Chapter 97: Rumors of Ten Hag

【You received 10 Counterpoint Points】

「…」

「Beep, beeeeeep!!!」

Full-time: Utrecht won 4-0 away against Vitesse, earning three points in this match.

After post-match ratings from reporters and analysts, Tang Ye narrowly lost the MVP award to Ale by 0.1 points.

But it didn’t matter—Tang Ye had his own reward.

That was the Eredivisie Player of the Month for April!

Alongside Tang Ye, Ten Hag also received the honor of April’s Best Coach.

There was no way around it—Utrecht won every single Eredivisie match in April; these trophies were deserved by Tang Ye and Ten Hag!

After finishing his media interviews, Tang Ye walked into the player tunnel, holding his trophy, where Zhang Yuning waited for him, already changed.

“Amazing, Tang Ye!”

“Hahaha!”

Tang Ye gripped the trophy in his hand and hugged Zhang Yuning.

Perhaps because he played abroad, speaking Chinese with Zhang Yuning gave Tang Ye a deep sense of ease.

“Wait, isn’t this your first Player of the Month?”

Zhang Yuning suddenly asked.

Tang Ye nodded: “I got one in February too.”

“Impressive!”

Zhang Yuning gave a thumbs-up; both added each other on WeChat and WhatsApp.

Tang Ye was truly incredible—when Zhang Yuning had just been promoted from Vitesse U19 to the first team in February, Tang Ye had already won Eredivisie Player of the Month.

Tang Ye’s birthday was in March, meaning he had earned his first-ever Eredivisie monthly award at just sixteen years old.

“So what’s the deal? Is it true what the news says—you’re going to Frankfurt?”

As Zhang Yuning walked with Tang Ye toward Utrecht’s locker room, he casually asked about the transfer.

Right now, Dongqiudi was discussing nothing but Tang Ye’s next club.

Everyone had only one question.

Would Tang Ye move to one of the Wudaliansai next season?

If so, which club would he join?

“Damn, I feel like everyone’s asking me this.”

Tang Ye spread his hands, looking innocent.

Huh—

Maybe this was the trouble of becoming famous!

Tang Ye told Zhang Yuning about his current contract lock with Utrecht; they reached the locker room door.

“So we’ll stay in touch on our phones?”

“Yeah, on our phones!”

…

Meanwhile, in Vitesse’s home press room, Ten Hag accepted his April Best Coach trophy, then immediately faced the reporters.

Ten Hag paid attention to details—he placed the trophy on the table before the interview.

It might block his face, but he didn’t care; he wanted reporters and fans to see the trophy.

“Eric, after this win, you’re still top of the league table, and in two weeks you’ll face Alkmaar at home—your final Eredivisie match of the season. If you win, you’ll break history and claim Utrecht’s first-ever Eredivisie title.”

“Eric, do you have enough confidence for this final match in two weeks?”

“Confidence? I don’t think that’s even a question—we’re confident.”

Ten Hag spread his hands; in his view, this wasn’t worth discussing.

They’d come this far—Utrecht’s only task now was to win the league title.

The gap between first and second place was huge; Verhoeven had already spoken with Ten Hag days ago.

If they won the league, Ten Hag would get at least €25 million in transfer budget for the summer window.

But if they finished second, the budget would drop straight to €10 million.

The difference between €25 million and €10 million needed no explanation—if it was the latter, Ten Hag might have to sell key players just to afford his targets.

But with €25 million, he wouldn’t have to worry.

“Eric, last season Utrecht finished 11th in the league. This season, your goal is the title—and you’ve just won the KNVB Cup. Do you think you’ve made a huge impact on this team?”

“Hmm…”

Ten Hag hesitated: “I think this question shouldn’t be answered by me—the fans know what I’ve done for the team.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the stadium erupted in cheers.

The interview was being live-streamed on the stadium screen, in real time.

Utrecht fans knew exactly what Ten Hag had said—they wanted to show their support for Saint Ten.

“Last question.”

The reporter lifted his head, staring straight at Ten Hag.

Ten Hag assumed the reporter would ask about Tang Ye’s transfer again.

He’d already prepared to refuse—but it turned out he was wrong.

“Due to poor results, Manchester United’s manager Van Gaal is rumored to be sacked. According to British reports, United has contacted you. Is this true?”

Ten Hag fell silent.

“It’s true.”

“Manchester United offered you over ten times Utrecht’s salary, Eric. Will you join Manchester United after the summer window opens?”

Creak—

Ten Hag pushed back his chair and stood up.

“Sorry, I can’t answer that. I’m fully focused on Utrecht.”

…

The Times front page headline—Manchester United contacted Utrecht’s head coach Ten Hag; the Glazers believe the Dutchman can save the club.

The Sun front page headline—Who is Manchester United’s rumored new coach, Ten Hag?

Utrecht RTV reporter Jors: If Ten Hag stays at Utrecht, he’ll receive a new contract worth over €1.5 million annually—but it’s far less than Manchester United’s promised €7 million.

Utrecht fans were stunned; the rumors linking Ten Hag to Manchester United exploded overnight.

Originally, Manchester United had already contacted Mourinho—the Portuguese manager was currently unemployed after leaving Chelsea.

But Ten Hag’s emergence gave United a new option.

Manchester United fans had never heard of Ten Hag—until the Manchester Evening News quickly introduced him.

He single-handedly lifted Utrecht from 11th in the Eredivisie to title contenders.

Seeing that line, United fans weren’t surprised anymore.

Honestly—he had real ability!

And most importantly, Ten Hag’s salary was low!

To lure Mourinho, United would’ve needed to pay around €15 million annually; Ten Hag’s current salary at Utrecht was already low—United could sign him for just half of Mourinho’s wage and he’d happily agree!

【Is this real? Is Ten Hag coming to my Man U?】

【Awesome, can you bundle Tang Ye too? I feel Ten Hag can’t handle Man U without Tang Ye’s help.】

【One season, salary jumps tenfold—who dares say Saint Ten is a fraud now?】

【What about Tang Ye? Can he go to Man U too? Damn, it’s been ages since a Chinese player played in the Premier League!】

From the comments, whether Chinese or Dutch fans, most didn’t believe Ten Hag would stay at Utrecht next season.

Why?

Because Manchester United’s offer was just too damn high.

Utrecht’s entire summer transfer budget last season was under €7 million—Manchester United just handed Ten Hag a €7 million annual salary!

How the hell could they keep him!

…

“What’s going on? Is Mr. Ten Hag leaving?”

In the first-team cafeteria, players gathered around a table; Tang Ye bit into his burger and asked Ramselaar.

“I don’t know.”

Ramselaar shook his head.

“But you’re the captain!”

Ale pressed his hands on Ramselaar’s shoulders; the latter shrugged helplessly: “I really don’t know—I only found out about United contacting Eric because of the news.”

Ramselaar looked left and right.

Learning their head coach might leave, the first-team players seemed listless.

Hmm…

Except Tang Ye.

“Tang, why do you look so happy?”

Ramselaar asked. All players turned their gaze toward Tang Ye.

"Huh?"

Tang Ye quickly swallowed the burger in his mouth: "No, no, I just think this burger is delicious. Of course I’m sad Mr. Eric is leaving."

"How sad?" Amlabat pressed.

"Hmm... cough cough"

Tang Ye accidentally laughed out loud.

"Sorry, sorry, I just remembered the game I played yesterday. Sorry, sorry."

Tang Ye kept apologizing, afraid he’d ruined the current atmosphere.

Of course, the players were deeply upset that Ten Hag was leaving Utrecht.

But Tang Ye’s situation was different.

For him, Ten Hag’s departure was actually good news.

As long as Ten Hag left Utrecht, Tang Ye’s seat in the first-team cafeteria wouldn’t be taken away!

Currently bound by Ten Hag, Tang Ye could only eat a burger once every three days.

Once Ten Hag was gone, Tang Ye could eat one every single day!

Oh no, every day wasn’t enough—he had to eat one with every meal!

With training this hard, how could he not eat some junk food?

The rumors about Ten Hag’s departure had seriously affected the players, so much so that Ten Hag and Van der Gaag both noticed something was off during training.

Since it was already disrupting training, Ten Hag had no choice but to call a team meeting.

In the meeting, Ten Hag didn’t clearly say whether he would leave Utrecht.

His focus was on the players needing to concentrate on the match.

"In two weeks we play our final game—it determines whether we win the league title this season. We’ll be fighting against PSV. Do you know who our opponent is? Alkmaar—they’re fifth in the table. But do you know who PSV’s opponent is?"

"TM’s Cambuur—they’re about to get relegated!"

As Ten Hag spoke, his meaning was clear.

In the final matchday, Utrecht’s opponent is strong, but PSV’s opponent is weak.

PSV will likely win.

That means Utrecht must win too—or we’re done for!

【De Bruyne 45-degree cross Lv.2: Similar】

Proficiency: 62/100

"Phew..."

Hands on knees, today’s afternoon passing drills had left Tang Ye exhausted.

!

But the results were excellent—thanks to Borga’s paste, Tang Ye’s skill proficiency had risen sharply.

Two weeks remain until the match against Alkmaar.

Hmm...

A quick calculation: Tang Ye should be able to raise his 【45-degree cross】 to Lv.3 before the final match.

But it’ll be tough.

After lunch break, back in his dorm, Tang Ye stripped off his clothes and tossed them on the floor, set an alarm for 2 p.m., and prepared to sleep.

Then his phone rang.

He checked the caller ID—it was Tang Zhengxiong calling.

Huh?

Tang Ye was surprised.

In his memory, Tang Zhengxiong always felt too shy to call him directly—he’d always pretend to accidentally overhear Zhang Qingqing talking to Tang Ye, then “happen to be passing by” to chat for a bit.

A direct call...

Was this the first time?

"Hey, picked up! Tang Ye!"

"What’s up, Dad?"

"Nothing important. Is your living allowance enough? Should I transfer you more?"

So it was about living expenses...

Tang Ye’s expression relaxed: "More than enough. I’ve got a salary now—definitely enough."

"Good, good..."

"Mm."

The conversation grew awkward. Tang Ye was about to hang up when Tang Zhengxiong stopped him.

"No, no, don’t hang up!"

Tang Zhengxiong shouted: "I saw the news—your head coach’s going to Manchester United? Wait, that’s freaking me out. How good is this Ten Hag anyway? Is he really that good?"

Tang Zhengxiong was a loyal Liverpool fan.

Hearing that Utrecht’s surprise head coach was heading to Manchester United, his first thought was his son.

His son played for Utrecht—he must know Ten Hag inside out!

"This..."

Tang Ye couldn’t answer right away.

Honestly, Tang Zhengxiong’s question was hard to answer!

How good was Ten Hag really...

Tang Ye disliked Ten Hag intensely—but still, he was his head coach!

He couldn’t badmouth his own coach behind his back!

"Um, Dad, I’d say Ten Hag is pretty strong."

"Damn, this is bad!"

In China, Tang Zhengxiong held his phone in his right hand and placed his left on the back of his head.

Sure enough, the Manchester Evening News reporter was right—Ten Hag had lifted Utrecht from 11th to first in the league. He couldn’t possibly be a fraud.

Ten Hag wasn’t a fraud?

Then who was the fraud at Utrecht?

No one else—it had to be his son!

"Phew..."

Tang Zhengxiong exhaled deeply: "Tang Ye, can you listen to me for a second?"

"Go ahead."

"Can you ask your coach—when he goes to Manchester United—to take you with him?"

"Huh?"

Tang Ye froze: "Wait, why?"

"No reason, just bring it up when you get the chance. I watch the Premier League all the time—you fit Manchester United’s style perfectly. Seriously, believe me, if you go to Man Utd, Liverpool—oh no, Manchester United will take off!"

"..."

"I’ll... try..."

Tang Ye gave a vague answer.

This wasn’t the first time Tang Zhengxiong had brought up transferring to Manchester United.

Clearly, as a Liverpool fan, Tang Zhengxiong desperately wanted his son to help Manchester United rise again!

Tang Ye set his phone aside, lay flat on his bed, and thought.

Even though Tang Zhengxiong demanded it, Tang Ye would absolutely not follow Ten Hag to Manchester United!

May 8th—ten days before Utrecht’s final league match of the season.

Today, Tang Ye achieved something: he raised the proficiency of 【45-degree cross】 to 75.

Only 25 points away from the next level—the training boost from Borga’s paste was clearly significant.

"Tang, come here!"

Tang Ye, mid-drill with De Jong on a one-two pass, was suddenly called over by Ten Hag.

Turning around, Tang Ye was surprised to see the second-team head coach, Merent, standing at the first-team training ground.

"Me?"

Tang Ye pointed at his own nose.

"Yes, hurry up!"

Tang Ye sprinted over, chewing gum, and kicked back the ball a teammate had accidentally passed his way.

"Mr. Eric, Mr. Merent, what’s up?"

Tang Ye asked, adding: "I haven’t been late a single day in the past month—you can’t punish me."

"I know, I know, it’s not about that."

Ten Hag waved his hand: "Listen to Merent."

His gaze shifted to Merent, whose face was slightly flushed—he seemed reluctant to voice what was on his mind.

"Hmm... Tang, do you know we have a cup competition for the second team—the U21 Netherlands Championship?"

"I know about it."

"You know?" Merent blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, I was on the bench once last season for that U21 something—didn’t we make the quarterfinals last season?"

The first team of Utrecht plays the Eredivisie and the Dutch Cup; the second team plays the Eerste Divisie and the U21 Netherlands Championship.

One league, one cup—these are always fixed.

"Oh right, I think I remember now."

Merent rubbed his nose and explained slowly: "We’ve performed better this season—after tomorrow, we’re playing the final against Ajax’s second team, and..."

Looking at Tang Ye, with his big eyes, Merent couldn’t bring himself to say it.

"It’s fine, it’s fine."

Ten Hag offered a simple reassurance; Merent took a deep breath: "We’re unlikely to beat Ajax’s second team, but this title still matters to us."

Tang Ye nodded thoughtfully: "So what do we do?"

"Can you come with us the day after tomorrow?"

Huh?

Huh??

"Come with you? Me?"

Tang Ye pointed at his own nose, surprised Merent had invited him to the U21 Championship match.

"Wait a minute."

Tang Ye pointed out the problem.

"I played in the Eredivisie this season—how can I join the U21 team?"

"It doesn’t matter."

Ten Hag said.

"But don’t I need to register to play in these matches?"

"I already had you registered."

Ten Hag’s words left Tang Ye stunned.

"Before the season started, I had you registered for the Eerste Divisie and the U21 matches."

"By the way, I also registered you for the U19 and U17 tournaments—you can play in those too."

"..."

Tang Ye fell into deep thought.

He had already joined the first team at the start of the season—why had Ten Hag registered him for so many other matches?

Wait!

Tang Ye suddenly realized something.

This guy Ten Hag wants to send him back!

Damn it!

Learning the truth, Tang Ye’s heart shattered.

Mr. Eric!

I trusted you so much—and you just want to send me back to the second team?

(End of Chapter)