Chapter 373: United Needs a Right Winger, Barcelona Wants Tang

The Manchester Evening News — Besides Dembélé, Chelsea winger William is also one of United's options.

"Compared to Dembélé's price tag exceeding one hundred million, United's pursuit of William is clearly more suitable."

William's current estimated value is around 45 million euros; his outstanding dribbling and passing ability can definitely secure him a starting right-winger role at United.

But the problem is, the whole world now knows United needs a right winger — it's their guarantee for better results next season.

Considering this factor, 45 million euros is unlikely to convince Chelsea.

They'll want more!

The transfer market is poised to explode, and at this moment Ashley Young is at his home in Manchester, with United's players gathered together.

"Damn, that's amazing!"

"Benzema!"

"Oh, hah!"

Tang Ye hugged his head with both hands.

They were watching the Champions League semifinal between Real Madrid and Juventus.

United lost to Juventus in the quarterfinals, so the players wanted to know: if it had been defending champions Real Madrid instead, would they have been Juventus's opponent?

Leaning back on the sofa, Tang Ye sipped his juice: "Hss… I actually think Juventus still has a lot of problems. If we practiced set-piece defense ahead of time, we might have had a better chance."

"I agree with this view."

Younger brother Luo De immediately stood by his older brother's side.

"Oh come on, stop talking about that match."

Ashley Young interrupted Tang Ye and Rodri's tactical discussion: "Don't talk about that match anymore, don't talk about that match."

Losing to Juventus in the quarterfinals still hit United's players too hard.

"Alright, alright, Young, I won't mention it again."

Tang Ye exhaled and refocused his attention on the ongoing match.

It was Real Madrid's attacking opportunity.

The ball went to Ronaldo!

"Damn, that ball!"

Tang Ye stood up.

Carvajal's pass was too deep!

Ronaldo began to drop back in the penalty area.

He jumped up with his back to the goal!

Thud!

A bicycle kick — Real Madrid scored.

"I, damn…"

Tang Ye rubbed his head and sat back down.

Carvajal's pass was sloppy, but somehow Real Madrid still scored.

"Wow, Ronaldo!"

The United players in the living room erupted in cheers, while Tang Ye carefully watched the replay broadcast.

Carvajal had too little time to adjust, so the pass was slightly off.

Ronaldo himself found the perfect position to receive the ball!

"He jumped so high, damn…"

Tang Ye took another sip of juice to calm his excitement.

"Tom, if it were you, how would you pass that ball?"

Rashford pointed at the TV screen.

"Just play it straight in front of Ronaldo — his header is deadly."

Tang Ye voiced his thought: "But I didn't know he could do that…"

In Tang Ye's mind, Ronaldo shouldn't be capable of a bicycle kick.

All I can say is, with the same adjustment time, Tang Ye could pass more accurately than Carvajal.

But if Tang Ye had made that pass, Ronaldo probably wouldn't have had the chance for the bicycle kick.

De Gea slowly shook his head: "I don't think any goalkeeper could save that."

"Even you couldn't save it, David?"

"I probably couldn't either — the angle was too perfect."

De Gea explained.

"Then I think I could be a goalkeeper — I feel I could save that."

"You? A goalkeeper?"

De Gea spread his hands toward Tang Ye: "Are you planning to stand in front of the goal?"

"Hey David, don't you believe me? I played goalkeeper as a kid — our keeper got sent off, so I took over."

"We won that match too. You probably don't know how cool I looked saving free kicks."

Tang Ye added.

…

Barcelona.

Regarding Dembélé's transfer, Barcelona's management spoke with head coach Valverde.

"Ousmane cannot be sold. He has tremendous talent; this season he only played few matches because of injury. Next season he'll perform brilliantly — I guarantee it."

Valverde's stance was clear.

Ousmane Dembélé will not be put on the transfer market this summer window!

"I think you should consider it — this is our chance to break even."

The club director urged.

Dembélé was bought for 130 million euros, but this season he's only shown value around 60 million euros — Barcelona is currently losing money on him.

Selling Dembélé to United is Barcelona's only way to recoup their investment.

"No no no, Ousmane cannot be sold. He has talent — I can see it. He just needs time."

"Are you sure? What if United offers players in exchange — how would you choose?"

The director suddenly asked.

"Player exchange? Hah, even if they offered us Rashford, I still wouldn't agree to this deal. Hmm… Rashford plus Rodri? Maybe we could consider that."

Valverde insisted: "That's final — Ousmane cannot be sold. I won't approve his transfer."

"Hmm…"

The director suddenly looked Valverde in the eye: "My idea is… let's see if we can use Dembélé to get Tom."

"But then again,"

Valverde grinned: "I'll tell Ousmane to pack his bags."

"Besides Ousmane, what other conditions can we add? We could throw in Busquets — that would strengthen their midfield. Dembélé plus Busquets — Koen, what do you think?"

"If Tom comes over, Coutinho might lose his spot. We could trade Coutinho plus Ousmane for Tom, but United must add some cash — you know Coutinho has tremendous talent too."

Valverde suddenly grew agitated.

"Sit down, sit down — we'll talk to United about this."

If it's Dembélé plus Busquets, Barcelona could easily agree.

But United would never accept that.

But if it's Coutinho plus Dembélé…

Two players each worth 130 million euros — together that's 260 million. Even if the target is Tang Ye, Barcelona would be losing too much.

Of course, there's another reason: trading Coutinho plus Dembélé for Tang Ye is impossible.

Coutinho previously played for Liverpool, meaning if he transferred to United, he'd face fan backlash.

I don't know what to do anymore…

…

Marca Issue 14 — United interested in Barcelona's teenage winger Dembélé, but Barcelona insists he is non-transferable.

Marca Issue 15 — Barcelona hopes to negotiate a player swap with United and is open to Dembélé's transfer.

"Barcelona expresses strong desire for Dembélé to showcase his talent at United — provided United includes Tom in the deal. If United agrees to trade Tom, Barcelona is willing to include De Jong as a bonus."

【Barcelona just won't give up】

【Last season just pay a bit more and be done with it — wait until Tom shines at United, then try to swap for Dembélé?】

【United fans aren't worried at all — Dembélé swapping for Ten Hag is more likely than Dembélé swapping for Tom】

【Guys, I've got an idea — swap Messi】

【Hey, that's actually possible!】

The fixture list is slowly clearing, but United's coaching staff remains busy these days.

Because the transfer window is about to open — Ten Hag must find new players for United!

In fact, Ten Hag is quite frustrated — the entire football world is full of left wingers, and United already has one.

They want a right winger, but no other clubs are willing to sell.

After looking around, Dembélé still has the best talent — but this guy has a terrible training attitude.

As for training attitude...

Ten Hag believed that if he could reshape Tang Ye, then controlling a mere Dembélé would be no problem at all.

"Michel!"

He called out to Van Gaal, who was reading a newspaper: "Bring Greenwood to the first-team training."

"Mason? What about the U18 match?"

"Have him train with the first team, but still play in the U18 game—I want to see how he performs."

Ten Hag wouldn't give up searching for another suitable right winger, and Greenwood was his defensive option.

If United failed to sign a suitable right winger in the summer window, they'd truly have no choice but to try the 17-year-old Greenwood.

During training, Ten Hag further optimized United's set-piece defense.

In United's set-piece defense system, Tang Ye played a minor role, so while teammates practiced set pieces, Tang Ye worked on passing drills with Lingard.

Lingard was extremely enthusiastic during training with Tang Ye—even fetching water for him voluntarily.

Lingard seemed to want to be Tom's junior.

But such elder-younger brother dynamics must be handled with caution.

Whether to let Lingard become his junior was something Tang Ye still needed to consider.

"Jesse, you should start observing before you receive the ball—waiting until you have it is too late."

"Think about how your forward teammates will move. If you're playing a through ball to Mata, don't give too much lead; but when passing to Marcus, you can give more space."

Tang Ye shared his own playing experience with Lingard.

He rarely taught others, but if it was a friend, a little guidance wouldn't hurt.

Different teammates have different traits; Tom wanted his prospective junior Lingard to understand this principle.

Snap!

【De Bruyne low cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 601/800

Snap!

【De Bruyne low cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 622/800

【De Bruyne 45-degree cross Lv5: Replication (Beyond State)】

Proficiency: 300/3500

Happy as he leveled up his proficiency, Tang Ye felt warmth spreading through his foot.

Hss—

This was the precursor to an attribute upgrade!

The season was almost over—would his passing attribute finally break through the 90 barrier?

London Football — Crucial Top-Four Clash: Arsenal Face United; Can the Gunners Secure All Three Points?

Premier League Matchday 36: United vs. Arsenal—this match was vital for Arsenal, who were fighting for a top-four spot.

It was equally important for United.

With City's situation still unclear, United needed to seize every possible opportunity.

"China Central Television! This is live coverage..."

"The referee is checking his watch!"

"Kickoff! Now let me introduce the starting lineups for both teams."

"... and now the away team, Arsenal!"

Arsenal (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Ospina; Defenders: Chambers, Mavropanos, Bellerín

Midfielders: Zaka, Nélson, Njøs

Forwards: Iwobi, Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan

Head Coach: Wenger

Both teams played 4-2-3-1; it remained to be seen whether Wenger had improved Arsenal's tactics after their first-half losses.

Shortly after kickoff, the broadcast camera cut to the home stand, where many United fans held up signs.

【Ten Hag, don't sell Tom!】

【United can do without Dembélé, but not without Tom!】

"The United fans in the stands clearly want to catch Ten Hag's attention."

"Yes, with the season nearing its end, United are seeking new signings, and everyone's focus is on the right winger position. Barcelona has proposed trading Dembélé for Tang Ye. Coach Zhan, do you think this deal is possible?"

The question was directed at Zhan Jun.

"Hss... Honestly, it's unlikely."

"Tang Ye has brought a phenomenally transformative boost to United. His technical profile is uniquely rare—no other player, not even Messi or Ronaldo, could deliver such a massive overall improvement to the team. Neither Messi nor Ronaldo alone could elevate United this much."

"Unless Barcelona packages one or two key players, I don't see this deal happening."

In the studio, Zhan Jun voiced his opinion on the Dembélé trade.

What United needed now was a top-tier central nucleus to control the entire match.

In today's football world, very few players could achieve this effect—only two in the Premier League.

1. Tang Ye himself.

2. Young Tang Ye, De Bruyne.

Thus, unless it was Dembélé plus De Bruyne, no other club stood a chance of landing Tang Ye.

But Dembélé and De Bruyne weren't even on the same team—they couldn't be bundled together for a trade.

Fans were discussing United's summer transfer plans when United launched their attack.

A backheel pass down the right flank linked Tang Ye and Mata.

Mata drove down the flank!

Tang Ye sprinted toward the arc!

Hss—

It seemed too late to reach the arc, so Tang Ye switched plans: he signaled Rodri to run into the arc, while he himself followed Mata down the flank.

Mata stopped under pressure and pushed the ball back to Tang Ye, who was sprinting behind him!

OK—now it was GGBond's chance to cross!

"Go go go!"

Urging his teammates forward, Tang Ye prepared himself.

Snap!

The cross found Alé in the central area!

Shot!

Slightly off target—Ospina got there first and caught the ball.

"Damn!"

A bit unfortunate, Tang Ye shook his hand.

"Come on, Tom!"

"Don't go to Barcelona, Tom!"

Voices from the stands reached him as Tang Ye quickly retreated.

28th minute!

Another chance for United!

"Here!"

He reached out to Herrera for the ball, then immediately surged forward after receiving it.

Boom!

A direct through ball found Alé at the front!

Alé received the ball at the arc and was immediately pressured by Arsenal defenders.

He passed to Rashford on the left!

Rashford controlled the ball!

He waited for support!

Tang Ye was coming!

"Mark him! Mark him!"

Wenger's voice rang out—Zaka quickly closed in on Tang Ye's position.

Absolutely no chance for Tom to receive the ball near the arc.

Otherwise, Arsenal's goal would be in trouble!

Tang Ye signaled—Rodri behind him surged forward.

Snap!

Rashford passed the ball back.

To Rodri!

Look at Rodri!

Bang!

Rodri sent a pass to Tang Ye.

It's the through ball Tom loves most!

Run forward and take control of the ball.

To shake off Zaka, Tang Ye stopped the ball on the spot, turned, and passed it to Valencia, who was sprinting up from behind.

Valencia to Mata!

Glancing at the penalty area, Tang Ye made an instant judgment.

This is a great opportunity!

Without hesitation, Tang Ye made a diagonal run with Mata, finally receiving Mata's pass near the baseline.

"Still the right baseline—watch how Tang Ye handles this!"

"Cross it straight into the box!"

"Aleh!"

Bang!

The God's Believers combo's second connection!

This connection succeeded!

1:0!

Manchester United leads!

"Roar!!!!!!"

Aleh roared in the penalty area; Tang Ye ran over and jumped onto him.

"Sebastian!"

【You gained 10 Comeback Points】

【Financial Progress: Assist (1/5)】

Against Arsenal, Tang Ye took his first step toward the Legendary Chest.

"United!"

"ManUnited!"

Fans in the stands held up banners with Tang Ye's name.

TOM!

That's Tang Ye's name!

Great Tom!

"Don't go to Barcelona! Don't go to Barcelona!"

Walking slowly back to the halfway line, he heard the fans' voices.

Rashford placed his hand on Tang Ye's shoulder and whispered, "The fans are under a lot of pressure."

"No! Why should they be under pressure? We're leading!"

Tang Ye pointed at the big screen's score: "It's 1:0, and I feel it—we're about to make it 2:0."

"Haha, they're worried you'll go to Barcelona."

Rashford pointed to the banners held by the fans.

Although Tang Ye going to Barcelona was unlikely, because news had leaked out, many Manchester United fans were now panicking.

How could the best Tom go to Barcelona!

"Oh, they don't need to worry."

Tang Ye gave a thumbs-up to the stands.

Manchester United fans didn't want him to leave the club—it stirred Tang Ye's emotions.

Because he felt the fans' dependence on him!

Just like he depended on his teammates!

"Arsenal's position on the league table is currently precarious; they need to find a way to take points from Manchester United."

"Yes, from the current situation on the pitch, Arsenal still has some chances."

CCTV commentators said Arsenal had some chances mainly because they held a slight advantage in possession.

The camera cut to Wenger on the sideline; the Gunners' head coach looked grim.

Possession alone isn't enough.

Arsenal must find attacking opportunities!

Bang!

Ospina launched a long clearance from the back.

"Oh!"

Bailly charged out from the penalty area.

Bang!

Bailly headed Ospina's clearance straight back.

That looked painful!

Tang Ye sprinted back, positioning himself in front of Zaka, trying to win the ball.

"Help! Help!"

Seeing he was about to be tackled, Tang Ye quickly called for his teammate Luo De to assist.

After a brief combination, the Manchester United player regained possession.

Counterattack! Counterattack!

Rodri passed to Tang Ye!

The strongest man in Manchester United!

Seeing Tang Ye with the ball, Rashford immediately surged forward.

Tang Ye!

Bang!

He swung his right foot—but his left foot slipped, and he suddenly fell to the ground.

The strongest man!

The strongest man is down!

"…"

Rolling halfway over, Tang Ye got up and brushed the water off his backside.

"Fuck!"

Hss—

On the bench, Ten Hag went pale.

Tang Ye's passing still relied too much on balance.

On a rainy day like today, maintaining balance wasn't easy.

…

Half-time report: Manchester United leads 1:0 temporarily over Arsenal; Tang Ye provided an assist and tripped over his own feet.

PS: Over the next few days, there will be sporadic triple updates—I'm going to Hangzhou at month-end, so the extra votes bonus chapters may be released early.

(End of chapter)