After the celebrations on the field, it was already late. The fans gradually left with wonderful feelings, and the players walked into the player tunnel, chatting and laughing.
Maël was soon invited by staff to an advertising wall in the tunnel, where he stood between the corners to be interviewed.
"An unforgettable night?" a reporter asked with a smile, also offering congratulations.
Maël smiled and nodded, answering, "Definitely. This night released everything that had accumulated throughout the season. After an unforgettable period, we achieved unforgettable results.
"But we won't relax. There are still two games left, and the team has one more goal to accomplish.
"We have to keep winning until the season truly ends."
Just as he finished speaking, he saw another staff member in the distance walking over with a cylinder, a congratulatory smile on their face.
The Monthly Best trophy! He was very familiar with it, having won it twice last October and this February.
"Congratulations," the staff member said, offering congratulations before handing the trophy to Maël. "In the past month, you scored six goals and assisted three times in five Premier League games. Very impressive.
"You've also fulfilled your promise to the fans, winning three Monthly Best awards in your debut season in the top league."
"Thank you," Maël said happily, accepting the cylinder. As the staff member said, this was a personal goal he had set in front of the media long ago.
Today, it was finally accomplished!
It was much more difficult than he had imagined. On the one hand, there were too many excellent players in the Premier League, and many people had single-month explosions.
On the other hand, The FA sometimes awards the prize as an encouragement to players who have achieved personal career highs, even if they weren't the best that month.
But in this month, from any point of view, the trophy should be his.
Six goals and three assists, explosive data approaching two goal contributions per game, and leading Arsenal to an undefeated championship... This was absolutely impeccable performance! Maël was in a good mood, receiving the Monthly Best trophy summarizing his personal performance once again after winning the championship. Nothing could be better.
He needed this sense of recognition, which would support him to continue moving forward and achieve success on a larger stage!
A reporter then jokingly asked, "Some people say the Monthly Best trophy has a curse. Do you agree with this statement? Because we know you've never won this award for two consecutive months.
"Does it feel different stepping onto the field the month after winning the Monthly Best compared to before?"
"Haha..." Maël laughed, scratching his eyebrow with his right hand. "There are many reasons why I haven't won consecutively, but I don't think there's any curse.
"Maybe winning this award makes people relax? Makes people swell with pride? And then affects their performance? I don't seem to have similar feelings. I've been used to being the best since the beginning of my career."
"Oh!" This remark caused a burst of exclamation from the reporters present. Such 'arrogant' remarks were rare from Maël.
But thinking about it carefully, what he said was definitely correct.
The player won five Monthly Best trophies in the EFL Championship that season. Winning three this season could be said to be a 'regression'.
Maël hadn't finished speaking yet. He smiled and seriously explained, "The reason I didn't win consecutively in November was due to the impact of the dense schedule. I felt very tired at the time, which caused my performance to decline a bit.
"But after entering February, the team contracted its lines, and with the improvement of my experience and ability, I regained my best feeling.
"In fact, my performance in February, March, and April was good. I was continuously exploding. I don't understand why I didn't win the Monthly Best consecutively after March."
He shrugged, somewhat calling out the award judges from afar, as he had done in the EFL Championship last season.
"You seem to be used to winning many awards in a single season. How many Monthly Best awards do you hope to win next season?"
"Ten."
"Haha...!" The reporters in the interview area burst into laughter. Ten Monthly Best awards would mean winning from August to May of the following year, sweeping them all.
Maël laughed along with them. It was indeed a joke. He didn't think the judges would give him ten Monthly Best awards, even if he scored sixty goals in a single season.
After this Q&A, the reporters' questions returned to the right track, focusing on Arsenal's championship and Maël's performance.
"Forty goals and twenty assists, reaching 60+ in the Premier League, which is twenty goals more than Henry, who previously held this record. Do you think you are a better striker than him now?"
"Ah, that's a difficult question to answer. Henry has nearly 500 goal contributions in his career and is supported by many major honors. I haven't achieved that many accomplishments yet.
"I think I'm better than him in terms of individual highlights in a single season, and he's better than me in terms of overall contribution and accumulation of honors.
"So, each has its own advantages? Sorry, I can't answer this question accurately. Leave the evaluation to the fans and you media."
"..."
"Will this be your best season ever? Or will you strive for even better results in the future?"
"Without a doubt, I will strive for more championships and personal data. 40+ is not enough to make me the best player in the world, and I will not stop."
"This isn't even my best season. For me, the best season is always the next one."
"."
"Season-end summary: What did you do well this season? What could you have done better?"
"I think I did a great job preventing injuries. My attendance rate throughout the season was over 90%, which is rare."
"Of course, the most important thing is that I've enriched my arsenal and have more ways to score. The Premier League is a tough league, and scoring 40 goals here shows my progress."
"As for the bad, I think I neglected the fun in daily life. But there's no way around it. I have to focus on improving myself when I'm young so I can be more competitive. Compared to what I want to have, I'm not good enough yet."
"."
"How are you going to celebrate after the season? Will you get drunk with your teammates?"
"Haha... If we finish this season undefeated in 38 games, I think we will. Van Persie said he'd invite us to a party, so we're waiting for him to keep his promise."
"."
"How does it feel to work with Mr. Wenger? Did he cry today?"
"It feels great. When you have the opportunity to work with someone you saw on TV as a kid, you're motivated every day, not to mention achieving great success with him."
"He today..."
Maël was about to speak when he suddenly felt two hands on his shoulders, squeezing them.
He turned his head and saw Mr. Wenger had walked over and was making a 'shush' gesture at him.
"Haha...!"
The two looked at each other and smiled. Maël braked abruptly and didn't continue.
"Click, click...!" The media reporters frantically pressed their shutters at this moment, recording this scene and putting it on the front page that night.
In the picture, Wenger had a kind smile on his face. The gesture of him putting his hands on Maël's shoulders gave people the feeling that he was very young at heart, as if he were a good friend of Maël's age.
This pair of master and disciple gave people more than just a sense of partnership; to put it grandly, it even felt like destiny.
"Arsenal Three to Zero Victory over Manchester City! Win the Premier League Title Two Rounds in Advance! Emirates Stadium Sets off a Fireworks Extravaganza Belonging to the Champions!" – French L'Équipe
"If Wenger is the King Arthur guarding Arsenal, then he has finally met his Lancelot this season! Maël has delivered an epic performance!" – British Daily Mail
"Arsenal has finally waited for their captain. Even though this captain is very young, he will eventually lead Arsenal to glory!" – Spanish AS
That night, the news of Arsenal winning the championship again after seven years dominated the headlines of all social media. Public opinion went crazy, and Maël and Wenger became the objects of discussion for all fans.
This kind of fervor may be difficult to stop for a while. It will also radiate to many places, driving wave after wave of enthusiasm.
Starting the next day, the flow of people near the Emirates Stadium surged. Many people came here to check in and take pictures, and also visited the club's fan store to buy club merchandise.
Originally, it was thought that this was just a small wave of heat, but when the time entered May, the number of tourists not only did not decrease but increased instead. The fan store gradually had an all-day, jam-packed scene.
"I'll take a Maël's!"
"Will there be commemorative jerseys for the championship?"
"Yes, but it takes time. We're already speeding up the design, and we hope everyone will like it."
"Don't squeeze, everyone, take your time. You can wait outside for a while!"
"Can I print Maël's name + Number 31? I want a jersey from when he first came to the club as a souvenir."
"No problem!"
"Do you have Maël's water bottle? Or other products? Why are there only jerseys?"
"Because of portrait rights issues, not yet, but the club is working on it. It may be available in a few days."
"."
A large number of tourists were buying Maël's jerseys. The 'clack clack' of the heat press continued to work non-stop, at risk of breaking down at any time.
Arsenal Club immediately responded by changing the store's opening hours from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM to 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and recruited many new employees to assist in the work.
Their merchandise manufacturers also began working overtime to avoid being unable to meet demand.
But this still couldn't keep up with the speed of fans buying. On May 2nd, the jerseys gradually began to sell out, and even PV/PU and other heat-printing consumables were in short supply, so they had to send someone to purchase them.
May 3rd, Colney Training Base, in the chairman's office.
Arsenal Chairman Hill-Wood, rarely seen due to health reasons, appeared here and summoned Wenger and other important figures of the team to discuss the future development direction of the club.
The Hill-Wood family has always been the chairman of Arsenal, and this is already the third generation. However, no one knows how long he can stay in this position.
"Take a look."
He pointed to the documents on the table, his face looking good, as if he had good news to tell everyone.
Wenger picked up the documents on the table and browsed through them, surprise quickly appearing in his eyes, which then turned into delight.
April 29th, 3.5k visitors, £70,000 in sales; April 30th, 4.9k visitors, £110,000 in sales; May 1st, 6.3k visitors, £180,000 in sales; May 2nd... This is the recent foot traffic data and sales figures for the fan shop, a statistical report that everyone has been eagerly awaiting.
"I thought it would be high, but I didn't expect it to double so much."
Wenger put down the document and smiled, "Maybe this sales figure won't last long, but even if it falls a bit in the future, reaching around £1.5 million per month, it will still be a considerable income."
Hill-Wood tapped his knuckles on the table and said his thoughts, "Arsenal is a team with long-term brand value. As long as we guarantee the First Team's performance, this data won't decline too much.
"What's sold in the fan shop isn't just the club's merchandise, it's even a calling card and souvenir of this area. Tourists who don't even watch Football will take some home."
Wenger nodded, agreeing with this estimate and statement, and then waited for Hill-Wood to continue.
Hill-Wood wasn't in a hurry and took out another document, handing it to Wenger, "This is the sales data of Maël's jerseys from major retailers these days, including online platforms."
Before Wenger could finish reading it, he couldn't help but say the total data, "110,000 pieces, 30,000+ per day, which is very, very amazing. After winning the championship, he ignited the entire Football world.
"The total sales of the player's jerseys this season have exceeded 300,000 pieces, with sales exceeding £32.5 million."
Wenger couldn't control the smile on his face. Although the income from this area is divided among multiple parties, he could already guess that Maël would bring in over £20 million in revenue for the team this season.
"His contract?"
Hearing the question, Wenger looked up and replied, "His share of this part in the contract is 8%, and our profit should be around 12%."
Hill-Wood slowly nodded, paused for a moment, and said, "Maybe Kroenke's idea is right. It seems that Arsenal has the conditions to become a first-class commercial club.
"Or rather, Arsenal with Maël has this condition. The player not only plays well, but also has a very good-looking face. Such a star is rare."
He stood up, offered a cigarette to Wenger, and then walked to the side to get water, "Let him handle his affairs slowly in the future. Let's do what we should do first.
"The club needs to have a deeper cooperation with Maël. We need to launch more co-branded products, such as water cups, socks, etc.
"These are very important. Don't underestimate their unit price of only about £10, but if they sell well, a single item can sell millions of pounds a year."
Hill-Wood also wanted to light a cigarette himself, but stopped after picking up the lighter, "Assuming that the player accepts it happily, how much profit do you think is appropriate to give him?"
Wenger thought for a while and said a ratio, "50%. In fact, he would accept around 30%, but this offer may consume the relationship between him and the club."
"You go talk to him."
"Okay."
...
May 4th, one day left before the Premier League's 37th round match.
Maël and Mendes came to Puma's branch office together and met Orto, who was more enthusiastic than usual, in the office.
"The champion is here." Orto looked enthusiastic, got up from the bench, and personally poured water for the two of them, "Coffee or tea?"
"Tea, please."
"Tea."
He nodded with a smile, busying himself with both hands, and kept talking, "I regret that I didn't get a box ticket for that game, but I watched the whole game from headquarters. It was really a wonderful game.
"Manchester City's defenders can't do anything about Maël now. They played very embarrassingly.
"How to defend Maël will become the most headache-inducing problem for every Premier League team coach, and even Champions League team coaches, next season, haha!"
He flattered them in an unusual way, made tea, and then sat down opposite the two, his face full of smiles, "Puma has already paid the player a £3 million bonus this season, but we remitted the money with a smile.
"The player's cumulative season bonus has also exceeded £3 million, reaching the second Tiered Bonus. After the season ends, there will be an additional £1.5 million bonus."
Orto said this, as if he suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, the Premier League Golden Boot and Season's Best Player haven't been counted yet, I almost forgot.
"The bonus for these two awards is £1 million, but with the addition of the Tiered Bonus, they both become £1.5 million.
"If he gets them all, that's another £3 million in income... To be honest, I'm starting to envy Maël."
With Maël's performance this season, he's highly likely to sweep both awards.
This means that Puma's bonuses to the player this season have exceeded £7.5 million, with a guaranteed £5 million excluding additional bonuses.
Starting next season, the player's endorsement fee will be £5.85 million per year, an absolutely huge figure, a number that no one dared to imagine before.
And Maël is only 18 years old! At this age, earning a stable annual income of millions of pounds solely from endorsement fees and salary is definitely incredible and enviable!
Maël laughed heartily, looking at Orto and asking, "What about the European Cup? If I can get a bonus in that competition, does it count for this season or next season?"
Orto was stunned; he hadn't really considered this issue, mainly because he didn't think Maël could achieve significant success and earn a bonus in his first major tournament.
Their bonus structure is quite rigid, with bonuses only for the champion and the best player, and no bonuses for other placements.
However, looking at the enthusiasm in Maël's expression, and thinking about the surprises he has consistently brought to people, Orto suddenly felt that it wasn't impossible. He might actually do something at the European Cup! "What do you think?" His expression brightened. As a brand, they feared players lacking motivation and losing the desire to achieve success and increase their influence.
"Next season, I think."
Maël chose to believe in himself. This season was already coming to an end, and it wasn't necessary to push for the £6 million+ second-tier extra bonus.
Next season, he would achieve even more, and maybe have a chance to challenge the third tier.
Orto could see what Maël was thinking, and he grinned, "Good, good, good! Puma likes to work with ambitious players, and I believe you can do it! Keep it up!"
After settling the accounts, he also brought up the topic for which he had called them in today, "The co-branded shoes have been designed for a long time, and the player has tested them several times. The new version should be fine, right? We plan to release the shoes on May 14th and start promoting them in advance. We need to confirm this with you one last time."
"I think it's okay."
Maël nodded. He received the fourth version of the shoes after the championship battle and felt that everything was good, with nothing needing to be changed.
"Good." Orto breathed a sigh of relief. May 14th was the date of the Premier League's end. If Arsenal finished undefeated, the team's and the player's traffic would reach its peak.
Releasing on that day would definitely be the best choice, but if the player was still not satisfied and requested adjustments, there wouldn't be enough time.
"You may have to take some time to sign some of the collector's edition shoes. We will first auction off the 01-10 collector's edition shoes to build the reputation of this item and increase its value."
Orto made a final confirmation with Maël, while also stating the pricing, "Each shoe has a total of 6 color schemes and 3 different models.
"Regular, mid-tier, and top-tier. Of course, special editions and collector's editions are all top-tier, I'm just talking about the basic models.
"The prices are £75, £150, and £240 respectively. The pricing of special editions will depend on the auction price of the collector's editions."
Maël nodded with interest, and he couldn't help but recall the time two years ago when he was worried about a pair of shoes costing over two hundred pounds, and he was momentarily lost in thought.
At that time, he probably couldn't have imagined that he could now easily earn £2.4 million, right?
He also couldn't have imagined that he would already have dozens of different co-branded shoes, right? Time really flies. He had almost forgotten how he felt that day. His life now was very fulfilling, with new feedback coming in every day, and he rarely had time to remember the past.
However, by comparing himself with his past self, he more clearly perceived the magnificent path he had walked in the past 2 years.
Maël didn't know if he would have the same feeling when he looked back on today in another 2 years. After finishing the meeting with Orto, he went to the headquarters of Football Record to meet with Peter.
"173,000 and 92,000."
Peter smiled brightly, sitting in front of the computer and showing Maël the data in the backend, "This is the total number of subscribers after the release of the championship special program a few days ago. We have already completed the goal ahead of schedule, grabbing over 150,000 users.
"Subscription revenue has exceeded £4 million, which is also a result that we didn't dare to imagine before."
Maël looked at the growth curve and asked with a smile, "What about advertising? The income from this area should also be a major part, right?"
"Not yet." Peter denied, explaining, "Because the number of viewers of the program is still far from that of major TV stations, the advertising prices cannot be increased for the time being.
"However, we have received some large advertising offers, mostly from football games and betting companies. Their requirement is to broadcast an episode of the program for free, and then insert their advertisements into it."
Maël nodded, he could understand what these advertisers meant, "I think this is feasible. If the offer is good, we can completely add an extra episode in the middle of the month.
"Not only to place advertisements, but also to boost popularity and attract free users to subscribe to the program."
"Yes." Peter very much agreed with Maël's idea, but he looked embarrassed, "I had this idea, but I didn't dare to mention it to you, fearing that you would have to sell another favor."
"It's okay." Maël chuckled a few times, "While everyone's enthusiasm for the championship is at its peak, this area needs to be stepped up.
"Contact me at any time. As long as there is a good opportunity, it's okay to bring the whole team to film together, and then share some of the profits with them."
"Okay." Peter nodded, realizing that Maël might be going home to prepare for tomorrow's game, and quickly got up and said, "Maël, this season, the newspaper's after-tax profit may also be close to £4 million.
"I I really..." He was a little incoherent, not knowing how to express himself.
Maël smiled and patted him on the shoulder, waving as he walked towards the door, "This is just the beginning. In the upcoming European Cup, I will try my best to make Football Record eat its fill."
"Alright, I'm off, you guys keep it up, say hello to Emilia for me."
"Okay." Peter watched Maël's departing figure with a sense of intense satisfaction and joy welling up inside him.
Having the chance to work with someone like that in this lifetime is something to be grateful for, and something to be proud of! Sometimes, he still felt a strong sense of disconnect, as if he were living in a dream.
Although he spent more and more time with Maël, Maël was also constantly improving, and his influence and commercial value were rapidly increasing.
Such a superstar actually sat down and chatted with him from time to time, and even held shares in the same company as him.
This was something he would never have dared to imagine before. A small tabloid like theirs should have relied on smearing popular football stars to grab traffic. Sitting down and cooperating was simply like turning the world upside down.
"Tap, tap, tap."
Soon after, the sound of high heels echoed, and a fragrant breeze wafted in as Emilia arrived.
She was dressed in professional attire and looked like she had put a lot of effort into her appearance, before rushing over anxiously, "Where is he?"
"He left after staying for a while."
"Ah." Emilia was a little disappointed. It had been a while since she had met and chatted with Maël privately, and she missed him a little.
"Emilia, don't you think we've been living in a dream for the past six months?" Peter couldn't help but ask with a smile when he saw her.
"Not really."
Emilia replied perfunctorily, and only after noticing Peter's seriousness did she respond, "All the feelings are very intense, how could it be like living in a dream? What you mean is probably that we're living a dream life, and I agree with that."
ps: Starting today, I will resume two updates. I will update two chapters of 7k first to adapt, and then gradually increase.
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