Returning from Brazil to England, Ethan still had many tasks waiting for him.
The first order of business was to take Alberto to the Newton Heath Training Base.
Although half a month was not long, the changes at the Newton Heath Training Base pleasantly surprised Ethan when he returned.
The green belt along the wall had already been planted. Walking along Droylsden Road, there was no trace of the wall at all. It was filled with tall trees that completely hid the interior, while the greenery made it pleasant to look at.
The entrance to the training base was simple, with double gates on both sides and a security booth nearby. Two old fans took turns manning the booth, and as soon as the old man on duty saw Jim's taxi, he knew who was inside. He immediately came out to greet Ethan, who rolled down the window and waved back with a smile.
These were just small details, but Ethan paid great attention to them.
The turf at the training base had already been laid, though the training building was still under construction. Even after completion, fitting it out and decorating it would mean the building would not be operational until next season.
In the distance, a single-storey structure was being built in one corner of the training base, surrounded by an iron fence that separated it from the rest of the base. This was the area designated for The Lab.
Seeing the bustling construction of the club's training base, Alberto, who was visiting Newton Heath for the first time, was astonished.
"Is this really the training base of an English fifth-tier team?"
"Of course, Alberto. Once it is completed, even many Premier League teams won't be able to compare," Cassel said excitedly.
He was one of the main planners of New Manchester United's Newton Heath Training Base and had poured a lot of effort into it. Seeing the base take shape, his excitement was no less than Ethan's.
"Alberto, your workplace will be over there!" Ethan pointed to the reserve team's training pitch, where many young players were already training.
Because of the new season, New Manchester United's Under-19 youth team would participate in the youth league organized by the FA. Therefore, New Manchester United had specially formed an additional youth team, bringing the total to three, categorized by age.
Messi, Curtis, Ishmael, and Michael Johnson were all part of the oldest youth team and would have the opportunity to play in the Under-19 youth league.
As for the newly joined De Rossi and Muntari, they would temporarily train with the youth team, while Essien would be assigned directly to the first team.
"Hey, boss, you're back!" Curtis spotted Ethan from afar and greeted him through the wire fence.
"Just arrived. Curtis, watch out!"
Before Ethan could finish, Curtis was knocked to the ground by Ishmael, who was dribbling the ball.
"Damn it, Ishmael, you did that on purpose!" Curtis jumped up, furious like a provoked lion.
"You weren't paying attention!" Ishmael retorted with a challenging look.
Curtis glared at Ishmael for a moment, nodded fiercely, signaled to Ethan that they would talk later, and then walked away.
Not long after, he executed a harsh but clean tackle and took Ishmael down.
Watching the two rivals through the wire fence, Ethan could only shake his head in helpless amusement.
"Hey, Leo!"
"Hello, boss. I was wondering when you'd be back!" Messi took the opportunity during a break in training to come over and chat.
"What's up? Anything wrong?"
"Nothing. It just felt strange not seeing you for so long!" Messi chuckled.
"How have your training and treatments been lately?" Ethan asked with concern.
"Well, I go to Professor Fryer's lab every day to be a guinea pig. I've been following his training and diet plans, and it seems to be going well. I've even grown a centimeter recently."
Hearing this, Ethan felt a sense of relief. He had invested a lot of effort into Messi, and seeing his continuous improvement brought him immense joy.
"Hey, Ethan!" Walsh emerged from the office in the distance, calling out to Ethan.
Ethan said goodbye to Messi and headed toward the office.
Alberto followed Cassel to the youth team's training base, where Cassel would introduce him to New Manchester United's training setup to help him get up to speed quickly.
"Hey, you've been on holiday for half a month, enjoying yourself, while I've been stuck in Manchester, working as a scout, a negotiator, and running around constantly. I'm exhausted!" Walsh complained as soon as Ethan entered the office.
Besides Walsh, Bruce, who had just returned from holiday, was also present.
"This guy hasn't stopped complaining!" Bruce laughed.
"Didn't I tell you to hire more people? No luck?" Ethan scanned the office and saw only the previously hired clerk and a lot of empty space.
"The recruitment notice has been posted, and a few people have come for interviews, but we still need your signature." Walsh handed Ethan a file.
Opening it, Ethan found two CVs for female staff. He quickly scanned them and signed his approval.
"Also, I've taken care of the few things you asked me to do earlier."
"Could you find them all?" Ethan asked eagerly.
"Of course. Sylvain Distin, twenty-two years old. As you suspected, he currently plays for the semi-professional team Tours in the French third division. We offered him a higher salary than Tours, and he agreed to transfer to Manchester for a fee of £160,000."
Ethan nodded in approval. This central defender would later become a key player for Manchester City. With his tall and strong build, explosive power, solid defensive skills, and aerial advantage, he had the potential to become a top Premier League defender with proper development.
"Who else?"
"Éric Abidal, French, twenty years old. He plays for the semi-professional team Lyon-La Duchère. After negotiations, we agreed on a fee of £180,000, and Abidal agreed to transfer to Manchester."
This player would later become a key left-back for Barcelona, but he currently played as a central defender, occasionally filling in at left-back. With his excellent physical condition, strong marking ability, and outstanding athleticism, including speed, agility, explosiveness, and strength, he was almost a beast on the pitch.
"Seriously, Ethan, I've watched the videos Andy brought back of these two defenders. Where did you find information about them?" Bruce asked curiously.
"How were they? To your liking?" Ethan asked with a smile.
Bruce nodded. Both players had excellent physical attributes, which were crucial for success in the English leagues. In addition, they had solid fundamentals and outstanding defensive skills, making them promising candidates to develop into top-class defenders.
"That's good to hear, Steve. I knew you'd be pleased with them!"
"What about the forwards? Crouch and Kitson have both reported for duty, and with Jonathan Matten as well, I'm thinking we should take advantage of your generosity and add another forward!" Bruce laughed.
Ethan burst into laughter at this suggestion.
Walsh also chuckled. "Steve, he has prepared two more forwards for you."
"Really? Who?" Bruce asked in surprise.
"One is Nikola Žigić, a prolific striker from the semi-professional Serbian team Bačka Topola. This guy is a monster, standing over two meters tall, like a basketball player. He scored 28 goals in 28 games last year."
"He must have been expensive," Bruce remarked in surprise.
Crouch was already tall, but from Walsh's description, Žigić sounded even taller.
"There was competition from a local club, so we had to raise the price. We ended up paying £150,000, but I still think he's a bargain. He's a goal-scoring machine, not soft like Crouch. His height is truly intimidating!"
Walsh's description piqued Bruce's interest.
"I'll have to see him for myself when he arrives!"
English teams had always favored tall and fast players, like Heskey and Owen, whose height and pace were formidable. Capello had initially been drawn to Kitson because of his 191 cm height, strength, and aerial ability.
As a former English player turned coach, Bruce had a preference for powerful strikers. Last season, his favorite pairing was the strong Jonathan Matten with the speedy Rhodri Giggs.
Knowing Bruce's preferences, Ethan had taken them into account when buying forwards. After securing the more technical Crouch, along with the powerful Žigić and Kitson, he had considered who could fill the void left by Rhodri Giggs' departure.
In fact, Ethan's choice for this position would be surprising.
"Come on, Andy, don't keep me in suspense. Who is the last forward? Is he from England?" Bruce asked eagerly.
Walsh shook his head mysteriously.
"From the EU?"
Walsh shook his head again.
"Don't keep him guessing, Andy. Just tell him!" Ethan laughed.
"You won't believe this, Ethan, but the information you gave me about this player was wrong!" Walsh said, looking as if he was ready to confront Ethan.
Ethan was taken aback.
Wrong? How could that be?
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)