. Everyone's happy.

"Come on, I'll show you the current training ground."

...

They got back in the car. Instead of taking the highway, they headed east for a while, then turned off into the hills.

After about two or three kilometers, they reached Saint-Germain-Laye.

A narrow road runs west to east. On the north side are government buildings and an army base. On the south side is PSG's training base.

The facility is actually quite small, with only five full-size grass pitches and one half-pitch. Two rows of long, low, single-story buildings form PSG's training ground.

Next door is a rugby and hockey club, separated from PSG's base by a small road.

But this is just the youth training center.

Walk about 500 meters further east, and there's a wall on the north side with a gate in the middle. Behind it is a two-story building next to the military base.

That's the first team's training base.

Contrary to what many people imagine, PSG's training facilities are really not up to standard.

According to Blanc, things were even worse when he first arrived. It wasn't until the Qatari consortium invested heavily that some renovations were done, including improvements to the youth training ground and the current first-team area.

At one point, the facility was nearly shut down due to proximity to the military base.

The first team's section has very limited space, with just two standard pitches side by side forming a comprehensive training area.

The problem is that, being next to a military base, there's no room to expand.

That's why PSG purchased land in Poissy.

"It's not just the location," Blanc said. "There's also classified information from the military. That really restricts our ability to film, especially training footage. If you look on satellite maps, once you zoom in past a certain scale, you can't see anything near our training ground."

Gao Shen nodded. He had already checked it on Google Maps.

...

Gao Shen's sudden appearance surprised the PSG players.

At the time, they were still on the pitch, preparing for the upcoming weekend league match. It was their last major chance at silverware this season. The French Cup was also a target, but it didn't carry as much weight.

Seeing Gao Shen and Blanc arrive unannounced, the players were clearly caught off guard. Tuchel, on the other hand, already knew about Gao Shen's visit after their meeting the night before.

While the players trained, Gao Shen first stood on the sidelines and chatted with a few injured players who weren't participating, including his former protégé, Cavani.

Gao Shen was concerned about his injuries, especially how frequently they had occurred this season, severely affecting his performance. In Gao Shen's memory, Cavani was always known as an iron man with exceptional fitness.

"Boss, I'm almost 32," Cavani said with a touch of resentment.

He felt like Gao Shen had forgotten about him after he moved to PSG.

Gao Shen smiled, slightly embarrassed.

Sometimes in his mind, he still thought of them as young players.

But in reality, they were all aging.

"You've been injured so often. Have you started slacking off?" Gao Shen joked.

"How could I?" Cavani felt wronged and immediately defended himself.

As the two were bantering, Neymar walked over.

"Hey, Gao, it's great to see you."

"Likewise."

Seeing Neymar offer a hug, Gao Shen reciprocated.

The Brazilian gave Cavani a brief greeting.

Just as many had guessed, their relationship hadn't improved much since the penalty kick incident last season. Things had calmed down, but the tension remained.

That was normal.

A lot of teams deal with this.

Cavani joined PSG as a big signing, hoping to be the main man. Then Ibrahimović came in.

Just when Cavani thought he could take the throne after Ibrahimović left, Neymar arrived.

On the surface, it was about a penalty. In reality, it was a fight over status.

Generally, the one who takes penalties is the star of the team.

Gao Shen also asked about Neymar's injury and how he was settling in at PSG.

"Let's find time to have a proper chat," Gao Shen invited.

"Sure, no problem. Or... how about later?" Neymar pointed toward the training pitch, implying they could talk during his break after training.

Gao Shen checked the time and nodded. "Alright."

"Then I'll come find you later," Neymar said cheerfully.

Based on Gao Shen's understanding, Neymar actually had a good personality. But once interests were involved, he would change.

Take the murky dealings around his Barcelona transfer. It was all about money.

Many people looked down on Neymar, thinking he was squandering his talent for cash. But that's unfair. We're talking tens of millions of euros—hundreds of millions of yuan.

That's an astronomical sum.

Besides, the original plan when Neymar joined Barcelona was for him to gradually take over from Messi and become the new king.

Which brings up the problem of Messi and Ronaldo—the two immovable roadblocks.

Everyone knows that a footballer's prime is short-lived. Very few can stay at the top for long, which is why winning awards like the Ballon d'Or is so difficult.

Before Messi and Ronaldo, the record for most wins was three.

That was normal.

The usual superstar arc was like Ronaldinho: two to three years at the peak, then decline.

When Neymar joined Barcelona in 2013, Messi had already been at his peak for several years and was 26. The assumption was that Messi might decline by 29, and Neymar would take over.

But who would have thought Messi and Ronaldo would break the mold? They stayed at the top for over a decade, outperforming everyone else.

From a fan's perspective, it was glorious. But for players like Neymar, Ribéry, Robben, Sneijder, Iniesta, Xavi, and Suárez, it was unfortunate to share an era with those two.

At the end of the day, footballers are workers too, earning a wage.

There's no shame in that.

At most, you can only sigh: Neymar could have gone even further. What a shame.

...

With Blanc and other staff, Gao Shen toured PSG's training base.

They visited various departments and inspected all the functional areas.

For example, the meeting rooms.

They had been nicely renovated, but were rarely used.

Both Ancelotti and Tuchel had pointed out the same problem—PSG didn't have much of a meeting culture.

In other European clubs, morning and afternoon meetings were vital.

At PSG, meetings were only held when deemed absolutely necessary.

Gao Shen felt this was unacceptable and needed to be changed.

Communication was a key part of building team unity.

At the team restaurant, Gao Shen checked the menu and found many high-fat, high-calorie items that other clubs would never allow. Sugary drinks like Coca-Cola and iced tea were also available.

Just like Tuchel had said, these were the players' favorites.

Which was understandable. Faced with a choice between a burger and boiled chicken breast, who wouldn't go for the burger?

"Human nature can't resist temptation. When you lay this stuff out, how can you expect players to control themselves under pressure?" Gao Shen said bluntly.

Blanc gave a wry smile. He was clearly aware of the problem.

But many issues required someone to take the lead and push through, to create real pressure before change could happen.

In Paris, overstaffing was common. Even as CEO, there were many things Blanc couldn't control.

But now, Gao Shen had arrived with Nasser's backing, and that could break the deadlock.

"We have to make changes. After this season, I'll appoint someone to oversee this matter. Next season, I'll hire a professional nutritionist to take charge of the players' diets."

"I don't care what things were like before. From the moment I take over, everything will be done according to my rules!"

Gao Shen's voice was firm and decisive.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1262: Let Us Realize Even Bigger Dreams

Paris Saint-Germain's training base is very small.

Just a few steps separate one area from another.

It was even possible that what Gao Shen said earlier in the restaurant was overheard by the players training outside.

And even if it wasn't heard directly, the news would spread through the dressing room quickly after training.

Everyone was surprised, but they seemed to understand.

Gao Shen's reputation in the football world is legendary. Every team he has built has gone on to win the Champions League. His coaching style is known for its professionalism and data-driven precision.

According to players who had previously worked with Gao Shen—such as Benatia, Cavani, Kanté, Jorginho, and Navas from Leeds United—his comments made it clear: the easy days at PSG were over.

"Get ready for the tough times ahead," Benatia said with a wry smile.

His words sounded like a warning, but in his eyes, one could clearly see anticipation.

"It's tough at top clubs, but they win titles and run professionally," said captain Thiago Silva.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The legends surrounding Gao Shen have been widely circulated in football circles across Europe and even globally in recent years.

As professional players, they were well aware of them.

The only question was what to keep and what to abandon.

Do you want comfort, or do you want to win?

The fact that PSG hired someone like Gao Shen showed that the club's leadership was unhappy with the current state of the team and wanted change.

If anyone still wanted a laid-back life, then clearly Paris was no longer the right place for them.

But if they still had ambition and wanted to achieve something, then this was the type of change they should welcome.

In this dressing room, the head coach had endured countless frustrations. The players had too.

Neymar listened in silence to the conversations around him, while also thinking about his own plans and his upcoming talk with Gao Shen. He was curious to know what direction Gao Shen would lead him toward.

While pondering, his eyes casually glanced at a slogan posted on the locker room wall.

Let us realize even bigger dreams!

Suddenly, something stirred in the Brazilian's heart. He realized that neither he nor his teammates really paid attention to that slogan, even though it often appeared in club promotional materials and represented the club's values. Most of the time, they ignored it.

But for some reason, in this moment, when he looked at it, a strange feeling rose inside him.

Can Paris Saint-Germain still dream bigger?

Can I?

...

Gao Shen had borrowed Tuchel's office.

He still preferred to sit down and talk with people face-to-face.

Before Neymar arrived, he had a quick chat with Tuchel and Blanc about the club's summer signings. Tuchel strongly agreed with one of Gao Shen's points: the midfield and attack absolutely needed reinforcements.

At the moment, just Neymar and Draxler on the wings was not enough.

The club originally planned to bring in Griezmann, but that deal was clearly difficult. Griezmann preferred to join Barcelona, which could offer similar wages to PSG while providing more opportunities and better prospects.

Di María was staying at Real Madrid and would definitely not come to PSG.

So Tuchel casually proposed another name: Ousmane Dembélé.

Blanc grinned from ear to ear, while Gao Shen was left speechless.

Why does everyone keep trying to poach players from Leeds United?

Ousmane Dembélé is a top-quality player.

At least for now, he's very good.

Just look at his performance at Leeds United. One stat perfectly sums up his ability: his goals and assists with both feet are evenly split.

There are many two-footed players, but one as balanced as Dembélé is truly rare.

Whether it's Real Madrid or PSG, Gao Shen never blocks any attempt to poach Leeds United players.

As long as the money is right, he's open to it.

As for who's available for transfer and who's not, Gao Shen, Lucas, and Borrell have a clear plan.

On the other side, PSG is facing its own dilemma.

Real Betis want to activate the buyout clause for Argentine midfielder Lo Celso.

Right now, PSG's midfield is fairly crowded.

They have Kanté, Jorginho, and Rabiot, all brought in from Leeds United. There's also former Real Madrid player Lass Diarra and Leandro Paredes, who joined from Zenit during the winter window. All of them are strong options.

Before Jorginho's injury and Paredes' arrival, Tuchel had even used Marquinhos as a deep-lying midfielder, and the Brazilian did quite well.

Meanwhile, Lo Celso had been loaned out to Real Betis before the season started.

In theory, after Pastore's departure, a midfielder like Lo Celso—who can dribble and progress the ball—should have been valuable. Tuchel had kept a close eye on him, but ultimately did not include him in the squad.

Under Emery, Lo Celso often played as a central or defensive midfielder, but the issue was clear: he lacked defensive reliability.

In Tuchel's system, the deep-lying midfielder had to drop into the defensive line when needed and even act like an auxiliary center-back. Lo Celso couldn't fulfill that role. If deployed as a central midfielder, his off-ball awareness was lacking.

As a South American attacking midfielder, Lo Celso excelled in ball control, forward runs, and passing.

That made him hard to fit into Tuchel's system. He looked great, but Tuchel couldn't figure out how to use him.

More importantly, Tuchel didn't have the time or patience to slowly develop him.

So, PSG loaned Lo Celso to Real Betis for a fee of 3 million euros.

The real issue is what happened after.

Lo Celso initially struggled in La Liga. Coach Setién first tried him as a defensive midfielder, which didn't work. Later, he partnered him with Canales or Joaquín in attacking midfield, and Lo Celso exploded.

Since November, he has been outstanding. His market value has been rising steadily, and Transfermarkt now lists him at 50 million euros.

However, the original loan agreement between PSG and Real Betis set the buyout clause at 22 million euros.

One clause stated that if Real Betis qualified for European competition, they would be obligated to buy him. But since that's unlikely this season, the clause is meaningless.

Still, Real Betis has already started the buyout process.

No matter how you look at it, PSG is losing out on this deal.

Especially when you compare Lo Celso's performances in La Liga to PSG's disjointed midfield this season. Tuchel has to be regretting it.

"We need a clear answer: is Lo Celso in our future plans or not? If not, fine. But if he is, what are we doing?" Blanc asked, clearly troubled.

Real Betis are trying to buy a 50 million midfielder for 22 million.

Gao Shen glanced at Tuchel and silently shook his head.

Tuchel has to bear some responsibility here.

Even if we excuse it as fixture congestion and a lack of time to develop young players, the decisions to loan out Lo Celso and sell Pastore left PSG without any creativity in midfield. Each player played for himself, and there was no cohesion.

Tuchel has to be held accountable.

The German sensed Gao Shen's gaze, glanced back, and then quickly looked away, eyes filled with guilt and shame.

"Lo Celso is a very promising young player. He's talented, with excellent ball control and passing. He's the kind of player we need in midfield," Gao Shen said.

"I think we should keep players like him, give them time and support, and help them find a role that suits the team."

Then he turned to Tuchel. "Thomas, what do you think?"

He was giving Tuchel a way out.

"I agree with you. I misjudged the situation last year," Tuchel admitted.

"That's normal." Gao Shen smiled. "No one's a prophet. That's just football."

With that, the issue was considered closed.

Now it was time to deal with the practical matter.

"Can we talk to Real Betis?" Gao Shen asked.

Blanc shook his head. "It'll be difficult."

Of course it would. The price gap was obvious.

Even Real Madrid had bought back players like Negredo only to resell them for profit.

At the end of the day, this is about business. There's no room for sentiment.

"How do Real Betis plan to pay?" Gao Shen asked. "As far as I know, their finances aren't in great shape."

Blanc's eyes lit up. "They're splitting the payment into three installments. The first two are 7 million euros each, and the last is 8 million."

Gao Shen nodded. That sounded about right for Betis.

The club clearly wasn't flush with cash.

"Then let's stall. Use the Financial Fair Play rules as an excuse and delay things. Drag it out until the loan period ends if possible."

Once the loan ends and Betis hasn't triggered the clause, Lo Celso naturally returns to PSG.

"Real Betis won't be happy," Blanc reminded him.

"That's the best-case scenario. If it really can't be delayed, we negotiate. Worst case, we return the loan fee or even offer a subsidy for training costs. But we must get the player back."

The message was clear: Lo Celso must stay at PSG.

Blanc understood what Gao Shen meant.

"Alright, I'll have someone handle it."

Gao Shen nodded. That settled it.

Lo Celso is only 23 years old. Strong, technical, and capable of pushing the ball forward. A player like this deserves special attention.

PSG had already ruined two.

The first was Pastore.

Now that Gao Shen is technical director, he has to get things right.

Just then, Neymar arrived.

Blanc and Tuchel both knew the two had a private conversation ahead, so they got up and left.

Gao Shen also sat up straight.

To transform PSG, he had to start with Neymar, the biggest variable.

And Gao Shen had already decided—

He would open with a royal flush.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1263: Neymar is Completely Finished

"Do you remember those years—Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City..."

Gao Shen paused for a moment, then laughed out loud. "Back then, every top team in Europe wanted to sign you!"

At that moment, Brazilian prodigy Neymar was sitting on the sofa across from him. At first, he looked relaxed and casual, but after hearing Gao Shen's words, his expression stiffened slightly.

Who hasn't had a glorious past?

But for some people, that past is something they'd rather forget.

"Gao, just tell me what you really want to say," Neymar said with a slight smile.

They were both smart. There was no need for all this preamble.

"I just want to confirm—do you truly want to leave Paris?" Gao Shen had been waiting for this question. Now, he cut straight to the point, staring directly at Neymar and giving him no room to dodge.

The Brazilian was clearly caught off guard. He hadn't expected Gao Shen, who was just reminiscing a second ago, to launch such a direct attack.

He was stunned.

"I... I don't think I've ever said that?" Neymar forced a smile, trying to brush it off.

"You just told me to say what I meant," Gao Shen pressed, not letting go.

Neymar could no longer act casual. His relaxed posture stiffened.

He had no right to act arrogant in front of Gao Shen—not just because of Gao Shen's reputation and status, but because he could sense this man was different from everyone else in Paris before.

Since arriving from Barcelona, Neymar had always been the untouchable superstar of Paris Saint-Germain, the player everyone protected and pampered.

But Gao Shen was different. He never sugar-coated things and never showed mercy.

Even now, many people still recall how Gao Shen once took on superstars like Ronaldo and Zidane when he first managed Real Madrid.

Even Roberto Carlos, who used to tell everyone how much he hated Gao Shen, had changed his tune in recent years and publicly reconciled with him in the media and online.

Why?

Because Gao Shen was right!

Lies and self-deception only last for so long.

"So... you're thinking about selling me?" Neymar asked cautiously.

Gao Shen laughed, then shook his head. "It's hard to say. But I hope you and your team can contact the club soon and reach an agreement on the transfer. That way, we can move forward with our plans and bring in players in a targeted manner."

"Like Mbappé?" Neymar asked.

"If you leave, he will come!" Gao Shen said firmly.

Neymar was smart. He understood what Gao Shen meant, but he still asked again to be sure, "What if I don't plan to leave?"

Gao Shen didn't answer directly. Instead, he smiled and said, "Not long ago, when Nasser and Blanc came to Leeds to meet me, I told them, 'Neymar and Mbappé are not compatible.'"

Neymar's expression changed instantly.

This was an internal conversation between Gao Shen and the core PSG leadership, something he would never have known.

Gao Shen's stance was clear: if Neymar stays, Mbappé won't come. If Neymar goes, Mbappé will arrive.

Do Gao Shen's words carry weight?

The answer was obvious.

Paris Saint-Germain had already removed Leonardo, Antero Henrique, and others for Gao Shen. They had essentially handed him full control of the club's football operations. He was now the ultimate decision-maker.

So, did his words matter?

Absolutely.

Gao Shen was closely observing Neymar's reaction and could already read most of his thoughts. But he still pressed forward because he knew Neymar was fickle.

Or rather, all Brazilian geniuses are.

"You might not realize this," Gao Shen continued, "but you've become a problem for me."

"Maybe you'll think I'm being disrespectful, but I'm telling the truth. This is my dilemma."

"If I keep you, I honestly don't know what value you bring to the team I want to build. But if I sell you, I really can't think of any club that would pay that kind of money for you right now."

"Real Madrid? I can say with absolute certainty—impossible!"

"Manchester City? Manchester United? Chelsea? Bayern Munich? Or back to Barcelona?"

"No one is questioning your talent, but you're 27 years old now. You're not young anymore."

Gao Shen's words were harsh, but true.

This is a world that belongs to young players.

Neymar no longer had any edge over younger stars like Mbappé or Dembélé.

More importantly, he still hadn't won any major honors. He even flopped at the Brazil-hosted World Cup, despite sky-high expectations.

Considering Neymar's situation, his transfer fee would be astronomical. His wages were also enormous. Whichever club he joined—except maybe Barcelona—he would disrupt their entire wage structure. That was something all top teams had to seriously consider.

And the bigger question: What could Neymar bring to his new team?

Neymar had no response—because the man sitting across from him was Gao Shen.

Even the fiery Cristiano Ronaldo had to swallow his pride when facing him.

"Or..." Gao Shen leaned in, staring Neymar down, giving him no space to breathe.

"Let's be direct. Just tell me whether you want to stay or leave. If you want to leave, have your people submit a transfer request. I'll sign it right away. Then I'll add money and bring in Mbappé!"

"If you want to stay, then tell me what you can do for my team!"

...

From the time he entered to the moment he left, it took less than 15 minutes—far shorter than anyone expected.

Neymar was still dazed when he walked out.

Because the entire conversation had been nothing like he imagined. There was no warmth, no gentle persuasion. It was all pressure, unrelenting and suffocating.

It felt more like Gao Shen was breaking down his confidence, piece by piece, crushing his ego.

Neymar had never faced this kind of confrontation before. No one had ever spoken to him like that.

At Santos, he was a national treasure.

From the moment he debuted, he was hailed as the future of Brazilian football.

His father recognized his talent early and understood he could bring the family unimaginable wealth. Santos knew it too.

From then on, Neymar played under the constant praise of others, with his reputation growing rapidly.

Everyone knows the story.

The biggest clubs in Europe all wanted him. He played Barcelona and Real Madrid against each other.

Eventually, he joined Barcelona. Then, unhappy with his treatment, he left. PSG triggered a record-breaking release clause and gave him a historic transfer.

From start to finish, Neymar was surrounded by people who catered to him.

But today, Gao Shen shattered that entire illusion.

He was angry, but more than that, he was afraid.

He wanted to argue back, to refute everything Gao Shen said—but deep down, he knew Gao Shen was right.

Leaving Paris Saint-Germain now would only accelerate his downfall.

And then, the entire football world would see him—Neymar, once the supposed third-best player in the world—as a joke.

What's worse is that he would have brought it upon himself.

Gao Shen would take the money from his sale and use it to buy Mbappé.

If Mbappé really led PSG to rise again, Neymar would be completely finished.

...

Watching Neymar walk away like a zombie, Tuchel and Blanc were both stunned. They quickly came over from the room next door.

"What happened?" Tuchel asked, pointing at Neymar, who had already disappeared. "Did the talk fall apart?"

Gao Shen sat there calmly, sipping water. "No, we had a very pleasant chat."

Pleasant?

Tuchel and Blanc exchanged glances, unable to believe it.

Did that look like someone who just had a pleasant conversation?

"What exactly did you say to him?" Tuchel asked.

"The truth."

Once again, Tuchel and Blanc were left speechless.

"He's been pampered his whole life, treated like a prince. So I told him the reality, and I shared my views."

"Like...?" Blank prompted.

"I told him that if he wants to stay, he needs to think about what he can contribute to the team. If he wants to leave, he should go find a club soon. I'll sell him and use the money to buy Mbappé!"

Tuchel and Blanc's eyes widened.

Sell Neymar and add money to buy Mbappé?

What kind of crazy move was this?

But why... did it sound so tempting?

"Aren't you afraid he might actually leave?"

"That would be ideal. Get rid of this time bomb. Have you seen how few games he plays per season?" Gao Shen's tone was already filled with frustration.

Is Neymar talented?

Absolutely. When he plays, he's PSG's most dangerous player.

But why could he play 50 games a season at Barcelona, yet only 30 per season at PSG?

Yes, PSG has issues—structural, disciplinary, and even professional. But Neymar also has problems.

From the Qatari owners' perspective, keeping Neymar makes some sense. But from a footballing standpoint, he's a liability. And the remote control to that ticking bomb is in Neymar's own hands.

Should the whole team be expected to please him, cheer him up whenever he's down?

"From the moment I first coached Real Madrid, I learned something. In a team, in a dressing room, there must be rules—and they are my rules!"

Tuchel and Blanc were the first to feel the pressure of that statement.

It was an aura stronger than Neymar's, stronger than anyone else's.

After a moment, Gao Shen looked at Tuchel again.

"Go back and observe him closely. See if there are any changes. If he settles down, then you can step in and comfort him. Understand what I mean?" Gao Shen asked.

Tuchel and Blanc both understood instantly.

Gao Shen didn't just do this to establish authority and send a message to the squad. He was also giving Tuchel an opportunity—to win Neymar over, and win the dressing room.

Tuchel was strong-willed but not foolish. He understood Gao Shen's deeper meaning and nodded in appreciation.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1264: This is Genius

Gao Shen spent a few days in Paris, primarily to ensure smooth communication before the arrival of the team and to gain a clearer understanding of the real situation at Paris Saint-Germain, in preparation for the work ahead.

Based on the information he gathered and the discussions with various departments, the problems at PSG were more serious than he had initially expected. But they weren't enough to make Gao Shen back down.

His big data project had only just begun. Building models and systems with a team of experts was merely the first step.

The development of artificial intelligence doesn't rely solely on technical breakthroughs. It also requires feeding massive amounts of data into the system.

It's like Google's AlphaGo, which became stronger through constant challenges, data accumulation, and iterative improvement. If you isolate yourself, you'll never reach that level.

In professional football, the value of data is self-evident, especially firsthand data collected from training sessions of top-tier teams. This kind of detailed data isn't something companies like Opta can gather on their own.

As advanced systems collect more and more data, updating and refining their models and algorithms, what chance do other clubs have to catch up?

Once a team builds a technological and data-driven advantage, it will be like watching your opponent pull away in a race—and there's nothing you can do about it.

Given the intense competition in professional football, it's easy to imagine that eventually, this will become a winner-takes-all environment.

After all, no club wants to fall behind before a match even begins.

At present, only Leeds United, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain are participating in the project. But Gao Shen would continue to expand and enhance it.

He firmly believed that as long as he stuck to this path, he would reap enormous rewards in the future.

In the end, the top clubs would come to him, asking for collaboration.

...

After returning to England from Paris, Gao Shen immediately headed to Cheshire.

Following Leeds United's 4-3 away win over Ajax in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, they now had the upper hand in the tie.

For the second leg at the Amazon Stadium, Pochettino was facing Erik ten Hag's Ajax once again.

Leeds United would stick to their traditional 4-3-3 formation.

Unlike the first leg, Pochettino adopted a more pragmatic approach at home.

Scoring four away goals had given Leeds United a significant advantage. Leading by one goal on aggregate, Ajax needed to win by two goals in the return leg.

So right from kickoff, the Dutch side launched a desperate assault.

Leeds United's midfield looked different from the first leg. Rodri dropped deeper, with Calvin Phillips and Bernardo Silva ahead of him, clearly signaling a focus on defense.

From his seat in the presidential box, Gao Shen saw Pochettino's lineup and immediately understood what to expect.

There should be no problems with this match.

If Pochettino had gone all out again, like in the first leg, things might have turned out very badly. But now, with this more targeted strategy, Ajax had been effectively neutralized.

"Before each match, our big data center provides the head coach with detailed analysis reports to help him prepare. Generally speaking, there shouldn't be any big issues," Lucas said with a smile.

That's usually the case, though not always.

Especially when dealing with a coach as unpredictable as Guardiola, things can get complicated.

Of course, Leeds United were preparing for Ajax, and Ajax were also preparing for Leeds United.

It's just that the current situation clearly favored the English side.

In the 17th minute, Calvin Phillips intercepted the ball in midfield and threaded a through pass to Vardy, who laid it off behind Ajax's defensive line.

Breaking the offside trap, Mbappé found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and calmly slotted the ball into the net from inside the box to give Leeds United the lead.

The entire Amazon Stadium erupted!

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"

"Mbappé!"

Gao Shen, Lucas, and the others stood up and applauded.

The counterattack was quick and straightforward, targeting the space behind Mazraoui.

With both full-backs pushed up, Ajax's backline was left exposed on the flanks.

Mbappé was like a flying arrow, piercing right through Ajax's defense.

"This kid has improved so much this season, and so quickly!" Lucas couldn't help but exclaim.

But whenever he thought about Mbappé potentially leaving Leeds United this summer, he felt a pang of regret.

"This is a player we developed ourselves, and he's the most likely candidate to win the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year."

Over the years, Leeds United had produced several world-class players—Salah, Mané, Harry Kane—who had become elite attackers.

But right now, 20-year-old Mbappé was the closest to claiming the Ballon d'Or or FIFA World Player of the Year title. He was also the closest to breaking into the Ronaldo and Messi tier.

In the most recent FIFA and Ballon d'Or rankings, Mbappé placed fourth.

Given Leeds United's phenomenal form this season, if Mbappé maintained this trajectory, he had a real shot at finishing in the top three in 2019.

If Leeds United were to win the Champions League this year, Mbappé might very well earn football's highest individual honor.

That would be a monumental achievement for any club.

"It's not the right time yet," Gao Shen said, clearly tempted, but ultimately suppressing his emotions.

Lucas and Borrell thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

It really wasn't the right time.

Leeds United couldn't afford to keep a true global superstar yet, and even if they could, they didn't have the structure to support him.

"But just wait," Gao Shen said confidently. "As long as the team maintains this momentum, in three years at most, a generation of players born in the 2000s—Haaland, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Sancho, Foden—will elevate this club to the top."

"That's when we'll truly be one of Europe's elite."

Leeds United was still a step away from being a genuine powerhouse.

But that step was a decisive one.

Over the years, many strong teams had failed to make that leap.

Just look at Atlético Madrid in La Liga, or Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

Gao Shen was determined to protect Leeds United and help the team break through.

Only then would all the time and effort poured into this club over the years be truly worth it.

...

The first half ended with Mbappé's counterattack goal, giving Leeds United a 1-0 lead over Ajax.

The aggregate score was now 5-3. Ajax needed to score at least three goals to advance.

That was close to impossible.

So, the home fans were in good spirits, but Gao Shen wasn't letting his guard down.

Three goals was still dangerous, especially with another 45 minutes to play.

At halftime, Borrell brought over a document and told Gao Shen it had been sitting around for a few days.

Normally, Leeds United's transfers were overseen by Borrell, and only the major signings required higher approval.

This particular transfer involved a fee of 10 million euros.

"You want to sign these two players from Argentina?" Gao Shen was surprised.

Both were from River Plate. One of them was Julian Álvarez, a 19-year-old who met FIFA's age requirement for international transfers.

The problem was, Álvarez wasn't cheap—his price tag was a full 10 million euros.

While this wasn't a huge issue for Leeds United at the moment, Gao Shen still needed to ask, as per protocol.

"Our primary target is Julian Álvarez. He's an Argentina youth international. He actually had a trial with Real Madrid back in 2011 and did well, but FIFA regulations don't allow international transfers under the age of 18, so he returned to Argentina."

"He joined River Plate at 15 and started playing for the first team this season. As a forward, he's been impressive. In 16 games, he's played 730 minutes, scored 3 goals, and provided 4 assists. That's excellent for a 19-year-old."

"When did you start following him?" Gao Shen asked, intrigued.

"The scouting department flagged him earlier, and I had them conduct a deeper evaluation. Then River Plate played in the Club World Cup, right? I went to see it live. He didn't play in the semi-final, but he started the third-place match and got a full 90 minutes with one assist. I think he's very promising."

If Borrell thought so highly of him, Gao Shen was certainly going to take it seriously.

He immediately looked up Álvarez's stats and found that, as a striker, he stood only 1.7 meters tall.

That fit the profile of many Argentine forwards—small, agile, and quick.

Unlike Brazil, Argentine players undergo more European-style training from a young age, which helps them adapt better to European football.

Brazilian youth development has increasingly struggled in recent years, caught between local methods and European influences. Some players end up too localized and fail to transition well to Europe.

Of course, outliers like Neymar are exceptions.

But what truly caught Gao Shen's attention was Borrell's evaluation:

"He always manages to anticipate where the greatest danger will be and gets into position before anyone else. The problem is, his teammates often don't even notice what he's doing in time."

"He has the potential to become a top-class striker!"

That was a huge compliment.

Álvarez was quick, had excellent technique, and was constantly active in matches.

Gao Shen didn't see any issue with it. Talented young players these days—especially from Argentine giants like River Plate—are rarely cheap.

Given his performance this season, it was normal for Álvarez's value to rise from 1 million euros to 10 million.

Especially with Borrell having scouted him in person.

Gao Shen had full confidence in the club's big data system, the scouting team, and Borrell's judgment.

Just like that Croatian centre-back, Gvardiol. Gao Shen had never even heard of him before he joined Leeds United. But after watching him play, he was blown away.

He was only 17, already playing with the reserve team and training regularly with the first team.

What is genius?

That is genius!

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1265: Gemini

Sometimes, professional football is full of tricks and narratives.

For example, the media and fans often like to label a player as "the next so-and-so."

Or, they create couple-style nicknames like the "Gemini pairing."

A more recent example is Bayern Munich's German duo, Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller—one a midfielder, the other a forward.

Going back further, there's Argentina's twin stars, Higuaín and Gago—one a striker, the other a midfielder.

This time, the two River Plate players Borrell had his eyes on were also a forward and midfielder pair.

Aside from Álvarez, he was also targeting a young midfielder from River Plate's youth academy named Enzo Fernández.

Interestingly, this player had yet to make a first-team appearance. He was only named on the bench for a league match on January 27, without playing.

More notably, he had never been called up to any level of the Argentine national team.

Because of this, his transfer fee was very low.

According to Borrell's assessment, he planned to negotiate with River Plate for a package deal for both Argentine players, totaling around ten million euros, and he didn't expect any major issues.

In the scouting report, Borrell and Leeds United's scouting department described Enzo Fernández as having excellent passing ability, particularly in delivering threatening through balls. But as a deep-lying midfielder, his defensive attributes were relatively average.

As a South American player, Enzo wasn't particularly strong in ball control and lacked dribbling explosiveness. His range was also somewhat limited. However, his passing range was broad and his distribution ability stood out.

Borrell believed that he already had the capacity to play in a deeper midfield role, distributing the ball across the pitch and delivering dangerous passes between the lines.

How should one describe it?

When Gao Shen read that evaluation, the first name that came to mind was Gago.

Quite interestingly, Álvarez reminded him of Higuaín—just a little shorter—while Enzo Fernández reminded him of Gago.

"They're different," Borrell shook his head. "Gago had more delicate and refined technique back then. He was a typical South American midfielder, great at dribbling, but his passing vision and movement off the ball were relatively weak."

Gago was once highly regarded and was even nicknamed "Redondo II." Not only did Maradona praise him as the future best number five for Argentina, even Redondo himself acknowledged him as the most similar player to his own style.

When Gago joined Real Madrid, he and Higuaín were touted as the twin stars. But in reality, Gago was the more favored one.

Yet, what happened next caught everyone by surprise.

Who could have predicted that Higuaín would achieve great success, while Gago would struggle in Europe and return to Argentina early?

Sometimes, it really does come down to timing and fate.

To Gao Shen's surprise, he actually remembered hearing of Enzo Fernández before.

Not in his past life, but on social media.

Back in 2016, when Messi announced his retirement from the national team, a then-15-year-old Enzo Fernández wrote a heartfelt letter to Messi on social media, pleading with him not to leave and to continue leading the Argentine national team.

That letter had been recommended to Gao Shen by netizens at the time, but he hadn't paid attention to who wrote it.

There were so many fans. How could he possibly remember all their names?

But now, seeing Borrell reference the letter in the scouting report, Gao Shen immediately realized, "Damn, it's an old acquaintance."

They absolutely had to sign him!

"This kid's a die-hard Messi fan. Would he be willing to come to Leeds United?" Gao Shen suddenly raised a valid concern.

Borrell gave Gao Shen a look. "Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about yourself and about Leeds United?"

Lucas burst out laughing. "Exactly! Right now, we're the best club in Europe—no, in the world—when it comes to developing young players. Not just Europe, even in South America, tons of youngsters dream of joining our club. You think they'd turn us down?"

Thinking about it, that made sense.

Even Mbappé, a die-hard Ronaldo fan, still played for Leeds United.

...

After visiting Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, Gao Shen had held talks with the core leadership of both clubs and gained a general understanding of their transfer plans.

At the moment, Paris Saint-Germain seemed inclined to focus on localization and adapting within France.

If Neymar stayed, PSG would likely target Ousmane Dembélé. This was because Gao Shen's suggestion had been adopted by the club: Neymar and Mbappé are incompatible.

That would give PSG a powerful attacking trio of Neymar, Cavani, and Dembélé, along with Draxler, Choupo-Moting, and Nkunku—a star-studded frontline.

In midfield, it would depend on whether a deal for Pogba could be finalized.

If Pogba joined, the core midfield would be Pogba, Kanté, and Jorginho, with Rabiot, Lo Celso, and Paredes providing depth. This lineup would be enough to compete toe-to-toe with any European giant.

Defensively, things looked even more solid: Bernat, Benatia, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, and Real Madrid's Varane. If Mazraoui was brought in as well, the squad would be complete.

This meant that the signings of Varane, Pogba, and Dembélé would take up a significant portion of the budget. However, by selling some surplus players, the investment would remain within a projected 400 million euros.

This perfectly aligned with PSG's strategic positioning and budget.

After this transformation, PSG's overall strength would improve significantly, and Tuchel would have all the tactical pieces he needed.

Real Madrid's situation was a bit more complicated.

After selling Varane, they'd need to sign a new center-back. Zidane had specifically asked for either De Ligt or Rúben Dias.

Gao Shen personally preferred to sell De Ligt and keep Rúben Dias at Leeds United.

Because the Portuguese defender was the backbone of Leeds United's defense, though De Ligt currently had the bigger name.

This phenomenon was quite common in football.

Over the years, no one had tried to poach José Fonte, yet countless young center-backs had been snapped up, one after another, from this "center-back incubator" at Leeds United.

Bringing in Mbappé was also part of Florentino's grand plan.

If Pogba left, Real Madrid would need a new midfielder, preferably someone who could take over from Modric.

Gao Shen wanted to recommend Bernardo Silva.

The Portuguese midfielder was currently valued at 100 million euros, but if Leeds United made a deep Champions League run this season, his value would certainly rise further.

Plus, he had never fully adapted to life in England and was likely keen to return to the Iberian Peninsula.

Sell Varane, buy De Ligt. Sell Pogba, buy Bernardo Silva...

These two swaps wouldn't cost Real Madrid too much, and the incoming players were younger.

If these transfers were completed, Real Madrid's squad would be completely refreshed.

The attack would feature Mbappé, Benzema, and Di María, supported by Asensio, Jesé, Džeko, and Vázquez.

The midfield would include the iconic trio, along with Bernardo Silva, Isco, Verratti, Illarramendi, Ceballos, and Marcos Llorente.

In defense: Marcelo, Carvajal, Ramos, Van Dijk, De Ligt, Nacho, plus Reguilón, Odriozola, Theo Hernández, and Marcos Alonso.

Real Madrid's squad would be stacked, enough to command attention across Europe.

At present, these were just advanced plans. Whether they would materialize or whether Real Madrid and PSG would seek to go even further would depend on the execution of these deals.

But one thing was certain: both teams would be extremely strong.

As for Leeds United, their goal at this stage was not to win the Champions League, but to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League and reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League, while continuing to invest heavily in youth development.

Gao Shen, Lucas, and Borrell all understood clearly.

If Leeds United wanted results, they would have to wait for the generation born in the 2000s to fully mature—especially Haaland and Vinícius.

Once this group of players reached their peak, and Leeds United used these few years to expand their commercial capabilities and improve their financial strength, making it easier to retain talent, then the team would be ready to dominate European football.

By then, let's see who can challenge Leeds United!

...

No one knows what the future holds, but for now, Leeds United were still holding Ajax firmly in check.

After the break in the second half, Ajax launched another fierce offensive.

The need to score three goals pushed the Eredivisie side to go all out, launching a full-on assault to break Leeds United's defensive line.

But the central defensive duo of Rúben Dias and De Ligt were rock solid, and with Rodri sitting in front of the defense, Ajax struggled to pose any serious threat.

Instead, in the 53rd minute, Leeds United hit them with a quick counterattack from the right.

Alexander-Arnold surged down the wing, received a pass from Bernardo Silva, exchanged a one-two with Dembélé, then sent in a low cross from the byline.

Vardy rushed to the near post and slotted it in.

2-0!

The Amazon Stadium erupted in celebration!

From then on, the two teams continued to battle, but Leeds United maintained their composure while Ajax completely lost theirs.

The burden of having to score four goals completely broke the confidence of this young team.

Leeds United played with a relaxed mindset, and Pochettino began to rotate the squad.

In the 70th minute, 18-year-old Haaland came on for Vardy.

Just ten minutes later, Mbappé and Robertson launched an attack from the left flank. Although Ajax's defense held firm and forced them to retreat, the ball was recycled.

Rodri delivered a diagonal pass to Bernardo Silva, who controlled it, turned sharply to shake off a defender, and lofted a pass into the penalty area.

Haaland, who had just dropped near the edge of the box, saw the turn and immediately started his run, cutting diagonally to the right of the penalty spot.

The pass arrived instantly. Haaland got there first and, before the Ajax center-back could slide in, struck it first-time with his right foot.

The ball rocketed into the bottom-right corner of the Ajax goal!

The entire sequence was lightning-fast and exhilarating.

3-0!

This was also Haaland's first-ever goal in the Champions League!

And it came in the quarterfinals!

(To be continued.)