Ye Chen never expected that Solskjaer's good friend would actually be Zeljko Buvac, the assistant coach of Borussia Dortmund under Jurgen Klopp!
Klopp and Buvac were known as the golden duo, working together for a total of 17 years before parting ways in 2018.
Of course, no one knows the exact reason for their separation, but Liverpool's rise was undoubtedly influenced by their efforts.
Moreover, the two of them were the creators of the "Gegenpressing" style of play!
Many people even regarded Buvac as the mastermind behind the system.
After all, during that period, Buvac was more experienced than Klopp.
Since he had decided to leave, it was best to do so decisively, without any lingering attachments.
However, since this was just a U18 match, there was no pre-match press conference. Usually, such games were just opportunities for mutual learning. Today, the match was a Manchester United vs. Liverpool derby, which was why it was held at Old Trafford. Normally, U18 matches rarely had such large-scale events.
Of course, this was also due to Manchester United's influence.
The match took place at 11 AM. After the game, Ye Chen took a quick shower in the dressing room before returning to Carrington.
However, he didn't even stop for lunch—he picked up his backpack and left immediately.
That afternoon, a light drizzle began to fall over Old Trafford. Was the sky crying for him?
Of course, people tend to become sentimental when they are feeling down.
Just as he stepped out of the Carrington training base, he heard a car horn.
"Hey, Ye, over here!"
Ye Chen was taken aback. It was a Volkswagen Beetle—not a luxury car, but rather cute.
The person calling him wasn't just anyone—it was Lina, the eldest daughter of Manchester United U18 coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
"What are you doing here?"
"I've been waiting for you for a while. Get in!" Lina pointed to the passenger seat and smiled.
"I might not have time to hang out. I have a flight to catch at six tonight." Ye Chen declined directly.
"My dad already told me—I'm here to drive you to the airport. And, well, to see you off." Lina smiled.
"Huh?"
"What are you hesitating for? Get in!"
Sitting in the passenger seat, Ye Chen glanced at Lina's profile.
He was momentarily dazed.
She's beautiful…
Too bad he wouldn't be seeing her again after today.
"Am I good-looking?" Lina asked playfully.
"Of course!" Ye Chen nodded. After all, as a transmigrator, he had developed thick skin. He joked, "I wonder which lucky guy will get to be your boyfriend one day."
Lina smiled gently. "Do you think that lucky guy could be you?"
"If I were staying in Manchester, maybe. But now that I'm leaving, I doubt we'll meet again."
"That's not necessarily true!" Lina chuckled. "But I believe you'll succeed in Germany."
"Yeah! I believe in myself too!" Ye Chen clenched his fists. "One day, I'll return—as a rival!"
"Will you hate Manchester United?"
"Of course! Playing for Manchester United was my dream. But before I even got the chance to prove myself, they let me go." Ye Chen sighed.
Anyone in his position would feel frustrated.
He had previously mocked Dong Fangzhuo for only playing three official matches for Manchester United. Now he was in an even worse situation—he had played just one U18 match before getting released!
"Ye, have you heard this saying before?" Lina stopped the car, looked at him seriously, and said, "Sometimes, leaving is the first step to coming back stronger."
Looking at her delicate, beautiful face, Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat.
But the first thing that came to his mind was Paul Pogba from his previous life.
In this world, Pogba was also an exceptionally talented youth player. He was a standout in the youth team and had now joined the reserves, on the verge of making first-team appearances.
However, Ferguson's philosophy was not to trust young players, not even talents like Pogba. Instead of giving him first-team opportunities, Ferguson persuaded the retired Paul Scholes to come back for another season.
That was why Pogba left on a free transfer.
After joining Juventus, Pogba proved himself. Eventually, in 2016, he returned to Manchester United for £89 million (€100 million).
That was exactly what Lina's words reminded Ye Chen of.
And that wasn't even the end—before Ye Chen had transmigrated, Pogba had left United on a free transfer again, rejoining Juventus.
Manchester United had lost him for free twice and paid €100 million in between—Juventus made a massive profit!
In this world, Ye Chen knew Pogba, but they weren't particularly close.
After all, Pogba was a prodigy, while Ye Chen had always been just another nameless player.
But none of that mattered now. With the system on his side, Ye Chen was destined to become a superstar in world football.
But first, he had to pass Dortmund's trial!
Germany, Borussia Dortmund's head coach's office.
Assistant coach Zeljko Buvac walked in with a laptop and said to Klopp, "Jürgen, my friend sent me a video. You should take a look."
"It's dinner time. Can't this wait?" Klopp had just taken off his glasses, rubbing his temples.
"I promise you won't regret watching this." Buvac shook his head and played the video.
Klopp sighed and put his glasses back on. The screen showed a group of young players in training kits.
"Which team is this?" Klopp asked curiously.
"Manchester United U18."
"United's youth academy is always impressive," Klopp remarked as the footage continued.
It started with Ye Chen's off-the-ball movements, then moved on to his goals.
"Who's that black-haired kid? I want his details."
"Hold on, keep watching." Buvac remained calm.
Klopp swallowed. "That small guy is Sterling, right? I remember him—quick, technically gifted, a promising English talent."
Buvac nodded. "But we're focusing on this Chinese kid."
"Chinese?" Klopp was surprised. "I still remember Yang—he was an excellent forward."
[Yang Chen, former Eintracht Frankfurt striker.]
"Yes, this kid is also a striker."
As he spoke, the video showed Ye Chen receiving a corner from Januzaj and smashing in a volley.
"Wow… That's no fluke. His anticipation and finishing technique are top-notch!" Klopp exclaimed.
"There's more!" Buvac grinned.
Sure enough, the next clip showed Ye Chen faking a shot before assisting Januzaj.
"Incredible vision, quick thinking—that's what makes Asian players special!" Klopp gave a thumbs-up.
"And one more thing!" Buvac beamed.
When Ye Chen's midfield lob appeared on the screen, Klopp jumped out of his seat. "Who is this kid? I want his full profile—right now! I need him to lead our attack!"
Klopp was anxious.
Last season's champions, Dortmund were struggling. After six matches, they were 11th in the league with only two wins, one draw, and three losses.
Meanwhile, their direct rivals, Bayern, had won five out of six games and were leading the table.
But what troubled Klopp most was that their main striker, Lucas Barrios, was injured for two months. They had no one left up front!
Seeing Klopp's urgency, Buvac glanced at his watch. "His flight should be landing in an hour. I promised my friend I'd pick him up."
Hearing this, Klopp grabbed his coat. "Let's go together!"
Buvac smiled knowingly.
"Aren't you eating first?"
"No time for food!" Klopp gritted his teeth. He hadn't been this excited since his wedding night!