The situation inside the club was getting uglier by the day. Kai knew that better than anyone, but he refused to let it seep into the dressing room.
When he arrived at London Colney, he behaved as though everything was business as usual. No frustration. No distractions. Just another day of training.
As he pulled on his training kit, Wilshere wandered over.
"Usmanov came to see me last night."
Kai stopped what he was doing.
"He did?"
Wilshere nodded, lowering his voice.
"He wanted my support."
Kai's expression hardened.
So that was the next move.
If he couldn't win over the captain, he'd try to divide the dressing room instead.
"What did you tell him?"
Wilshere grinned.
"You know I was never exactly his biggest fan. I didn't want to start an argument, so I just smiled and said, 'I'm with you.'"
He laughed.
"I figured he'd already spoken to you."
"He has," Kai replied. "If he came after you, he'll probably try someone else too."
Kai clapped his hands.
"Everyone, over here for a minute."
The squad gathered around.
After asking a few questions, Kai confirmed that only he and Wilshere had been approached.
For now.
That alone was enough to raise concerns.
He looked around at his teammates.
"Listen. Whatever's happening in the boardroom isn't our problem. Our job is to play football."
He paused.
"If anyone from the club tries to pull you into this, don't commit to anything."
He glanced at Wilshere.
Wilshere immediately pointed at him.
"If you get stuck, blame the captain."
The room burst into laughter.
"Tell them you're backing whatever Kai decides."
Kai shrugged.
"Works for me."
The mood lightened instantly. The players nodded in agreement before heading out onto the pitch.
Training carried on with its usual intensity.
Whatever was happening behind closed doors, nobody let it show.
Every sprint was full speed. Every tackle had bite.
Pat Rice made sure of that.
Since the season began, the coaching staff hadn't eased off for a single session, and Pat remained as demanding as ever.
By the end of training, the squad drifted back toward the dressing room.
Kai stayed behind.
So did Campbell.
"What are we working on today?" Campbell asked eagerly.
Ever since making his breakthrough, he'd become convinced that sticking close to Kai was the smartest move he could make.
Kai barely looked up.
"Shooting."
Campbell blinked.
"Shooting?"
It wasn't exactly what you'd expect from a holding midfielder.
Kai ignored the reaction and scattered footballs around the edge of the penalty area.
Long-range efforts.
Free kicks.
Lately he'd been getting into plenty of shooting positions, but the results weren't there. Too many strikes rattled the woodwork or flew just wide. The technique felt close, yet something was missing.
A small adjustment could make all the difference.
With Arsenal struggling to convert chances, he knew the midfield had to contribute more goals.
If opponents were forced to step out and close him down from distance, the extra space would only make life easier for the forwards.
He placed a ball twenty-five yards from goal.
A few measured steps.
Then he struck it.
Thump.
The shot had power but stayed too close to the goalkeeper.
Another ball.
Thump.
Better placement.
Not enough pace.
Again.
And again.
Kai alternated between driven free kicks and dipping knuckleballs.
Neither was where he wanted it.
The driven efforts carried plenty of power but lacked precision.
The knuckleballs moved unpredictably, yet they didn't travel quickly enough to trouble top keepers.
He still hadn't found the perfect strike.
How do you generate more power without sacrificing control?
How do you keep the ball moving while still hitting the corners?
Those were the details that separated good set piece takers from great ones.
Ball after ball flew toward the goal.
The rhythm never stopped.
Most hit the target.
Few found the corners.
After more than a dozen attempts, Kai finally exhaled and rested his hands on his hips.
Still not right.
These tiny adjustments were always the hardest part of improving. Progress came in fractions, and every successful strike had to be repeated until it became instinct.
As he caught his breath, he glanced across the training ground.
Campbell was still running laps without being asked. He had recently started adding extra conditioning work after training.
Nobody knew exactly how much progress he had made yet, but one thing was obvious. In every training match, he never stopped running.
"Joel!"
Campbell stopped his run and turned around.
When he saw Kai waving him over, he immediately jogged across.
"Working on your fitness?" Kai asked.
Campbell nodded.
"Yeah. I figured if I can cover more ground, maybe I'll give the manager a reason to pick me."
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
Campbell scratched the back of his head.
"I know the difference between Luis and me. He sees things I don't see. He understands spaces before they open up. He can make those runs and finish chances naturally."
He shrugged.
"I can't suddenly become that kind of player, no matter how hard I train."
Kai listened quietly.
"So I came up with a simpler approach."
Campbell pointed toward the pitch.
"If I'm playing higher up, I'll keep moving. Constantly. I'll drag defenders around, create gaps, and make things uncomfortable."
"And if I get a chance, I'll take it. If I don't, I'll try to create opportunities for someone else."
Kai nodded slowly.
"So you want to become more of a team player?"
"Exactly."
Campbell's eyes were serious.
"I'm thinking about developing my ability to drop deeper and link play. If I can't become a traditional number nine, maybe I can become a false nine."
He paused before adding quietly.
"I fought too hard to get back here. I don't want to disappear again."
Kai looked at his determination and nodded.
"The idea isn't bad. But you can't develop that alone."
"I know."
Campbell sighed.
"But I'm a substitute. If I ask the wingers for help, they'll probably laugh at me."
Kai studied him for a moment before speaking.
"Then I'll help you."
Campbell looked up.
"What?"
"I'll train with you. If you want to improve as a false nine, you need someone who understands your movements. Try finding my runs. Learn when to release the ball."
Campbell's expression immediately changed.
For this type of role, chemistry was everything.
A false nine wasn't just about dropping deep. It was about knowing where teammates would move before they moved.
Having someone like Kai to train with was exactly what he needed.
"Thank you."
Kai smiled.
"No problem. It benefits both of us. I want to win too."
He glanced toward the goal.
"Our attacking play hasn't been giving us enough options. So we'll create more."
Together, they moved the training mannequins into position inside the penalty area.
Kai carried the ball back toward the centre circle.
"I'll send the long pass. You bring it down, find me, and play it into my path."
He pointed toward the left side.
"First one, I make the run left."
Campbell nodded eagerly.
Kai placed the ball down.
A few steps back.
Then he struck it.
The pass travelled perfectly toward Campbell.
As the ball dropped, Campbell checked Kai's movement with his peripheral vision. He cushioned it with the inside of his foot, turned away from the imaginary defender, and slipped a pass three metres ahead of Kai's run.
Perfect weight.
Kai collected it and finished.
"Good!"
He turned and gave Campbell a thumbs up.
Campbell clenched his fist.
The first attempt had worked.
"However, that was without pressure."
Kai walked back toward the centre circle.
"Next, we'll make it harder."
He pointed toward the mannequins.
"First, simulate pressure. Control the ball, use two feints, then release the pass."
He continued.
"Second, work on playing the ball immediately after your first touch."
Kai looked at him.
"I won't tell you where I'm running anymore. You'll have to read the movement yourself."
Campbell nodded.
"Got it."
The next drill began.
Kai launched another long pass.
Campbell brought it down, shielded the ball, shifted his body twice to create space, then played it forward.
But Kai had already changed direction.
"Again!"
The ball came back.
Again.
And again.
Under the fading sunlight, the two players continued working.
Campbell was building a completely new side to his game.
Kai was adding another weapon to Arsenal's attack.
Neither of them cared about the number of repetitions.
They kept moving, kept adjusting, and kept improving until exhaustion finally caught up with them.
. . .
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