Chapter 310: Yang Yang Has Arrived

31!

The day after the final match of the Eredivisie season, the Dutch Telegraaf, the Netherlands’ largest and most influential newspaper, used the red Arabic numeral “31” as its front-page headline.

Beneath this number was a photo of the Ajax players hoisting the league championship trophy.

This clearly showed the Telegraaf’s understanding of its readers.

Whether Yang Yang could win the Golden Boot and break Ronaldo’s legendary record—that was the topic Dutch fans cared about most. As for Ajax winning the title, that had already been decided after their comeback victory against Eindhoven in the penultimate round.

The Telegraaf featured a lengthy report on its second page, not only praising Yang Yang for his outstanding performance throughout the season but also providing an in-depth analysis of him breaking Ronaldo’s legendary records.

Following the lengthy praise, the Telegraaf concluded that after a season of growth, Yang Yang had become the most dazzling new star in European football, as well as the top star on the Ajax team and a premier player in Dutch football.

Compared to other players, Yang Yang is exceptionally two-footed. Whether on the left or right wing, he can take the ball to the byline or cut inside, making him an immense tactical asset on the pitch.

“After being tempered over a full season, we are astonished to find that Yang Yang has become a top-tier goalscorer in European football today. He scored thirty-one goals in twenty-nine league appearances. For a player who is only eighteen, this is a truly incredible achievement.”

“The last player to achieve such a record before Yang Yang was a man named Ronaldo!”

“When it comes to a detailed analysis of their technical attributes, it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact similarities and differences between Yang Yang and Ronaldo. But what’s undeniable is that for Yang to achieve this at eighteen is nothing short of stunning and gives us great hope for his future.”

Toward the end of the article, the Dutch Telegraaf also pointed to Yang Yang’s age and areas for future growth.

For example, out of Yang Yang’s thirty-one goals, not a single one was a header.

“On Ajax’s registration form last summer, Yang Yang listed his height as 1.8 meters, but he was only seventeen at the time. After a year of growth, he has likely surpassed that height, yet he still hasn’t scored a single header.”

The Telegraaf noted that this wasn’t a flaw, but rather a weak point or an area for improvement. After all, Ronaldo wasn’t known for his heading ability either. However, the commentators believed that at only eighteen, Yang Yang has plenty of time to shore up this weakness.

In addition to headers, they also suggested that Yang Yang should continue to improve his free-kick technique.

Ajax’s ability to score from free kicks this season wasn’t particularly strong. Sneijder was the team’s primary free-kick taker, and Yang Yang rarely had the opportunity. “From the few times he has taken one, it’s clear he has a solid foundation in this area. He should continue to focus on his free-kick training, as it could become another important scoring weapon for him.”

The Telegraaf also suggested that Yang Yang should continue to work on his physical strength.

“In fact, his ability to handle physical challenges has improved immensely over the past season, but he should keep working on it. This isn’t just to further enhance his threat on the pitch, but also to prevent injuries.”

Finally, the Telegraaf stated that at eighteen, Yang Yang is still far from reaching his career peak. He should keep up the good work and continue to improve, striving to carve out his own legacy in European football.

In a separate article, renowned Dutch media personality Aaron Moye argued in his column that Yang Yang should remain at Ajax to continue his growth and development, rather than leaving the Eredivisie prematurely.

“It would be quite detrimental to his development, because he won’t find another team in European football that can offer him an environment and atmosphere similar to what he currently has at Ajax.”

“A transfer to a top team in one of the Four Major Leagues, or even a powerhouse club, is undoubtedly very appealing. But Yang Yang must consider whether they would be willing to make an eighteen-year-old their core, starting player.”

“If not, then what’s the point of him leaving Ajax?”

……

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While the Dutch media was able to offer in-depth analysis, the reactions from other major newspapers—including the German Bild, France Team Report, the British Sun, The Times, the Spanish Marca and Diario AS, and the Italian Milan Sports Daily and Torino Sports Daily—were more of pure shock at Yang Yang breaking Ronaldo’s legendary record.

Over the past few years, European football has certainly produced its share of talents, such as Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United, Casano at Rome, or Robben at Chelsea. All of them are renowned young prodigies in Europe.

But to date, no new star had ever matched Ronaldo’s achievements at the age of eighteen.

But Yang Yang had done it!

At just eighteen years old, he had already won two top-tier European titles and the Eredivisie Golden Boot Award. These accomplishments alone were enough for him to stand head and shoulders above all his peers, and even players slightly older than him.

Of course, no one could guarantee what the future held for Yang Yang. After all, no one had expected that Ronaldo, after reaching the peak of his fame as a teenager, would fall like a shooting star, never quite reaching the heights people had anticipated for him.

But everyone believed that given Yang Yang’s current trajectory, he was destined to have a place among the top stars of European football for the next decade.

However, quite a few media outlets were perplexed by the overwhelming hype surrounding Yang Yang. They argued that his achievements were far from comparable to Ronaldo’s back in the day, especially regarding the “quality” of his goals.

“Ronaldo played during the Eredivisie’s peak. The sheer lethality he displayed on the pitch, the shockwaves he sent through the league, and his transcendent individual ability are all things that the current Yang Yang cannot compare to.”

These media outlets also pointed out that players coming out of the Eredivisie in recent years have generally been over-hyped.

“If Van der Vaart’s poor situation at Real Madrid can be mostly blamed on the club, then the embarrassing stint of Kezman—who tore up the Eredivisie a few years prior—at Chelsea makes it difficult to trust his supposed abilities.”

“Yang Yang’s performance this season has indeed been excellent, but nowhere near the level the media has hyped him up to be. At the very least, he has yet to prove himself on the Champions League stage. His only Champions League title was won as a substitute.”

……

……

Yang Yang never cared about the outside world’s hype, the media’s praise, or their criticism.

To him, none of it was as meaningful as the scrapbook kept by the owner of the breakfast shop on the corner in Oude Kerk.

As Yang Yang was heading home with breakfast in hand, he saw Raiola’s car parked out front from a distance.

He had gotten a call from Raiola last night while attending the team’s victory celebration with his teammates, so they didn’t have time to talk in detail.

Later, Ajax director Ali Van Eeden had mentioned that he wanted to meet with Yang Yang and Raiola this morning at the offices in the Amsterdam Arena to discuss a few things.

So, Yang Yang had made sure to buy an extra breakfast this morning.

“You just won the championship yesterday, the season just ended, and you still refuse to relax and take a break.”

Seeing Yang Yang walk in with breakfast, dressed in his training gear, Raiola didn’t even have to ask. He knew the kid had gone out for his morning run again. The portly Italian was thoroughly impressed.

“If you keep training this hard, I’m worried I won’t be able to keep up with you as your agent.”

Yang Yang laughed. “What can I do? Look at you, getting fatter and fatter, and you refuse to exercise. As your friend, I can’t just stand by and watch. So I have to do your share of the training for you.”

Raiola and Vermaelen exchanged a glance and burst out laughing.

“Well then, to repay you for being so considerate, I’ll help you by eating your share of the breakfast.”

With that, the portly Italian shot up and made a beeline for the dining table.

You had to admit, when it came to food, Raiola wasn’t slow at all. He had the makings of a “spherical lightning” bolt.

Before Yang Yang got home, Raiola had been talking to Vermaelen about Chen Tao and the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup.

After watching the final yesterday afternoon, Chen Tao had flown directly back to China to handle some transfer-related matters.

Anderlecht had already decided to sign him, and the transfer fee demanded by his club in China was reasonable. Chen Tao went back hoping to finalize the transfer as quickly as possible, after which he would begin his career in Europe.

From what Yang Yang had heard from Albess, Anderlecht really rated Chen Tao highly.

Of course, for the Belgian First Division A powerhouse, it was also just business.

Raiola was quite optimistic about the transfer and had readily promised Yang Yang that he would attend the FIFA U-20 World Cup in person.

“If there are any players with real potential, I can help arrange a trial for them,” Raiola said.

But in truth, Raiola was now considered a top-tier European agent. He didn’t manage a large number of players, but they were all high-caliber. For a player to catch his eye, they would need to be at least a first-team player in one of the Four Major Leagues.

Furthermore, Raiola’s network in European football wasn’t his strongest asset. Instead, he excelled at career planning for his players, and negotiations were his true specialty. This was one of the main reasons Yang Yang had chosen him in the first place.

“Ali Van Eeden is no easier to deal with than Van Gaal. When we get to the Ajax offices, you just stay quiet and listen. I’ll handle everything. No matter what you’re thinking, we’ll discuss it ourselves when we get back here, behind closed doors.”

After breakfast, just before they left, Raiola gave him a careful reminder.

He knew Yang Yang was emotionally attached to Ajax and felt a sense of gratitude, but that was a cardinal sin at the negotiating table and something he had to guard against.

Whether he stayed or left, Raiola had an obligation to secure the best possible deal for Yang Yang.

Of course, Yang Yang’s interests were his interests.

“Don’t worry. I won’t say a word. I’ll leave it all to you,” Yang Yang said with a nod.

Raiola smiled and nodded.

But deep down, he knew that Yang Yang often had a mind of his own.

At the very least, Yang Yang wasn’t as easily persuaded as he appeared.