That night, as Lucas returned home, he lay on his bed and heard the voice of the system:
[Body transformation begins!]
[Time required: eight hours!]
There was no time for Lucas to think as a wave of fatigue washed over him, causing him to immediately fall into a deep sleep.
This sleep lasted for eight hours, and upon waking up, he felt refreshed and full of energy.
Had the systematic body transformation been completed?
Lucas examined himself from head to toe, but his height remained unchanged.
After measuring himself, he confirmed that he was still his original height of 1.72 meters.
He had been concerned that the system's transformation would make him as tall as Messi, but now it seemed that he had worried too much.
Nevertheless, Messi's exceptional agility and dribbling skills were undoubtedly influenced by his height.
Messi's incredible speed, combined with his natural ball sense, allowed him to control and manipulate the ball faster than others.
Consequently, while others could only perform two movements, Messi could execute three with ease.
Utilizing changes in rhythm, Messi managed to bypass most defensive players.
This mastery of rhythm was one of Messi's greatest strengths.
A single move can be revolutionary, captivating audiences worldwide, yet not everyone can replicate it.
You know he wants to get past you, but your body fails to keep up with your mind, resulting in moments like Boateng tripping himself famously.
Therefore, Lucas felt a sense of worry, fearing that his own skills such as breakthroughs and dribbling might be affected by an increase in height.
Would Messi still be Messi if he were 1.72 meters tall?
No, the only way to find out was to test it on the field!
With excitement in his heart, Lucas embraced the football, hopped on his bicycle, and hurried towards the football field.
"My kid, why are you up so early? Doesn't the training for the youth team start at 9:30? It's only 6:30!" Sierra watched Lucas galloping away and looked puzzled as she addressed Guardiola.
Guardiola pondered for a moment, recalling his conversation with Lucas the previous day.
The child has grown up and now possesses his own ideas. At this serious training time, he must be preparing for his departure from Barcelona.
With this realization, Guardiola decided to leverage his connections to help Lucas find a team.
If Lucas truly intended to leave Barcelona, at the very least, Guardiola could assist him in joining a better team, ensuring his career progression would not be hindered.
...
..
Lucas arrived very early, and apart from the security guard at the gate, there was no one else to be seen in the training base.
After greeting the security guard, Lucas hurried onto the training ground, eagerly grabbing the ball to start practicing.
He was eager to experience the sensation of playing football in the style of Messi.
Initially, before touching the ball, Lucas didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
However, as soon as the ball came to his feet, he immediately sensed the difference.
He realized that his stride frequency had significantly increased compared to his usual speed of taking only two steps per second.
Now, he was able to take at least three or even four steps per second!
In addition to the increased pace, he also noticed a substantial improvement in his ball control.
The ball seemed to stick to his feet every time he touched it. He could precisely maneuver the football, ensuring it didn't stray more than half a meter away from him.
As a midfielder, Lucas understood the significance of this distance better than anyone else.
When Messi dribbles, it becomes difficult for opponents to intercept the ball.
One reason is his rapid touch frequency, almost taking one step at a time, allowing him to snatch the ball before the opponent can reach it.
The second reason is his exceptional ball sense. He maintains precise control over the distance between the football and his body, making it challenging for defenders to dispossess him within that range.
Consequently, the best way to handle Messi is to prevent the ball from reaching his feet!
After conducting several experiments, Lucas was pleasantly surprised.
The dog system proved to be remarkably reliable this time, effectively replicating Messi's attributes within himself!
Next, he attempted several of Messi's signature moves, such as ball pickups, inside and outside instep strikes, quick turns, feints, and continuous fake shots.
While these techniques were not exclusive to Messi, Lucas's enhanced ball control and rapid touch frequency made him more threatening than other players when executing these actions.
"Hey, Lucas, why did you come so early?" Deulofeu inquired.
Lucas practiced on the court for an hour, went to the cafeteria for breakfast, and returned to the locker room to shower. Finally, Deulofeu and others arrived.
Seeing Lucas practicing alone on the court, Deulofeu felt pleasantly surprised.
In his memory, Lucas wasn't particularly known for his dedication. Hence, he wondered why Lucas had come so early today.
Noticing Lucas's profuse sweat, it was evident that he had been training diligently for quite some time.
"I want to play for the first team!"
Facing Deulofeu's question, Lucas replied earnestly.
"Ah, are you kidding? You're only 16 years old this year, not yet 17. How can you establish yourself in the first team at such a young age?"
Deulofeu made an appearance in the 11th round of La Liga last year when Barcelona came off the bench in the 5-0 victory against Mallorca.
However, by the time he entered the field, the score was already 4-0. Messi had already scored three goals within the first 30 minutes, effectively eliminating any suspense in the game.
That's why Guardiola substituted him, to let him experience the atmosphere and train with the young players.
During the few tens of minutes he played, Deulofeu keenly felt the significant gap in strength between the first team and the youth team.
This realization made Deulofeu acutely aware of the disparity in abilities between himself and the first-choice players.
He needs to continue working hard to enhance his skills and strength; otherwise, he won't be able to secure a place in the first team.
Deulofeu is one and a half years older than Lucas. He believes that he can't establish himself in the first team.
But Lucas, younger and slighter, deems it even more improbable.
"Of course, I'm not joking, and I never said I have to make it in Barcelona!"
"You want to leave Barcelona?"
Deulofeu was taken aback. Players who come to La Masia aspire to stay here, dreaming of one day stepping onto the Nou Camp.
However, Lucas, a local lad with the Barcelona youth academy, actually intends to leave Barcelona, which greatly surprises him.
"Indeed, how can one make it into the first team without leaving Barcelona? Besides, La Masia's youth training players are highly sought after, so finding a team won't be a problem! You should consider it too, if you don't necessarily have to stay in Barcelona!"
I vaguely recall Deulofeu's difficult time in Barcelona; he came and went several times but ultimately managed to stay.
Lucas then reminded his friend, but whether he chooses to listen or not is not up to him.
It's similar to someone who has dreamt of playing for Real Madrid since childhood. With Barcelona's increasingly outstanding performances, many young players dream of playing for the club.
Deulofeu is one of them.
At that moment, the coaches of the youth team approached and gestured for the players to gather the equipment, preparing for today's training session.
In five days, they will travel to face league rivals Almeria.
Currently, the opponent sits seventh in the standings of the West Second Division, while the Barcelona youth team is in eighth place.
Although they are only one spot behind in the rankings, the opponent holds a 14-point advantage over them, making them considerably stronger.
But the team has lost two consecutive games, including a 4-1 loss to Celta in the previous round, which has brought shame upon Barcelona club.
As a result, the club issued them an ultimatum, and they must secure a victory against Almeria to put an end to their two-game losing streak.
This has placed immense pressure on the coaching staff of the youth team, and they are highly focused on the upcoming game.
Therefore, they have decided to organize an internal training match and select the best players for the away game.
Such training matches have been conducted in the past, where Lucas, the main midfielder of the team, typically wears a blue vest symbolizing his status as a key player.
However, today, the assistant coach provided him with a yellow vest, indicating that he will be a substitute.
What does this signify? Lucas glanced at the head coach of the youth team, Enrique, only to see him engaged in a flattering conversation with the club chairman, Rosell.
Could this be Rosell's doing?