Mourinho: I Want Lin!
"Why hasn't De Bruyne arrived yet?"
"Is he not coming?"
"This guy, did he ditch us for his new Chelsea teammates?"
As the match date approached, De Bruyne still hadn't shown up. The atmosphere within Werder Bremen was growing uneasy, with players speculating about what could have happened. Even Lin felt something was off. Knowing De Bruyne, he didn't seem like someone who would abandon his teammates. So, Lin privately called him to find out what was going on, but to his surprise, the call didn't go through.
Now Lin himself was unsure. Could something have happened to De Bruyne?
---
In London, at Chelsea Football Club, De Bruyne was being prevented from leaving for Berlin to participate in the match.
"Why can't I go back and play?" De Bruyne was furious. He had fought alongside his teammates all season, and now, right before the championship, Chelsea was forbidding him from playing. Chelsea's sporting director, Arnesen, seemed indifferent to his anger.
"Kevin, you know that your loan contract with Werder Bremen ended when the Bundesliga season finished. Now you're a Chelsea player and have no obligation to fulfill duties for Bremen."
"But Werder Bremen's season isn't over. I need to go back and fight alongside my teammates!"
De Bruyne argued that the final match of the German Cup was more important than any league game. He didn't want to miss it and couldn't bear the thought of letting his team down and potentially costing them the championship.
"Kevin, do you know who the club's new manager is?"
Seeing De Bruyne so stubborn, Arnesen had to further remind him. "The new manager, who will officially sign with us in a few days, is Mourinho, who just left Real Madrid. Mourinho's coaching style is entirely different from Benitez's. He will make significant changes to the team."
"And we have many good midfielders at Chelsea. What you need to do now is to impress Mourinho, not worry about Werder Bremen. Do you think their match is more important than your future at Chelsea?" Arnesen's mustache twitched with frustration. If he didn't value De Bruyne, he wouldn't be so upset.
De Bruyne was silent. He understood that Arnesen was right. During this critical time of a managerial change, he couldn't leave the team. Chelsea's midfield already had Hazard, Mata, and Oscar, and they were reportedly eyeing Willian and Schürrle. Leaving now might leave a bad impression on Mourinho, and since De Bruyne wasn't Mourinho's preferred type of player, the combination could result in him being sidelined at Chelsea.
Was he really willing to risk his career?
As De Bruyne hesitated, images of Lin, Coach Schaaf, and his other Werder Bremen teammates flashed through his mind, along with memories of their battles together. He couldn't be a deserter!
De Bruyne finally made up his mind. "Mr. Arnesen, I still want to go to Berlin for the match!"
Arnesen stared at De Bruyne, whose gaze was firm and stubborn. Unlike before, De Bruyne held eye contact, unyielding.
"Go find Emenalo. If he approves your request, he'll send someone with you to Berlin. Your loan contract is over, and playing for Werder Bremen is not legally permitted."
Arnesen ultimately offered some help. Without his reminder, De Bruyne might have gone to Berlin alone.
After sincerely thanking Arnesen, De Bruyne rushed to find the club's general manager, Emenalo.
"Mr. Emenalo has gone to Portugal and will be back in a few days. Do you need anything?" Emenalo's assistant's response left De Bruyne disheartened. If Emenalo wasn't around, what could he do about the match?
He tried seeking help from others, but as a newcomer at Chelsea, he had no close relationships. No one wanted to help or overstep their authority. This matter required the general manager's approval.
"Do you have Mr. Emenalo's phone number?" After hitting many dead ends and wasting time, De Bruyne had to return to Emenalo's assistant.
"Yes, I'll send it to you." After getting Emenalo's number, De Bruyne immediately dialed it.
---
In a luxurious mansion in Portugal, Chelsea's general manager Emenalo saw the unknown number and chose to ignore it. He was drinking with Mourinho and had no time for unknown calls. If it were important, his assistant would inform him. Unknown numbers usually came from people trying to leverage his connections to join Chelsea. He had seen plenty of such players and didn't care much about them.
More important than trivial matters was discussing serious business with Mourinho. "Here's the transfer list for next season. If you see anyone you like, Mr. Abramovich will fully support you in bringing them in. Money is not an issue."
Mourinho nodded and, scanning the list, pointed at a name. "I want him. Can you get him?"
Emenalo almost spat out his drink when he saw the name Mourinho pointed at—Lin. Emenalo thought, this is not just any player. Lin is one of the most anticipated young stars in football, aside from Messi and Ronaldo. Many clubs wanted him, and even with Chelsea's money, it was beyond financial matters. The choice rested entirely with the player, who would decide based on personal preference.
It reminded him of his cold reception when he visited Guardiola, who seemed to have a bias against Chelsea. Would Lin, influenced by Guardiola, have the same bias?
Just then, his phone rang again—another unknown number. Annoyed, Emenalo rejected the call and blocked the number.
---
De Bruyne was puzzled. Why wasn't anyone answering? Without the general manager's help, who could resolve the procedural issues? Just as he felt helpless, his phone rang. Thinking it was Emenalo calling back, he quickly answered, "Mr. Emenalo, I need your help arranging a staff member to come with me to Germany to handle the formalities. I want to play the last match for Werder Bremen!"
The person on the other end paused. "Ahem, Kevin, it's Lin!"
So that's it! Lin thought. No wonder De Bruyne hadn't come; it was a procedural issue. De Bruyne wasn't the kind to abandon his teammates.
"Lin, I... I'm sorry, but I might not be able to play. I'm really sorry..." Hearing Lin's voice, De Bruyne's emotions crumbled. Without Emenalo's call, his last hope was gone.
"What's the matter? Tell me, and I'll see if I can help!" Hearing De Bruyne's distressed tone, coupled with his earlier words, Lin guessed he was in big trouble. De Bruyne, like grabbing a lifeline, poured out all his troubles.
After hearing him out, Lin breathed a sigh of relief. The issue wasn't hard to solve; De Bruyne just hadn't found the right way.
"Pack your things and book the earliest flight to Berlin. Leave the procedures to me."
"Okay, I'm on my way!" De Bruyne didn't question Lin. In his heart, Lin was invincible. Since Lin said he'd handle it, it would be taken care of.
---
After hanging up, Lin searched his contacts for Emenalo's number, which he got from a business card Emenalo left when visiting Guardiola in Spain. Though he never contacted Emenalo, he had kept the number. De Bruyne must have tried reaching Emenalo but couldn't get through. This meant Emenalo didn't answer unknown numbers, so Lin needed a familiar person. He thought of Chelsea scout George Evans, who had been hit by his football before.
---
"Everyone thinks Lin is the next Messi, but after careful study, I find his offensive threat equals Messi's, and his defensive contributions far exceed Messi's. Such a player is perfect for my team!"
Mourinho didn't care about Emenalo's difficulties. Since Emenalo said he could choose freely, he wanted Lin. Other players could be ignored, but he wanted Lin at Stamford Bridge this summer. Sweat beaded on Emenalo's forehead. He didn't dare make empty promises due to the high difficulty.
"I'll try my best to make it happen."
Mourinho was dissatisfied with Emenalo's response and was about to press further when Emenalo's phone rang. Relieved, Emenalo saw it was from his scout. He hurriedly answered, grateful for the interruption.
"Hello, George. What's up?"
"Hmm? Who wants to talk to me?"
"Lin??"
"Then don't stand around, get him on the line, or give me his number. I'll call him myself!"
After hanging up, Emenalo smiled. Lin calling him—could it be that he was interested in joining Chelsea? If so, they could fulfill Mourinho's request.
Soon, George sent Lin's number. Emenalo wasted no time calling.
After calling George, Lin was waiting for his call back but instead got a call from Emenalo. Surprised, Lin thought, wasn't I supposed to call him? Well, no matter who calls whom.
"Hello, Mr. Emenalo, this is Lin. I'm calling to ask for a favor..."
Putting down the phone, Emenalo was upset. He thought Lin was interested in joining Chelsea, but it was something else entirely.
"Mr. Abramovich's call?" Mourinho asked casually upon seeing Emenalo's changed demeanor.
"Not him, it was Lin."
"He called you?"
Mourinho's eyes lit up, thinking Emenalo had the player's contact and yet complained of difficulties.
"He did, but not for what
you think." Emenalo had to explain everything.
Mourinho was also disappointed. "Never mind, having his contact is good enough. Arrange a meeting so I can talk to him directly!"
Mourinho believed that for players like Lin, the coach needed to personally explain his coaching philosophy and the player's tactical role in the team. Only then could they be persuaded to join. Whether it would work, they'd find out after meeting.
---
On May 31st, with less than a day before the match, De Bruyne finally arrived at the training base. Chelsea quickly sent someone over, much to Lin's surprise at the efficiency. Emenalo didn't want to mess things up and leave a bad impression on Lin.
With Chelsea's help, De Bruyne signed a supplementary agreement with Werder Bremen, adding the German Cup final to his original contract without extending the loan. This allowed him to play the final match.
"Sorry, I'm late and caused trouble!" After sorting out everything, De Bruyne finally relaxed and apologized to the team.
"What are you saying? It's not your fault!" Lin walked over, punched his shoulder, and said, "But you were late, so you need to be punished, right, guys?"
"Right!"
"So, how should we punish him?"
"Maybe he should wash our socks? It's so hot, I change several pairs during a training session, and they're getting pretty stinky!" Petersen suggested a nasty punishment.
Just hearing that made De Bruyne pale, smelling the imaginary stinky socks. "Can I run now?"