[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-start-with-r9-template":3,"chapter-start-with-r9-template-start-with-r9-template-chapter-114":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Start with R9 Template",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1388696,1840,"Chapter 114 - 114","start-with-r9-template-chapter-114",114,"\u003Cp>The next day, after all matches of Matchday 24 concluded and the British media swarmed like sharks smelling blood in the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>United's invincible aura had been punctured by Burnley, and the press was ready to feast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sky Sports: THE STREAK ENDS! Burnley Shock United at Old Trafford.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BBC Sport: Injury Crisis Deepens: Ibrahimović, Carrick, Blind, and Bailly Ruled Out for Weeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mirror: Man City 3-1 Newcastle: Sergio Aguero Hat-trick closes the gap to Three Points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the two Manchester clubs were the undisputed heavyweights of the season, every slip-up was magnified under the microscope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>United suffering their first league defeat of the season didn't just give Manchester City hope; it reignited the faint dreams of the chasing pack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham all looked at the table and thought: If Burnley can do it, why can't we?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For rival fans, the dominant era of Sir Alex Ferguson had left deep psychological scars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing United stumble, even slightly, was a cause for celebration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reddit \u002F r\u002Freddevils & r\u002Fsoccer\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@ABU_4Life: The mask slips. A single snowflake can trigger an avalanche. United have been lucky all season. Now the luck runs out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@UnitedFaithful: Calm down. It's one loss. We are still top. But the injuries are worrying. No Bailly, no Zlatan. We are thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@TacticalTim: The attack is fine with Ling and Lukaku. The issue is the defense. We can't rely on forwards tracking back 90 minutes every game. It kills our transition speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@DeGeaSaves: You're overlooking the most important point: How long can Dave stay in God Mode? He is our only reliable defender right now. If he dips, we are in trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@TransferMuppet: It's January 23rd. Why hasn't Ed Woodward signed anyone? Is he on holiday? We need reinforcements NOW.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@CityZen: We are closing in on Aymeric Laporte from Bilbao. £57m. Done deal. What are United doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@RedArmy: We should hijack Laporte!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@Insider: Laporte rejected United for City before. He wants Pep. Forget him. We need a warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@MourinhoEra: We need a center-back. Lindelof is improving, but is he ready for a title fight? Rojo is made of glass. Smalling and Jones are... well, Smalling and Jones. Good servants, but inconsistent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carrington: The Manager's Office\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the fans debated on Twitter, the lights in the main office at Carrington burned late into the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jose Mourinho sat behind his mahogany desk, rubbing his temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A half-empty cup of espresso sat cold beside a stack of scouting reports.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to United's explosive first half of the season, Mourinho had regained the absolute trust of the Glazers and Ed Woodward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chequebook was open. He had €100 million to spend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, the plan was to sign a winger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But plans change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho looked at the depth chart. Left Wing: Ling, Rashford, Martial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We are fine there,\" Mourinho muttered, crossing out a few names. \"Ling is covering so much ground, he's like two players.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The priority was the spine. Central defense and central midfield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up a file. Samuel Umtiti.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Barcelona defender had a €60 million release clause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this market, that was a steal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Mourinho knew the complications. Signing Umtiti meant offloading Daley Blind (who Barcelona wanted) or Marcos Rojo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was messy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up another file. Mateo Kovačić.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Real Madrid midfielder was unhappy with his minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His technical ability was similar to Pogba's—he could carry the ball, break lines, and resist the press.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would be the perfect insurance policy for when Pogba was rested or injured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Mourinho turned his attention to a name that wasn't officially on the market, but one he knew well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David Luiz.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Brazilian had returned to Chelsea last summer and been pivotal in Antonio Conte's title win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had matured, cutting out the PlayStation-style defending to become a reliable sweeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this season? Chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following a dressing room bust-up after a Champions League game against Roma, Conte had frozen him out. Luiz wasn't injured. He wasn't suspended. He was simply exiled to the stands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho tapped his pen on the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Luiz. He knew that despite the \"Sideshow Bob\" hair and the joker persona, Luiz was a winner. And right now, United needed winners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His phone buzzed on the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho glanced at the screen. It was Marina Granovskaia, Chelsea's fearsome director of football.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marina: [Jose. We know you want a CB. Conte wants a forward. How about a swap? We give you David Luiz + Cash. You give us Ling. Name your price.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho stared at the phone for a full five seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a dark, incredulous laugh bubbled up from his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is she fucking drunk?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had always found Marina difficult—she was a brilliant negotiator who scrutinized every penny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this? This was delusional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chelsea were desperate to offload Luiz's wages. United held all the cards. And she wanted the hottest prospect in world football?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho typed his reply with aggressive thumbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jose: [800 million. Pounds. Cash up front.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hit send and threw the phone onto the sofa. There was no room for negotiation on his star boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days later, the tickers on Sky Sports News turned yellow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BREAKING: HENRIKH MKHITARYAN JOINS ARSENAL.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fee reported to be £34 million. The Armenian midfielder leaves Old Trafford after 18 months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BREAKING: MANCHESTER UNITED IN ADVANCED TALKS FOR DAVID LUIZ.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chelsea defender is undergoing a medical at Carrington. Fee undisclosed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Carrington training ground, the mood was bittersweet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Transfers are part of the business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Few players live the fairy tale of the \"One Club Man\" like Giggs or Scholes anymore. But saying goodbye is never easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Henrikh Mkhitaryan was clearing out his locker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho's pragmatic, defensive structure had stifled the creativity of the former Bundesliga Player of the Year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed freedom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed a manager who wouldn't scream at him for failing to track a fullback in the 90th minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arsene Wenger had promised him exactly that. \"Come to Arsenal. Play football. Don't worry about the rest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an offer he couldn't refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The United players lined up to wish him well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it was Ling's turn, the atmosphere softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Henrik,\" Ling said, pulling the Armenian into a warm hug. \"I think London will suit you. Wenger plays beautiful football. You're going to remind everyone how good you are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, Ling was sad to see him go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mkhitaryan pulled back, holding Ling by the shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the young star seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ling, listen to me,\" Mkhitaryan said quietly. \"Don't let them run you into the ground. You train like a machine, but you have a long career ahead. Protect your body. That is the most important thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling smiled, raising an eyebrow playfully. \"Don't worry, Mkhi. I'll be careful. But watch out... next time we meet on the pitch, I might have a few new tricks to surprise you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mkhitaryan laughed, but a jolt of genuine concern went through him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had watched Ling evolve over the last six months from a raw talent into a monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I have to play against him now,' Mkhitaryan realized with a sudden pang of regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Good luck to our defense i guess.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Goodbye, my friend,\" Mkhitaryan said, picking up his box of belongings. \"See you at the Emirates.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Mkhitaryan walked out the door, Mourinho was already waiting in the hallway, shaking hands with a tall figure with a mass of curly hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reinforcements had arrived!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>patreon (.)com\u002FNewbietranslator\u003C\u002Fp>",1256,"2026-06-05T22:48:23.062Z",1,"novelbin.me","ab29432cad4c6704630dd2076f655adbd26999af85346621d2c83cef25010da0","start-with-r9-template-chapter-18","start-with-r9-template-chapter-17",371,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstart-with-r9-template-cover.jpg"]