Ling then drove back to Hale, had dinner with Maria, and took a leisurely walk by the riverside.
By the time he returned home, it was already eight o'clock.
Just as the match between Liverpool and Chelsea was starting on TV, he picked up his tactical notebook and began watching intently.
This season, Manchester United had no matches left against these two teams, but Liverpool's high pressing was well worth studying, especially Roberto Firmino's pressing routes.
As the saying goes: "When three walk together, one of them must be my teacher."
Football is no exception to the need for constant learning—those who remain stagnant will inevitably be left behind.
Firmino's technical movements were all quite ordinary compared to elite dribblers, yet he managed to become the absolute linchpin of Liverpool's attack, which naturally meant he had something exceptional about his football IQ.
"Most strikers are accustomed to creating space with their movement for themselves, but Firmino reduces his mobility to enhance the attack with simple, precise lay-offs for the wingers." Ling wrote down his thoughts in his notebook.
When he was fourteen, he also believed that individual skill was everything and that heroism was the ultimate goal for a man.
But as he played more and more professional matches, he gradually changed his perspective.
At its core, football is a team sport, and it continues to evolve with the times, steadily diminishing the role of the individual carrying the ball in the modern game.
The future direction for elite players should be to enhance the team, making their teammates stronger.
This doesn't mean playing a passive supporting role or relinquishing the tactical core and possession.
On the contrary, you become the central hub of the team, with all other teammates revolving around you.
"Using on-ball ability to compensate for the weaknesses in the wider tactical system..." Ling's idea was still in its infancy and needed more experience to refine, but he had a faint feeling that he was on the right path.
He could discuss it with Mourinho and his future father-in-law later.
...
Two days later.
All matches of the 34th round of the Premier League had concluded, and there were no significant changes in the standings.
First, the title contenders.
Manchester City defeated Crystal Palace 3-1, with Leroy Sané scoring a brace, leaving him just two goals behind Ling in the scoring charts.
The young German had big ambitions—he wanted to secure his starting spot by outperforming Ling and completely push Gabriel Jesus out of the lineup.
To that end, he even claimed a penalty in this match.
Fortunately, Sergio Aguero wasn't on the field, and the second penalty taker, David Silva, had a calm temperament, or else a conflict would have erupted on the spot.
As for Chelsea, they were already in decline.
After losing this match to Liverpool, they were overtaken by Arsenal and now sat in 6th place.
Eden Hazard had officially rejected Chelsea's contract renewal offer, making it clear that he would be moving to another team next season, with Real Madrid being the most speculated destination.
However, there were differing opinions in the press.
In March, Chelsea had rejected Real Madrid's €70 million offer and explicitly stated that they wouldn't sell for less than €100 million.
But Florentino Pérez still had his main sights set on Ling and Mbappe, so the Hazard matter was left unresolved.
It's worth mentioning that recently, Florentino Pérez had invited Jorge Mendes for a meal in Madrid, clearly trying to find out whether Ling had any possibility of transferring.
Although Mendes was shocked by the massive offer, he knew that Manchester United was currently the best fit for Ling.
Real Madrid's performance had been dismal since Ronaldo left, and they were facing a massive rebuilding phase.
Whether they could achieve success next season remained uncertain.
In contrast, Manchester United was stable, building a dynasty, and financially strong.
But Mendes didn't close the door completely—super agents always leave room for maneuver, just in case something unexpected happens.
Then, he told Ling about the matter.
Ling's response was simple. "No thoughts of transferring for now."
Do you know what kind of treatment he enjoys at Manchester United?
Whether it's the veterans or the young academy players, who wouldn't give him immense respect?
Not to mention having Mourinho there.
His tactical importance is off the charts. Going to Real Madrid would not only mean starting over but also dealing with the Spanish faction, the Brazilian faction, and those entitled veterans resting on their laurels.
Just thinking about the dressing room politics gave him a headache.
This matter should have passed quietly, but some troublemaker leaked it to the media, and the next day, news of his imminent transfer was everywhere.
Spanish Radio Cope: Ling will leave Manchester United this summer and join Real Madrid, with the club spending an incredible €200 million on his transfer fee!
Marca: Ling's move to Real Madrid is close to being finalized, and he will sign a six-year contract with the club!
The Sun: Ling has already started looking for a house in Pozuelo, Madrid's traditional luxury residential area!
There were even many photoshopped images that, at first glance, looked completely real.
When Ling woke up and saw them, he was completely stunned.
A while ago, Rashford's contract renewal was delayed, and his team was genuinely in contact with Barcelona—at least that was true.
But what he was facing was pure, baseless rumor!
Sure enough.
His phone was flooded with missed calls, and he had to explain to his friends one by one.
Even more absurdly, Pep Guardiola sent him a text message.
[Going to Real Madrid? You might as well come to Manchester City. I'll help you win three consecutive titles!]
This was truly absurd to the extreme!
It took emergency PR efforts from Mendes and the club to barely clarify the false news before the Champions League tie.
"I suspect it was Florentino Perez. That old man loves manipulating public opinion. He probably wants to drive a wedge between you and the club," Maguire said confidently in the dressing room.
"Wait, could it be Barcelona? After all, the second leg of the Champions League is the day after tomorrow," Herrera, ever the Manchester United "political commissar," thought deeply about the issue.
"Let's not dwell on those questions. We still have two more training sessions to go!" Ling said as he walked toward the green pitch.
Regardless of who was behind it, their focus now was purely on the match.
...
Meanwhile, on the private flight to Manchester...
Suarez and Coutinho were playing chess, while Messi sipped his mate tea and watched from the side.
As for Valverde, he appeared to be sleeping but was actually keeping a close eye on how much mate Messi was drinking, ready to call the flight attendant for a refill at any moment.
"Do we have any new tactics for the match the day after tomorrow?" Umtiti leaned in and asked Valverde.
He had watched Manchester United's match videos a few days ago and now clearly understood just how incredibly strong Ling was.
So he was feeling quite anxious.
"Of course we have tactics. Ander Herrera is suspended for Manchester United, and their midfield mobility has seriously declined!" Valverde said with a slight raise of his eyebrows, brimming with confidence.
"We'll use high-frequency passing and movement to tear apart Manchester United's defense, then deliver the ball to Leo's feet. After that, we'll create a miracle."
He added, "Well, actually, it's not really a miracle. We're only one away goal behind."
Umtiti's lips twitched uncontrollably.
He took a deep breath and pressed further, "What about the defensive arrangements? Any specific plans to deal with Manchester United's No. 7?"
Valverde thought for a long time, and what he said next nearly drove Umtiti crazy.
"Just because Lenglet and Pique couldn't stop him doesn't mean you and Pique can't. I believe you have the ability to do it."
Umtiti thought to himself in horror: 'My left knee meniscus was completely removed, and I just rested for 80 days a few months ago due to a recurrence of my left knee injury.'
'Now, right after recovering, you want me to defend against Manchester United's number 7 in isolation?! Didn't you see even Virgil Van Dijk couldn't hold him off?!'
Seeing Umtiti's terrified expression, Valverde comforted him.
"The most important thing against Manchester United isn't defense. As long as we can push our offense forward and keep the ball, the pressure on the backline will naturally ease. Don't worry too much about that guy."
Umtiti could only accept this highly flawed explanation and turned back to continue nervously watching Ling's match footage on his iPad.
During the walk-through training the next day at Old Trafford, the entire Barcelona team appeared very relaxed.
This seemed to add another layer of uncertainty to the match.
Amid the immense anticipation of hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide, the date finally arrived: April 17th, when the Champions League battle reignited.